Omaha daily bee., 1919-01-07

Because OF his dynamic personal
ity and his always interesting utter
ances, Omaha's leading citizens have
always felt peculiar personal in
terest in Colonel Roosevelt,
The news of his death caused a
profound shock among the people of
the city, and the features OF his life,
his unconventional attitude toward
things social and political, besides
his aggressiveness, were a theme of
discussion all day.
I'm the death of Roosevelt Amer
lea has lost one of the very great
men of the last generation" said
Mayor Smith. "He was a man who
performed a wonderful good for the
country and theg only criticism I
could make of him was that he was
inclined to be ver-ambitious."
Senator Millard's Tribute.
High tribute to Colonel Roose-
welt, the man, is paid by Senator
Joseph H. Willard, the Omaha man
who knew him personally better
than perhaps any other Omahan.
Senator Millard was entertained in
the Roosevelt home in Oyster Bay
two or three times while he was
representing this state in Washing
ton, and also visited in the White
House.
Colonel Roosevelt was man of
high courage, character and ideals
and of great learning and ability.
He studied profoundly and could
speak three or four languages, Ger
man and French, most fuently.
Il hoped he would live to be
president again: if not, he would
have named the man who is to be
elected.
He was an intense person, force
full in decision, never minced words
but he came down hard on those
whom he disliked.
An instance of This was the re-
moval of several local federal off
Gals who aroused the colonels dis
pleasure in their handling of the
Richards and Comstock cattle fenc-
ing cases.
Colonel Roosevelt made one
mistake in his life-that was his
action in the Chicago convention. If
he hadn't adopted that course, he
would assuredly have succeeded
Taft as president; we would not
have been involved in this war, and
indeed l believe not even Ger
many would have dared wage war
against France-not with the army
and navy for the United States that
Roosevelt would have maintained.
His friendliness to those who
applied for favors and his congenial
family life were among the pleas
ant things to remember about him.
Foresaw the War.
Albert w. Jefferis. republican con-
gressman-elect, said: Roosevelt
was the first American with a vision
to see the course that America
should have followed in the late
war, long before other Amer
lean statesmen could appreciate the
same and with courage only
possessed by a Roosevelt, he ad-
vised the American people of their
duty.
mo doubt had our duty been per-
formed as seen by Roosevelt at, or
shortly after the opening of the war,
millions of lives would have been
saved, to say nothing of untold
wealth and effort. The American
people have lost a great leader, one
to whom the nation owes much,
and the people will be compelled to
wait long time for one possessing
the many and varied qualities OF
greatness exemplihed by Roosevelt
in his lifetime.
'In politics he was a leader OF
great personal following and though
he had a great influence in the d.
vision of the political party with
which he was associated, he lived
long enough to learn and realize
that in 1920, should he have lived,
he would have been supported and