Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-08-25
SIDE LIGHTS ON
R~OOSEVELT'S LIFE

New YorR, Avg. 25.-Joseph Buck:
lin Bt8hop, for so years q personal
friend OF Colonel Theodore Roosevelt. ,
and who. ave years before the former
BY him ito write the history Of tho
period which covered his public ca
reer."' presents a magazine, the first
OF Z series Of papers which gives Tor
the frSt time many interesting side
lights on tho life OF the famous
American.
The paper, entitled Roosevelt
Peacemaker," selected and arranged
from the former presidents public and
private correspondence, amounting to
more than $50. 900 letters. deals with
Mr.. Roosevelt's efforts to n the war
between Russia and Japan and which
resulted in the Portsmouth peace con-
ference of 1905.
For the first time, apparently, Is
revealed the fact that Japan made the
initial o%vertures for peace. -Four days
after the great Japanese naval victory
ove Rojestvensky's feet in h sea of
Japan on May 81, 1905, the minister
81 foreign affairs Of Japan, the letters
show, cabled Minister Takahira, IN
Washington, to invoke Roosevelt's aid
as a mediator.
IT was amused" wrote the presi-
dent, 'by the way in which they asked
me to invite the two belligerents to-
" 6Oek1C NIlSNLy IA NY V"A
and initiative. It reminded me Of the
request for contributions sent by can't
paign committees to office-holders
they were asked to make a voluntary
contribution of ten percent. Of, their
salary. It showed a certain naivete on
the part of the Japanese"
According to his biographer. every
step in the negotiations, extending
over q period of three months, was
taken by Mr.. Roosevelt without the
aid Of any of his most trusted coun-
sellers. John Hay, his secretary Of
state. being critically i'll. Secretary
Root having resigned from the cab
met many months earlier n Secre-
tary Taft being absent in the Philip
pines.
zone reads tho thick volumes Of his
correspondence with amazement bor-
derfng on incredulfty," writes Mr..
Bishop. ut is incredible that one man
other ask Of his life was the abnor-
NAL energy, mental aud physical, Of
Theodore Roosevelt put to a severer
test and from none did he emerge
moro trtumphantly. His activity was
as tireless as his resourcefulness was
inexhaustible."
The. presidents activity was direct
ed. he said, to mot only steadily and
irresistibly forcing the two warning
nations into a conference but
bringing other nations like England,
France and Germany to the support
Of his efforts. If Russia baked and
showed signs Of refusal, he persuaded
the kaiser to bring pressure upon the
z in the interest of peace. If japan
showed similar signs, England was
appealed to. to bring pressure upor
her. In the end Germany alone really
helped, and Roosevelt gave u%nstinted
praise to the kaiser ever afterward
for what he did then"
In all Of this correspondence the
colonel wrote without restrain o,
reservation" In a confidential letter
to Secretary Hay he referred to the
kaiser as a m~onomaniac and sc
jumpy creature who has had another
fit" In another missive he hus char
acterizes the former emperor of Rus
STA: 1.-THE car is a preposterous little
creature as the absolute autocrat Of
100000 900 people,"
Every day, and. often several timel
q day, he urged the emperor of Rus