Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1920-02-03
ROOSEVELT LIKED
RULERS OF OLD WORLD
5000 Letters Detailing Views OF
Affairs Abroad Just Released
for Publication.
Nv Associated Press to Every Evening

-
New York. Feb. 3.-Colonel Roose-
velt,s longest letter." 25,0O0-word
personal account of his trip from khar-
toum to London in 1909 and which is
described by his biographer, Joseph
Bucklin Bishop, as 20 human document OF
exceptional character" appears as the
first of two installments in the February
issue of Scribners Magazine, published
today.
sSoon after retiring from the Presi-
dency," explains MIR. Bishop, the Colonel
went to Africa on hunting trip. lie had
arranged before his departure Tor several
formal addresses, which he was To make In
Germany, England, Franco and Norway
on his return. When he reached khartoum
in March, 1910. on his way home, he
yielded TO urgent appeals and made two
addresses on Egyptian affairs, one at
Kharioum and the other At Cairo, which
aroused much controversy and led later
TO a speech on the same subject, also by
urgent request, ut the Gulldhall IN London.
"From khartoum he went TO Rome,
Vienna, Budapest, Paris, Brussels, The
Hague, Copenhagen, Christiania, Stock
holm. Berlin and thence 20 London. At the
close of his tour he paid a long visit TO hls
longtime correspondent and friend, Sir
George Otto Trevelyan, at the latters
estate at Wclcombe, Standardization.
During the visit his narrative OF his eX-
periences in Egypt and Europe so strong
w impressed Sir George, that he urged
him most earnestly 10 put 1t in writing
This Roosevelt did the following year, IN
the form Of letter TO Trevelyan, under
date of October l, 1911"
The former President, in the missive,
made crank and searching comments
upon the characteristics and personalities
OF kings, emperors and other eminent
personages with whom he came In con-
tact" and in the opening paragraph re-
ouested that il should not be made pubic
.'until long after all of us who are now
alive are dead Trevclyan, in authorizing
its publication. said: Il do not hesitate
TO say that it should be published and the
sooner the better The world would be
much the richer for IT. The times are such
that the human interest and solid value OF
this wonderful paper would toe very great
indeed now"
The Colonel drew an intimate picture of
British rule in Egypt, praised it on the
whole and declared that the task OF
"s,Iper-imposing the twentieth century
upon TIE seventh was a mighty one
(which only a great and powerful nation
could attempt and which Il is a high and
honorable thing TO have attempted.
Nearly 5000 words are devoted TO The
Vatican Incident" and the reason Roose- |
welt was not presented to Pope Plus y. |
\ certain Methodist clergyman IN Rome |
had been conducting an attack upon the |
head of tn Catholic church and when |
Vice President Fairbanks, sometime be- |
fore. visited the Holy City, the Supreme !
Pontiff stipulated that nc would not re- I
ceive Him in audience if he addressed |
Methodist gatherings. Roosevelt took |
the same attitude as Fairbanks, that he |
must decline to submit to any conditions |
which in any way limit my freedom OF |
conduct"
The Colonel said in his letter to Sir |
George that one of his volunteer secre- |
taries at that time was anxious 10 pre- |
vent the Vatican from committing what |
he felt would be a great blunder" and |
while the Colonel was at Naples went to |
Rome to see the then Papal Secretary of !
State, Cardinal Merry del Val. The |
stipulation by the Pope was not with |
drawn and Colonel Roosevelt adhered to |
his resolution of making no agreement 10 |
refrain from speaking before Methodist |
meetings. Accordingly" he wrote, Il |
vas not presented at the Vatican"
In a Iublic statement at the time, the |
Colonel declared that 'the respect and |
regard of those of my fellow-Americans
who are Catholics are as dear 10 me as the /
respect and regard of those who are
Protes tants," and he expressed the hope |
that the incident would be treated as a
merely personal matter without rancor or /
bitterness.
While in Rome the Colonel visited |
King Victor Emmanuel and Queen Helena |
OF Italy whom he described as faithful, |
conscientious and wise, as well as a |
loveable couple. Later he saw In Vienna |
the aged Franz Josef, Emperor of Austria, |
who said ne was ''the last representative |
of the old system, whereas | embodied the |
new movement"
Il shall always bear testimony to the /
good manners, and the obvious sense of |
responsibility and duty of the various
sovereigns," the Colonel wrote 81
thoroughly liked and spected almost all |
the various kings and queens | met; they /
struck me as serious people, with charm /
ing manners, devoted 70 their people and /
anxious TO justify their own positions by |
the way they did their duty"