Greenwood daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1919-1926, 1920-02-02
LONGEST LETTER
BY ROOSEVELT
A 25,O0O- Word PERSONAL Account OF
His Trip From KhartOurn To
London In 1909.

"oTu personal dccOuIt Ol HIS Trip IToLi
Khartoum to London in 1909 and |
which is described b yhis biographer,
Joseph Bucklin Bishop, as "a human
document of exceptional character
appears as the first of two Install |
ments in the February issue of Scrib-
ner's Magazine, published today.
"Soon after retiring from the Pres
idency,'' explains Mr.. Bishop, "the
trip. He had arranged before his de-
parture for several formal addresses,
which he was to make in Germany,
England, France 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 Khartoum and the other at
Carlo, which aroused much controver-
sy and led later to a speech on the
same subject, also by urgent request,
at the Guildhall in London.
From Khartoum he went to Rome,
Vienna, Budapest, Paris, Brussels, The
Hague, Copenhagen, Christiania,
Stockholm, Berlin and thence to Lon
don. At the close of his tour he paid
a long visit to his long time corre-
spondent friend, Sir George Otto Ire
velpan, at the latter's estate at Wei
combs, Stratford- on-Avon. During
the visit his narrative of his expert
ences in Egypt and Europe so strong
ly impressed Sir George that he urg-
ed him most earnestly to put 1T In
writing. This Roosevelt did the fol-
lowing year, in the form of letter
to Trevelyan, under date of October
l, 1911"
TIL former President in the missive,
made frank and searching comments
upon the characteristics and person:
alities of kings, emperors and other
eminent personages with whom he
came in contact" and in the opening
paragraph requested that It should
not be made public until long after
all of us who are now alive are dead
Treyelvan in authorizing its publica-
ton. said: 81 do not hesitate to say
that it should be published and the
sooner the better. The world woulC
be much the richer for it. The times
are such that the human interest anc
solid values of this wonderful paper
would be very great indeed now
The Colonel drew an intimate pic,
ture of British rule in Egypt, praised
it on the whole and declared that thu
task of "super-imposing the twentieth
century upon the seventh was
mighty one (which only great ant
powerful nation could attempt ant
which it is high and honorable
thing to have attempted Nearly
Ouo words are devoted to "The Vatl
can Incident" and the reason Roose
Welt was not presented to Pope Plu
x A certain Methodist clergyman i
Rome had been conducting an attac
upon the head of the Catholic churc
and when Vice President Fairbanks
sometime before, visited the Holy Cit
the Supreme Pontiff stipulated tina
he would not receive him in audienc
if he addressed Methodist gathering:
Roosevelt took the same attitude
Fairbanks, that he must decline t
submit to any conditions which in an
way limit my freedom of conduct.
The Colonel said in his letter to 81
George that one of his volunteer sec
retaries at that time was ANXIOUS {
nreyent the Vatican from commlttln
what he felt would be a great bluno
err" and while the Colonel was at Nal
les went to Rome to see the then faI
al Secretary of State, Cardinal Merr
del Val. The stipulation by the POP
was not withdrawn and Colonel Roo:
evelt adhered to his resolution
making no agreement to refrain 1ro'
speaking before Methodist meeting
Accordingly" he wrote, 81 was M
presented at the Vatican"
In a public statement at the TIM
the Colonel declared that "the re:
pect and regard of those of my fello
Americans who are Catholics are
dear to me as the respect and rega1
of those who are Protestants," and
expressed the hope that the incidel
would be treated as merely persol
al matter without rancor or bite
ness.
While in Rome the Colonel visits
King Victor Emmanuel and Quee
Helena Of Italy whom he descrlb'
as faithful. conscientious and wis'
as well as a lovable couple. Later
saw in Vienna the aged Franz jose
Emperor of Austria, who said ne W
'.the last representative of the old sy
tenn, whereas embodied the ne
movement"
II shall always bear testimony
the good manners, and the obvlo
sense of responsibility and duty,
the various sovereigns." the Color
wrote. 81 thoroughly liked and n
pected almost all the various KIN
and queens met; they struck me
serious people, with charming ma