New-York tribune., 1921-09-29
Col. Roosevelt's
Spanish War
Diary Revealed
Presented 10 Memorial
Association by Family
With Spectacle Case That
Saved Life in Milwaukee
Harding 10 Contribute
President, in Letter, Praises
F!an 10 Gather Great
Collection of Memcntos

The Spanish War diary Of Theodore
Seoseye!t, written hy him ii TIRE heat
o. the campaign. was presented yes
terday 10 the Roosevelt Memorial As
sociatson by Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt
sud her family.
Mrs. Roosevelt also presented to the
sssocict:on the sosctac.c case and part
cS tha manuscript thraugh which the
bullet p!cuEhed ;ts wey in Milwaukee.
October il. 1912, when Colonel Roose-
vclt was shoc. in presenting the
memcntoes, together with more than
suo original photographs Of the Colonel
tsAea at varlous places ard at various
ZINES, Mrs. Roosevelt let it be known
tina: she and the family were in entire
accord with the purposes of the Roose-
ssie Memorial Association and the plan
% make 1t the final trustee of all avail
aoie literary and biographical material
relating to the former President
IN the Spanish War Diary Colonel
focsevelt's views of the management
OF that campaign are expressed enrap-
.agly. tersely and bluntiy. It is writ-
ten IN small hand in an ordinary
pocket diary, bound in imitation mo.
rocco. Some of the entries are in nen-
Gu and some in ink, both blue and
No Part Ever Published
no part of the diary has ever been
published. The entries express the
IoioneIs indignation because of blum
ders and delays in connection with the
movement of troops and the transnor-
tatlon of supplies, describe the confu-
sion of the time, and give an indica-
tion OF his admiration for General
Leonard Wood as an organizer and az
an executive. 90
Foliowlng are a number of extracts:
May .; lS9S-Commissioned as Lieu
.enans colonel United States Volun-
choice. 'S'' ny my
May 7-The delays and stupiditv of
, ,ne Ordnance Department surpass be-
iieI; The Quartermaster's Departments
IS better, but bad. The Comm;ssarn
department is good. There is no man
agement whatever in the War Depart
ment. Against a good nation we should
Nay 2l-The blunders and DELAYS of
M me ordnance Bureau surpass belief.
my express US stuff we don't need
Tbsrs TIe seno US the rifles by slow freight!
teilgence in the War Department
May 30-Railway system tends n
preak down. lnterminable delays: no
proper facilities for unloading horses
TO rest, water or feed, ETC.. etc
NAY 5l-Up each night for all NIGHT
loading and unloading. '''- '''s"''
June 5-Reached Tampa in mornino
naliway system in widest confusion f.
eooK US twelve hours to get into camn
with our baggage.
. June o-No word can paint the con-
hn~
the railroad and militarv svster,s ~ Soss ~
the country. -
June 6-No plans; no staff oficers.
no instructions to us. Each office,.
mas out for himself and takes his
chances. We are doing as we'll as the
baggage. lieh'
~ June S-Told to go aboard transport
worst confusion yet. No allotment of
transports; no plans; utter CONFUSION
WIN tne presentation of the diary
10 the Roosevelt Memorial Associatior
becomes for the first time, after
no.e than twenty years, available in
par Tor public inspection. Since
fsnoLoiy after the Colonel's death it has
peer kept in the archives of the lihrarv
of Congress in Washington. It is ex-
pected that Mrs. Roosevelt will rresen+
otner personal mementoes of the Colo
nei TO the association from time to
time. '''Ac "
lndcrsed by Harding
The Roosevelt Memorial Associa-
Iion's plan to found a permanent
Roosevelt exhibit is indorsed heartily
IN letter bs' President Harding. made
public yesterday.
The letter reads:
am greatly interested in the ef-
fort the Roosevelt Memorial Assoc;a-
ton IS making to gather material
ABOUT Colonel Roosevelt 1t is, as far
as ! know, the first widely organized
endeavor that has ever been made in
this country to bring the records and
lnethentoes OF great life together in
one place for the inspiration and in
struction of posterity Such an en-
deavor is public service.
AS nation we have tendency to
give too little regard to historical mat
1ers, forgetting that our future de-
pend8 on what we have larnd from
our past. Your work is, therefore, pe-
culiarly important"
theodore Roosevelt has already
been accepted by the majority Of his
fellow citizens as the third in Amer
lca's great triumyirate. We would give
much to-day if group of Washing
va iiieHuS OF group OF LlncOln's
associates had immed lately after the
death of their leader set about collect
ing nlementoes and memorabilia as
your organization is collecting them
We know those two great lives onlv
too fragmentarily. Thanks to the work
yonr association is doing, posterity
will know Roosevelt more completely
than it will know any of his prede-
cessors.
II hope you will receive wide and
enthusiastic response to your appeal
and that, however individuals may
treasure their Roosevelt relics, they
may be- willing to surrender them for
pfie greater good of all. / shall be
glad to contribute IL among these
mementoes which have and prize I
can find something which will be an
propriatc. understand that YOU want
manuscripts or letters, photographs Of
any Siad OF material relatinr to Colo
rsi Rooscvsts's life, hts political cam
r1afns or his governmental actirit;cs
= WISH you all success. Anvthinv
you eaa 40 to interpret Roosevelt to
tae gsacrations to come is service Ia
america" SAN'ec %
~hGAfcs