Evening star., 1932-08-11
VISIT RECALLS PAST
. Of MRS. ROOSEVELT.
Former First Lady Exerted
Enormous Influence in
U. S. Destiny.
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

That President Hoover states his posi-
ton ON all the issues before the country
is. of course, the aspect that makes the
acceptance ceremony important. 1t has
got about that his address will be an
extraordinary document and anticipa-
tion has been high. A detail OF the
ceremony having sentimentally pictur-
esque appeal is the presence Of Mrs.
Theodore Roosevelt, sr. She now is II
years old. her husband has been IS years
dead. and It is % years since she was
in the White House. In the corridors
today she meHs some old friends. but
q pathetically larger number of ghosts
Return of any person to once familiar
scenes, after nearly a quarter century's
absence, is always an appealing expert
ence. Mrs. Roosevelt will have emotion
for she is finely sensitive person, but
she will reticently keep it to herself.
She belonged to the generation in which
smiling Self-control was one of the
marks Of high breeding.
II the public knew her as some in
Inmates Of the White House knew her
when her husband was President, her
return today would give to the public
an emotion of its own. That her code
kept her in the background while in
the White House and since. deprived
the public Of knowing not merely one
Of the great women but one Of the
great persons of her time Today there
is in this lady of more than three score
and ten more of qualities including
charm. which the public would ap-
preciate and be benefited by knowing
than in many younger women who
somewhat too willingly give the public
the opportunity to know their attrac-
tionS.
Great Qualities Known.
At the time the Roosevelts were In
the White House, 1t was the judgment
of many that Mrs. Roosevelt was great
er among women than her husband
among men Part OF her greatness lay
in the quiet check of graciousness and
humor she kept upon her husbands
sometimes slightly reckless eXuberance.
Some persons still living can remember
the smile, the twinkle in her eye, and
the affection in her voice on occasions
at the White House table when her
"Theodore!" would put gentle brake
upon her husbands headlongneSs. The
Presidents response on those occasions
was always to become meek and always
took the same form of words, why Ee-
die was only"
The way in which she helped him
most, however lay in her infinitely
superior insight into men and their mo-
tives and characters. BY that she saved
Roosevelt many slip. Roosevelt, when
he lacked the benefit CT her judgment
about a man. made a good many mis-
takes. 1t is safe to say that never, when
he had his wife's judgment. did he go
wrong or suffer disappointment
A good many women OF the present
hi,1k fhau only hnWp
participation in politics by running fer
Office. The White House intimates be-
tween 1901 and 1909 knew the power
and the immense obligation Of the
country to this woman, who was never
in the pubic eye, and never In politics,
and who, one suspects, probably to this
day has no great conviction that it is
necessary for women to be Senators or
Governors. One of the White House
intimates Of that day, Owen Wister, dis
tinguished author has lately put his
memories in words. OF Mrs. Roosevelt
he wrote: She YVES the perfection Of
invisible government When I think
OF her at that table still wonder. How
| did she Danish every sign OF strain?
For all responsibility or preoccupation
that she showed, she might have been
merely one Of the guests.
Drew NeighbOrs Out.
"She chatted, she listened. she drew
her neighbors out, yet never stepped
once beyond the magic circle of her
discretion. And she caused the neigh
bors to remain discreet. l doubt If any
one ever said to her more than once
what they should not. In private she
could, indeed, express herself.
Was Roosevelt ever wholly aware of
what she did for him? Is any husband
wholly aware Of devoted and tactful
wife until he has lost her?"
For much that Roosevelt got applause
for, Mrs. Roosevelt was not only in
splration and partner. but actually the
principal. She knew literature, had
sound standards in it. 1t was she who
recognized struggling authors and had
her husband invite them to lunch. Her
education was broaders than Roose-
velt's, her reflection deeper. In man.
~crs, in everything she had a literally
education was broader than Roose-
welt knew we'll and admired her ex-
travagantly for it.
1t is safe to infer that one reason
for the presence of a good many Roose-
velts at the Republican acceptance cere-
mony is to let the public know the dis
tance of their relationship and their
political views, from the Franklin
Roosevelt, who is now the Democratic
candidate for President In public they
say no word and have no wish to in
terfere with their fifth cousin having
as much good fortune as his qualities
entitle him to- 1t is a fact, however,
| the Theodore RooseVelts are a little
appalled, to learn the number Of people
who think that the present Democratic
candidate for President is son of
| Theodore, or even, as an astonishing
number Of persons think, Theodore
himself.