Evening star., 1936-05-24
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

~ between what is being said
n about Mr.. Roosevelt now, and
what was said about him at the time
he became President. The Mr.. Roose-
welt who is entering his campaign for
reelection Is the same man who was
iriaugurated three and a half years
ago. But the portrait of him as he is
seen today differs from the picture
that was seen in 1888 Not merely
does 1t differ; in many respects 1t is
dramatically in contrast; the very
same human traits are seen in differ
ent light.
II is desirable that the country
should have accurate understanding
OF Mr.. Roosevelt's personal traits.
When a man has as much power as
President Roosevelt exercises. his per-
sonal traits are as necessary a SUBJ
ject Of scrutiny as are the laws for
which. in some cases, the Presidents
personality is substituted. 1t is clear
that the personality of candidate,
for election or reelection. is more i'm
portant than the platform on which
he runs. The platform on which Mr..
IWupCNClJ luil III 10o@ IuihSu ouo AN"
to matter much. The personality OF
the man who became President turned
out to matter very greatly.
have clipped and saved many
printed characterizations of President
Roosevelt, storing them away for
time when the present confusion can
be seen more clearly, and when, If
iS T
may write a history of the present
times. Many of the characterizations
Of Mr.. Roosevelt are angrily hostile,
many fatuously friendly. Both these
kinds are of little value. But some
Of the literary portraits are good.
Characterizations Collected.
Of all the characterizations of Mr..
Roosevelt that I have collected, the
ones here quoted seem the best, in
the sense that they are the most
accurate, have the most insight, and
are the most detached and objective.
All that shall quote are sympathetic
to Mr.. Roosevelt: I deliberately omit
here all that are unfriendly..
I begin with one from close friend.
Mr.. Raymond Moley has been close to
Mr.. Roosevelt for longer period than
any other man. CThe exception who
/. had a longer intimacy was Louis NJ
Howe, who died very recently. Mr..
Moley was the person about whom the
original brain trust" came together
during the 1882 campaign-most of
the others we're chosen by Mr. Moley.
The friendship continues. Mr.. Moley
Is frequent White House visitor, Oh
intimate terms. Yet Mr.. Moley occa-
eionally differs with the President, as
on the tax bill. 1t was in the course
of a criticism of the tax bill that Mr..
Moley wrote, in the most friendly
spirit, a sentence which goes very close
sonality:
This administration ." wrote
Mr.. Moley, lis too often undiscrim-
mating in its interest in the novel,
too likely to accept the new just be-
cause it is new
Trait of Boyish Zest.
That trait of boyish zest for some
thing novel-especially for something
which is at once novel and also a lit
most marked characteristics. Essen
tally it is a trait of boyishness, the
Characteristic of youth at an age
when he enjoys calling attention to
himself.
Light on President Roosevelt's per-
sonality is to be found in an utter
ance of Mrs. Roosevelt. The allusion
is the more Illuminating because 1t
was not consciously intended. Mrs
Roosevelt spoke cat one of her
press conferences) the sentence I
shall quote, she was not thinking
about her husband She had phrased
tribute to the late Louis Howe, ner
husbands long time, loyal and ex-
tremely valuable friend and adviser.
About Howe, his devotion to her and
to her husband, the extraordinary
service he performed for them, Mrs.
Roosevelt said;
He (Howe) was kind and gentle
and also merciless critic of those for
whom he felt responsibility.
Sees Statement Illuminating.
Could any other single sentence
throw such light, not merely on Howe,
but on the President for whom Howe
felt responsible? The Presidents i'm
pulsiveness, his almost boyish willful-
ness in wanting to do whatever strikes
him as interesting, whatever strikes
him as thing that would arrest the
attention Of the public-this trait is
recognized by Mr.. Roosevelt's init
mates. The more prudent and cautious
Of them, like the late Louis Howe, are
Watchful to deter him from some of
his impulses about public matters.
Their watchfulnesS is not always sue
cessful
To show just how and why the Pres
ident has need of "merciless critic"
quote Mr.. Raymond Clapper. Mr..
Clapper, and the Scripps- Howard
newspapers for which he writes, are
sympathetic to Mr.. Roosevelt and the
New Deal. He is writing about the
relation between Louis Howe and Mr..
Roosevelt.
Howe, hard-boiled, grunting, was
O great no man for his effervescent
chief. ''' Roosevelt, actually / / years
younger, appeared the impulsive adol-
escent, spurred by high purpose, riding
forth in eager search for chivalrous
deeds. =" Howe was the short, earthly.
shrewd little Sancho Panza, plodding
beside his gallant knight errant. =
Analyze strong institutions and men
and you will often find the secret lies
in driving, adventurous personality,
with an obscure, owlish restraining
gnome perched on the shoulder close
to the ear of the great man. OF
course some men have this cautious
stabilizer inherent in themselves, in
such cases you have an automatic
balance. More often this trait must
be supplied by second person. With
great strength goes tremendous vital
aty and momentum, and likewise
often similar magnification of
weakness. The more you
study him (Roosevelt) at close range,