Evening star., 1952-09-03
An Ex- President Takes World in Stride
By Edword. Boykin

By Edward Boykin
IF PRESIDENT TRUMAN is serious
about some globe-trotting after leav-
ing the White House, he can do worse
than consult Around the World With
Grant" two fat volumes that might be
termed the Odyssey Of the New Worlds
Ulysses.
Grants adventures abroad in 1877
and 1873 after completing two terms
as President were chronicled by John
Russell Young Gan uncle Of the former
District Commissioner, ace foreign
correspondent Of the New York Herald
who was assigned to cover the tour. It
was q lively assignment, for Grant was
received in manner betting o king
wherever he set foot.
He chummed with the Car of Russia,
ate birds nest soup and lotus seeds in
China, climbed glaciers In Switzerland,
got gloriously ensnarled In British royal
etiquette, watched the Maharajall's
Nautch girls dance in Jeypore, sailed
the Nile with the Khedive Of Egypt,
drank soupy Turkish coffee with Sultan
Abdul Hamid who gave him four
Arabian horses, swapped PHILOSOPHERS
with King Thrabat Somdetch Phra
Paramendo Mahah Chulahlongkorn Of
Siam and made at least 500 pithy
speeches. He baked at only two things:
Pigsticking and tiger hunting in India.
During his journey Grant Sprinkled
about bits of salty wisdom. In Venice,
after gliding along the Grand Canal
and viewing st. Marks and the Cam
panile cleaning under azure Italian
skies, Grant quietly observed; ''Venice
would be fine place If it were drained"
st. Peters. da Vinci's Last Supper, the
Parthenon and the AcropoliS left him
cold. He wearied Of paintings, statues,
architecture and ruins. When his in.
defatigable travelling companion, Gen.
Badeau. suggested seeing another italian
cathedral. Grant wanted to know: "Why
should We waste our time on any more
architecture?" His fancy ran to mines.
railroads, hotels and busy streets. He
viewed nature around the world from
the investment angle.
On his return to America, Grant said
he had met only four really great men
on his trip: Lord Beaconsfield Disraeli).
Bismarck, Gambetta and Ii Hung Chang,
Viceroy of China. He and Ii hit it of
like long-loSt brothers. The Chinese gave
and ran 70 courses. Grant said Ii was
the worlds master Of statecraft and
diplomacy. Maybe the dinner had some
thing to do with it.
When Grant left the White House in
March, 1877, he was sick of cares and
tumult. The presidency had proved a
vast dlsilluSion. He decided to get out
OF America, cut loose from politics and
travel "as long as his money lasted"
On May II, 1877, after q whistle
blowing, hag-waving. champagne-howing
sendoh, Grant. accompanied by Mrs.
Grant and his 19-year-old son, Jesse,
sailed from Philadelphia on the steamer
Indiana. American consulates through
out the world were Immediately alerted
to beat the tomtoms the moment he came
in sight while the Navy Department put
warship at his disposal for short hops
by water or wherever he desired to order
It, It was sumptuous travelling.
Grant reached England to find him
self sensation. He had embarked as
Private Citizen Grant. but the limelight
began playing on him the instant he
stepped ashore at Liverpool. He ap-
pealed particularly to the British middle
and working classes, whose fancy
was taken by the farmboy who be-
came q world-famous general and twice
President OF the great American Re-
public. ~
London gave him the keys to the city
but when American Minister Pierrepont
suggested to court officials that they
treat Grant as an ex-sovereign they
baked. Replied they: 1.-THE Americans
give no rank to their ex-Presidents; why
should we?"
So Grant went on to Newcastle where
the factories shut down and $4,000 me-
chanics gathered to hear him speak 800
words. At Manchester, Birmingham and
Sheffield he had even bigger receptions.
1t was too much for the court officials.
They broke down. The Prince of Wales
invited the Grants to dinner that was
hop. When dukes and duchesses were
seated ahead of the Grants, tempers
were lost and the Grants went home
early.
Queen Victoria invited Grant to dine
at Windsor. but gave Jesse Grant the
brushoh. Jesse got mad. So did the
general. Apologies followed, as did an
told that he would have to eat with the
household" and meet the Queen after
wards. This led to quite scene. Vic
toria relented and Jesse was invited to a
dinner which turned out to be inexpres-
sibly dull.
The grand tour really began after
England. Grant crossed to Belgium,
went on to Switzerland and Paris where
he met Ganbetta. Boarding the U. s. s.
Vandalia at Marseilles he sailed for
Naples. Sicily. Egypt and the Holy Land.
Doubling back to Italy he met the Pope.
Then he went to take second look at
France. Next came Holland and Berlin
where he and Bismarck became warm
friends. Copenhagen followed, then Nor
way, Sweden sand Russia. Dashing
through Vienna. he shot down to Spain
and Portugal, then up the coast to Ire
land and q third time, to England.
Now he headed for the Orient-hot.
mysterious India, exotic Siam and the
fabulous Celestial Empire. There were
dinners. soirees and dances ut which he