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A InterviewW with Throdere

TO THEODORE ROOSEVELT

BY ALBERT SHAW

(Special African Corresponden: for the Rebuke of Rebukes)

interview

I have just conferred an Theodore upon Roosevelt Roosevelt at the foot of Mt Kima-Njaro. Fortunately I was able to Correct several errors and to remind him of his lack of intelligence.

"It seems to me, Mr. Roosevelt," I Legan, that any man who has been President of the United States for a term and three quarters ought to have experience enough to know that canned beans should not be carried on a hunting trip.

Do you mean to infer" began the distinguished tourist.

That you do not know beans ?" I interpolateJ. To a certain extent, yes. Certainly you do not know canned beans. Now, before you go any further with this expedition, let me inform you on the subject of the flora and fauna of Africa,"

But" began the ex-President. "Don't interrupt, please," I said firmly. "Now, I see, you have in your kit of supplies a large number of rifles especially designed for hunting the African leopard. I am astonished at your ignorance. Every schoolboy-who reads the Rebuke of Rebukes- knows that the African leopard does not exist. The only species to be found in these parts is the Mendax ordinarius, no nearleopard, a short and ugly variety. Another serious mistake you have made

Mr. Roosevelt

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which glared two large and angry eyes. The rash Mr. Roosevelt would doubtless have fired and spoiled everything had I not taken his gun away from him.

Moreover,

"Don't do that I said. **Don't you realize that it is extremely danger. ous to fire at a lion when he is coming at you? The only improved, enlightened and scientific way to kill a hon is to wait till he attacks you, then turn him around and break his back. in facing a lion it is well to remain cool and collected. Think of some important subject. Think of the editorial section of the Rebuke of Rebukes. You have agreed with many of my policies during your administration, Mr. Rooseveit. I have always been grateful to you for the help you gave me in building the Panama Canal and in assisting me to carry out my naval program. But don't you realize "

At this point the lion began to advance, lashing his tail and roaring loudly enough to completely spoil my interview. Annoyed by this I handed Mr. Roosevelt his gun.

said.

You may fire now, if you wish," I

A sharp flash from the rifle, an angry bellow, and the tawny brute fell to the ground dead. When I examined the corpse I found a bullet-hole directly between the eyes.

**Didn't I tell you never to shoot a lion in the face?" I inquired. "If you are unable to take the advice of those older and wiser than you, you had better give up trying to be a successful ex-President."

Here Mr. Roosevelt some abranty inter- what abruptly interrupted rapts interview my interview by raising his rifle and taking deliberate aim at a densely wooded spot in the brush from heel."

Saying which I turned sharply on my

age and he has remained a journalist in the best sense ever since, a matter of some thirty-five years. At various times during this period he has devoted himself to other occupations and studies. Once he thought of entering the Roman Catholic priesthood, aspiring, as he himself expresses it, "to carry off the combined laurels of Bossuet and Franz Liszt. Men who fail at everything become bad critics. I am a bad music critic-I love music too much to tell the truth about the emotional fakehood of the art."

By birth Mr. Huneker is a Philadelphian. One of his grandfathers was an Irishman, a poet, and also vice-president of the Fenian Brotherhood sometime in the early seventies; the other a Hungarian and a musician. Intended for the Jesuits, the author of The Egoists studied law, went to Paris, there studied the piano with the late Theodore Ritter, returned to New York and continued his musical studies with Rafael Joseffy, at the same time earning his living as a newspaper writer. For a long time he was the musical critic of the old Recorder and was for five years associated with Harry Neagle in the conduct and writing of the daily dramatic paper called The Prompter. After leaving the Recorder he was two years with the Morning Advertiser, when that newspaper was under the editorship of Mr. Foster Coates. In 1887 he joined the staff of the Musical Courier, and in that journal. wrote the columns signed "Raconteur." After leaving the Musical Courier he became the dramatic editor of the New York Sun, a position which he held for several years.

The most striking fact in connection with the seven books which Mr. Huneker has published is the range of interest which they illustrate. The syndicate known as Andrew Lang is popularly supposed to be omniscient in matters literary; and there are Continental critics, like Georg Brandes (to whom is dedicated The Egoists), who have surveyed the field of European culture, taking in the literatures of France, Germany, England, Italy, Russia, and the rest, as a whole. But the American critic, not content with a field as broad as the modern world, has pursued his subject into the third dimension. In one of his short stories he has satirised himself in the person of his hero as a man who wrote of one art in terms of another; actually, he has written of each of the arts in terms of all the others. Probably both heredity and education have contributed to this development. As a boy he had three great interests-music, painting, and literatureand before he was twenty he was in Paris, living the life of the student of those days. There he saw Flaubert, De

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Victor Mapes

He

Victor Mapes, the author of Partners Three, is a nephew of the late Mary Mapes Dodge, the founder and lifelong editor of the St. Nicholas Magazine. He is now in his thirty-eighth year. At the age of thirteen he began his literary career by launching a monthly paper called The Cricket. He entered Columbia University in the class of '91, and there became editor-in-chief of the leading college publication, The Spectator, and the class-book annual, The Columbian. also won a prize offered by the University magazine for the best short story written. by a college student or graduate in any part of the country. At college, however, Mapes's prominence was less due to literary work than to his prowess as an athlete. He was a member of the 'varsity baseball team and president of the baseball association, intercollegiate champion and record holder in the running broad jump and college champion in the 100- and 220-yard dashes. He was three times elected president of his class, was valedictorian at the graduation exercises, and was president of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of all the colleges. Notwithstanding these various

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