the americanization of edward bok-第51章

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　inborn　with　him　as　a　Dutchman；　but　the　necessity　for　it　as　a　prime　factor　in　life　was　burned　into　him　by　his　experience　with　poverty。　But　he　interpreted　thrift　not　as　a　trait　of　niggardliness；　but　as　Theodore　Roosevelt　interpreted　it：　common　sense　applied　to　spending。

At　forty；　therefore；　he　felt　he　had　learned　the　first　essential　to　carrying　out　his　idea　of　retirement　at　fifty。

The　second　essentialvaried　interests　outside　of　his　business　upon　which　he　could　rely　on　relinquishing　his　dutieshe　had　not　cultivated。　He　had　quite　naturally；　in　line　with　his　belief　that　concentration　means　success；　immersed　himself　in　his　business　to　the　exclusion　of　almost　everything　else。　He　felt　that　he　could　now　spare　a　certain　percentage　of　his　time　to　follow　Theodore　Roosevelt's　ideas　and　let　the　breezes　of　other　worlds　blow　over　him。　In　that　way　he　could　do　as　Roosevelt　suggested　and　as　Bok　now　firmly　believed　was　right：　he　could　develop　himself　along　broader　lines；　albeit　the　lines　of　his　daily　work　were　broadening　in　and　of　themselves；　and　he　could　so　develop　a　new　set　of　inner　resources　upon　which　he　could　draw　when　the　time　came　to　relinquish　his　editorial　position。

He　saw；　on　every　side；　the　pathetic　figures　of　men　who　could　not　let　go　after　their　greatest　usefulness　was　past；　of　other　men　who　dropped　before　they　realized　their　arrival　at　the　end　of　the　road；　and；　most　pathetic　of　all；　of　men　who　having　retired；　but　because　of　lack　of　inner　resources　did　not　know　what　to　do　with　themselves；　had　become　a　trial　to　themselves；　their　families；　and　their　communities。

Bok　decided　that；　given　health　and　mental　freshness；　he　would　say　good…by　to　his　public　before　his　public　might　decide　to　say　good…by　to　him。　So；　at　forty；　he　candidly　faced　the　facts　of　life　and　began　to　prepare　himself　for　his　retirement　at　fifty　under　circumstances　that　would　be　of　his　own　making　and　not　those　of　others。

And　thereby　Edward　Bok　proved　that　he　was　still；　by　instinct；　a　Dutchman；　and　had　not　in　his　thirty…four　years　of　residence　in　the　United　States　become　so　thoroughly　Americanized　as　he　believed。

However；　it　was　an　American；　albeit　of　Dutch　extraction；　one　whom　he　believed　to　be　the　greatest　American　in　his　own　day；　who　had　set　him　thinking　and　shown　him　the　way。



XXIV。　Theodore　Roosevelt's　Anonymous　Editorial　Work

While　Theodore　Roosevelt　was　President　of　the　United　States；　Bok　was　sitting　one　evening　talking　with　him；　when　suddenly　Mr。　Roosevelt　turned　to　him　and　said　with　his　usual　emphasis：　〃Bok；　I　envy　you　your　power　with　your　public。〃

The　editor　was　frankly　puzzled。

〃That　is　a　strange　remark　from　the　President　of　the　United　States；〃　he　replied。

〃You　may　think　so；〃　was　the　rejoinder。　〃But　listen。　When　do　I　get　the　ear　of　the　public？　In　its　busiest　moments。　My　messages　are　printed　in　the　newspapers　and　read　hurriedly；　mostly　by　men　in　trolleys　or　railroad…cars。　Women　hardly　ever　read　them；　I　should　judge。　Now　you　are　read　in　the　evening　by　the　fireside　or　under　the　lamp；　when　the　day's　work　is　over　and　the　mind　is　at　rest　from　other　things　and　receptive　to　what　you　offer。　Don't　you　see　where　you　have　it　on　me？〃

This　diagnosis　was　keenly　interesting；　and　while　the　President　talked　during　the　balance　of　the　evening；　Bok　was　thinking。　Finally；　he　said：　〃Mr。　President；　I　should　like　to　share　my　power　with　you。〃

〃How？〃　asked　Mr。　Roosevelt。

〃You　recognize　that　women　do　not　read　your　messages；　and　yet　no　President's　messages　ever　discussed　more　ethical　questions　that　women　should　know　about　and　get　straight　in　their　minds。　As　it　is；　some　of　your　ideas　are　not　at　all　understood　by　them；　your　strenuous…life　theory；　for　instance；　your　factory…law　ideas；　and　particularly　your　race…suicide　arguments。　Men　don't　fully　understand　them；　for　that　matter；　women　certainly　do　not。〃

〃I　am　aware　of　all　that；〃　said　the　President。　〃What　is　your　plan　to　remedy　it？〃

〃Have　a　department　in　my　magazine；　and　explain　your　ideas；〃　suggested　Bok。

〃Haven't　time　for　another　thing。　You　know　that；〃　snapped　back　the　President。　〃Wish　I　had。〃

〃Not　to　write　it；　perhaps；　yourself；〃　returned　Bok。

〃But　why　couldn't　you　find　time　to　do　this：　select　the　writer　here　in　Washington　in　whose　accuracy　you　have　the　most　implicit　faith；　let　him　talk　with　you　for　one　hour　each　month　on　one　of　those　subjects；　let　him　write　out　your　views；　and　submit　the　manuscript　to　you；　and　we　will　have　a　department　stating　exactly　how　the　material　is　obtained　and　how　far　it　represents　your　own　work。　In　that　way；　with　only　an　hour's　work　each　month；　you　can　get　your　views；　correctly　stated；　before　this　vast　audience　when　it　is　not　in　trolleys　or　railroadcars。〃

〃But　I　haven't　the　hour；〃　answered　Roosevelt；　impressed；　however；　as　Bok　saw。　〃I　have　only　half　an　hour；　when　I　am　awake；　when　I　am　really　idle；　and　that　is　when　I　am　being　shaved。〃

〃Well；〃　calmly　suggested　the　editor；　〃why　not　two　of　those　half…hours　a　month；　or　perhaps　one？〃

〃What？〃　answered　the　President；　sitting　upright；　his　teeth　flashing　but　his　smile　broadening。　〃You　Dutchman；　you'd　make　me　work　while　I'm　getting　shaved；　too？〃

〃Well；〃　was　the　answer；　〃isn't　the　result　worth　the　effort？〃

〃Bok；　you　are　absolutely　relentless；〃　said　the　President。　〃But　you're　right。　The　result　would　be　worth　the　effort。　What　writer　have　you　in　mind？　You　seem　to　have　thought　this　thing　through。〃

〃How　about　O'Brien？　You　think　well　of　him？〃

（Robert　L。　O'Brien；　now　editor　of　the　Boston　Herald；　was　then　Washington　correspondent　for　the　Boston　Transcript　and　thoroughly　in　the　President's　confidence。）

〃Fine；〃　said　the　President。　〃I　trust　O'Brien　implicitly。　All　right；　if　you　can　get　O'Brien　to　add　it　on；　I'll　try　it。〃

And　so　the　〃shaving　interviews〃　were　begun；　and　early　in　1906　there　appeared　in　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　a　department　called　〃The　President；〃　with　the　subtitle：　〃A　Department　in　which　will　be　presented　the　attitude　of　the　President　on　those　national　questions　which　affect　the　vital　interests　of　the　home；　by　a　writer　intimately　acquainted　and　in　close　touch　with　him。〃

O'Brien　talked　with　Mr。　Roosevelt　once　a　month；　wrote　out　the　results；　the　President　went　over　the　proofs　carefully；　and　the　department　was　conducted　with　great　success　for　a　year。

But　Theodore　Roosevelt　was　again　to　be　the　editor　of　a　department　in　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal；　this　time　to　be　written　by　himself　under　the　strictest　possible　anonymity；　so　closely　adhered　to　that；　until　this　revelation；　only　five　persons　have　known　the　authorship。

Feeling　that　it　would　be　an　interesting　experiment　to　see　how　far　Theodore　Roosevelt's　ideas　could　stand　unsupported　by　the　authority　of　his　vibrant　personality；　Bok　suggested　the　plan　to　the　colonel。　It　was　just　after　he　had　returned　from　his　South　American　trip。　He　was　immediately　interested。

〃But　how　can　we　keep　the　authorship　really　anonymous？〃　he　asked。

〃Easily　enough；〃　answered　Bok；　〃if　you're　willing　to　do　the　work。　Our　letters　about　it　must　be　written　in　long　hand　addressed　to　each　other's　homes；　you　must　write　your　manuscript　in　your　own　hand；　I　will　copy　it　in　mine；　and　it　will　go　to　the　printer　in　that　way。　I　will　personally　send　you　the　proofs；　you　mark　your　corrections　in　pencil；　and　I　will　copy　them　in　ink；　the　company　will　pay　me　for　each　article；　and　I　will　send　you　my　personal　check　each　month。　By　this　means；　the　identity　of　the　author　will　be　concealed。〃

Colonel　Roosevelt　was　never　averse　to　hard　work　if　it　was　necessary　to　achieve　a　result　that　he　felt　was　worth　while。

〃All　right；〃　wrote　the　colonel　finally。　〃I'll　trywith　you！the　experiment　for　a　year：　12　articles。。。　I　don't　know　that　I　can　give　your　readers　satisfaction；　but　I　shall　try　my　very　best。　I　am　very　glad　to　be　associated　with　you；　anyway。　At　first　I　doubted　the　wisdom　of　the　plan；　merely　because　I　doubted　whether　I　could　give　you　just　that　you　wished。　I　never　know　what　an　audience　wants：　I　know　what　it　ought　to　want：　and　sometimes　I　can　give　it；　or　make　it　accept　what　I　think　it　needsand　sometimes　I　cannot。　But　the　more　I　thought　over　your　proposal；　the　more　I　liked　it。。。　Whether　the　wine　will　be　good　enough　to　attract　without　any　bush　I　don't　know；　and　besides；　in　such　cases　the　fault　is　not　in