TO EDGAR C. BRADLEY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR

Washington, [December 18, 1918]

My dear Bradley,—­You wouldn’t let me close my sentence yesterday and I don’t propose to close it to-day.  Yet I am not going to let you drive westward toward the land and people we both love so much, without letting you carry a word of affection and greeting from me, which you can just throw to the winds when you get there, throw it out of the window to Tamalpais, it will sweep over those eucalyptus trees on the right, throw it up to the Berkeley hills, which now are turning green, I suppose, throw it up the long stretch of Market Street till it reaches Twin Peaks, and let it flow down over “south of the slot” that was, and up over Nob Hill, even to the sacred brownstone of the Pacific-Union.

Go with a heart that is full of rejoicing that peace has come, through our sacrifice as well as that of other of the nobler peoples of earth, and with a heart that is proud that you were able to help with your strength and sane judgment and great gentleness of speech and manner, in carrying on this nation’s affairs in the day of its greatest adventure.  We shall all miss you greatly, whether you are gone two weeks or two years!  Do just what you think is right, just what she who is so much to you thinks you should do.  There is no better test of a man’s duty.

If you can’t return we shall stagger on.  I shan’t stop climbing this ladder because a rung is gone—­tho’ many a rung is gone—­and a damn hard old ladder this is sometimes. ...

F.K.L.

XI

AFTER-WAR PROBLEMS—­LEAVING WASHINGTON

1919

After-war Problems—­Roosevelt Memorials—­Americanization—­Religion
—­Responsibility of Press—­Resignation

TO E. C. BRADLEY

Washington, January, 1919

My dear Bradley,—­ ...  I am terribly broken up over Roosevelt’s death.  He was a great and a good man, a man’s man, always playing his game in the open. ...

I loved old Roosevelt because he was a hearty, two-fisted fellow. ...  The only fault I ever had to find with him was that he took defeat too hard.  He had a sort of “divine right” idea, but he was a bully fighter.  I went to his funeral and have joined in mass meetings in his memory, which I suppose is all I can do. ...  Of course ... he said a lot of things that were unjust and unjustifiable, but if a fellow doesn’t make a damned fool of himself once in a while he wouldn’t be human.  The Republicans would have nominated him next time undoubtedly.  They are without a leader now, and we are just as much up in the air as ever. ...  I am standing by the President for all I am worth.  I talked to the Merchants’ Association the other day and gave him a great send-off, but they didn’t rise to their feet at all, which is the first time this has happened in two years. ...  Sincerely yours,