Jacob A. Riis (1849–1914). Theodore Roosevelt, the Citizen. 1904.
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weeks before the mails brought word whether her boy was among the “thirteen private soldiers” who fell, or not. I had been asked to put the case to the President, and get him to cut the red tape, if possible; but, against expectation, I found a tableful of soldiers and statesmen at lunch, and I saw clearly enough that it would be hard to get the President’s ear long enough.
But, as luck would have it, I was put beside General Young, fine old warrior, whom I had met before, and I told him of what was on my heart. He knew of no such order when he was in the Philippines, and we got into quite a little argument about it, which I purposely dragged out till there was a lull in the talk at the President’s end of the table, and I saw him looking my way. I asked him if he knew of the order.
“What order?” said he; and I told him—told him of the mothers fretting for their boys all over the land. He looked up quickly at Adjutant-General Corbin, who sat right opposite. It was what I wanted. He knew.
“General,” said Mr. Roosevelt, “is there such an order?”
