MEETING THE U.S. PRESIDENT 



and we would talk horse till the cows came home. 

 Then there was poor M'Elroy, the purser, a real good 

 sportsman, and all the others too ; there will always be 

 pleasant recollections of each and all of them. 



Mr Theodore Myers, of whom I have spoken, was 

 one of the most charming friends a visitor to a strange 

 country could possess. He was at the boat when I 

 arrived, as he had some friends arriving by the same 

 ship. During the whole of my stay for the first few 

 weeks there, before Mr Myers himself went back to 

 Europe, his kindness and hospitality were limitless, 

 and there can never be sufficient appreciation expressed. 

 Mr Myers is respected by everyone, and he has been 

 unanimously chosen for more than one period of office 

 as " Controller." He introduced me right and left, 

 and put me up for clubs, these including the New York 

 Yacht Club, the New York Club, and especially the 

 Democratic Club, of which he was president. It was 

 4iere that I met many men distinguished in politics, 

 literature and art ; foremost of all was Dr Wilson, now 

 President of the United States. Somehow at the time, 

 during odd conversations, I never realised that the 

 man I was talking to was destined to be the head of 

 that mighty country. But looking back I can recall 

 many men who were only an incident at the moment, 

 but were worth closer study. 



I always knew that I should like America, and before 

 a month had passed I had looked about to see if there 

 was any possible way of making a living, so that there 

 would be the means to see more of the country and to 

 study the conditions more closely. I have never let 

 the grass grow under my feet, and even the first after- 

 noon I arrived in New York I sent a short news story 

 over to the New York Times, which was published, and 

 for which I received a cheque some months after- 



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