EXCELLENT FOOLING.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9362, 3 February 1909, Page 6

EXCELLENT FOOLING.

Nothing could illustrate better the difference between the European attitude towards a monarch and the American conception of Fresidental dignity, than a most a censing burlesque on President /Roosevelt’s forthcoming hunting trip in Africa given by some of the newspaper men that comprise the famous Gridiron Club in Washington. After the Club’s annual dinner the other night at which Mr Roosevelt, Mr Taft* members of the Cabinet and diplomats were present, the lights snddenlv turned out, a voice announced “We are now in darkest Africa,” and two hundred voices imitated, the cries of wild animals. Whenthe lights went up again, a junglescene was revealed on a small stage at the end of the room. A”tent stood in the jungle, with an African chief; and an American in khaki at the door. The American had the sign; “auditor” hung round his neck, and held a bell-punch in his hand. Prom/ the tent could be heard the sound of a typewriter, and a voice resembling Mr Roosevelt’s dictating a* magazine article. As each word was. pronounced, the auditor kept count. with the bell-punch, and ’announced at frequent intervals the accumulating value of the article at four shillings a word, the price Mr Roosevelt; is to get for his articles. The company listened to this excellent fooling “The lion is a wild and ferocious animal,” said the voice inside thetent. “One pound twelve shillings,”’ said the auditor. “It has a soft body and a hard face,” continued the voice. “Three pounds eight shillings,” shouted the auditor.' “‘lt is the king of beasts, and its* daughter is a princess.” “Five pounds sixteen ‘shillings," said the auditor, “The lion roars like distant thunder ” / “Seven pounds ” “ but it is nobody’s business> what its religion is. ” ‘‘Eight pounds sixteen shillings.”' At this point the hunter declaredthat he wanted to kill something. Shots were heard, and two dead animals were brought in. The voice-, then dictated descriptions of these animals, talking ! faster and faster, until the typewriter collapsed with a. loud explosion. When a second typewriter had collapsed under the strain, the auditor announced that there were no more machines, and the voice said in disgust: “Then I’mgoing home.” The skic is said to have been* 1 received with uproarious merrirhent. The President himself led the* laughter, and several staid diplomatists were in a condition bordering on hysteria. Imagine anyone even proposing to set such a burlesque before the Kaiser I