# XI: A Trip to Rome explained — Recollections of Full Years

> Chapter companion for Recollections of Full Years by Helen Herron Taft.

## What happens

Mrs. Taft recounts the difficult winter of 1902 in Cincinnati, marked by her mother's death and her husband's illnesses. After recovering, Taft is sent to Rome to negotiate the purchase of Friar lands from the Vatican, a key step for peace in the Philippines. Mrs. Taft's plans to accompany him are derailed when her son Robert contracts scarlet fever, so her mother-in-law, the intrepid Mrs. Taft, takes her place. Mrs. Taft later joins them in Rome, where she finds her husband deep in delicate negotiations with the Vatican, assisted by Bishop O'Gorman and General James F. Smith.

## Themes in this chapter

### Politics and Governance

The delicate diplomatic mission to the Vatican and the need to resolve the Friar lands issue to establish peace in the Philippines.

### Family and Domestic Life

Mrs. Taft's mother's death, her son's scarlet fever, and her mother-in-law's energetic decision to accompany Taft to Rome.

### Adaptation to Change

The Taft family's resilience in the face of illness, bereavement, and the need to adjust plans for the Rome mission.

## Character check-ins

### William Howard Taft

Recovers from illness and is chosen by President Roosevelt to lead the mission to Rome to negotiate the purchase of Friar lands.

### Helen Herron Taft

Narrates the chapter; suffers a nervous breakdown and her mother's death, then later travels to Rome to join her husband after her son's illness.

### Charles P. Taft

Catches whooping-cough on the voyage to Europe and passes it to his sister Helen.

### Theodore Roosevelt

Decides to send Taft to Rome to negotiate with the Vatican regarding the Friar lands.

### Elihu Root

Provides Taft with definite instructions for the Rome mission and hosts him in Washington.

### Pope Leo XIII

Taft has an audience with the Pope as part of the negotiations.

### Bishop O'Gorman

Appointed by President Roosevelt to assist Taft in the Vatican negotiations.

### General James F. Smith

Appointed to the Commission to Rome; a former volunteer officer and judge in the Philippines.

## Key lines

> But you have now an extra stateroom, have you not? ... Well, Will, I don't think you ought to make such a trip alone when you are so far from strong, so I just think I'll go with you in Nellie's place.

Mrs. Taft's mother-in-law, upon learning that Nellie cannot accompany Taft due to their son's illness, offers to take her place on the voyage to Rome.

_Shows the mother-in-law's decisive and caring nature._

> The solution of the difficulty proposed by Mr. Taft and his colleagues in the Philippine government was that the United States purchase the Friars' lands and turn them into a public domain on the condition that the orders objected to by the people be withdrawn from the Islands.

Taft's plan was for the U.S. to buy the lands held by the monastic orders and make them public property, provided the orders leave the Philippines.

_Outlines the key policy solution to the Friar lands controversy._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/recollections_of_full_years_se/chapters/xi-a-trip-to-rome
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/recollections_of_full_years_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/recollections_of_full_years_se/chapters