The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-14
ROOSEVELT RULES Upton OUT
ONLY ONE GUEST OF HONOR Ar
YACHT CLUB DINNER,
And That One tho MISUNDERSTANDING
Loeb Told Colgate Hsyt so--Painful
Explanations by Mr.. Hoyt, Mr.. Lscb and
the Secretary Of tho CnD-l30th SEQ.
retaries Say III Did It! It's Up to Met"

the secretary q the CND-B0th Oe0s
retaries Say III Did II! It's Up to Met"
OYSTER BAY, L. l., Sept. 13.-The report
that President Roosevelt had objected to
the presence Of Sir Thomas Upton at
dinner Of the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht
Club in the clubhouse on Center Island. on
Sept. 10. which the President hiHnsek was
TO attend. was received here this morning
with incredibly. Unbelief, howevss.
quickly gave place to extreme surprise.
when upon inquiry 1t was learned that The
President had, through his secretary, nos
only objected to Sir Thomas's pressnoe -
a guest Of the club ct the dinner, but bad
even made It q prerequisite Of his own
attendance that the distinguished EnsnsA
visitor should not be there - cosst.
Tho discovery was surprising, becanss
there was no reason for supposing that
anything but the most cordial and friendly
relations existed between tho President
and Sir Thomas. Mr.. Roosevelt bad so-
tertained the owner Of tho Shamrock On
tho Mayhower at tho time Of the rsview
Of the North Atlantic heet, had posed with
him before the camera on that OCCASION,
had paid him Q pretty complainant IN
speech at dinner, and had shown In othsr
ways his pleasure 1t having Sir Thomas -
one Of his guests.
The situation il surprising, too, In visw
Of the only explanation which = offered
Of the Presidents attitude In the matter
that is, that the President, when he aocsptsd
the invitation to the dinner. did % With
the understanding that It was to b Juse
neighborly affair, and that thsre would b
no outside guests present.
It Is said, besides, in defence Of Mr. .Roose.
velt's attitude, that he had already enter
tanned Sir Thomas at luncheon In Washine.
ton and had had him on the Mayhower,
and did not, under the circumstances,
think 1t would be advisable to give the i'm
preston that he was OVERRIDING the matter
by appearing at a yacht club dinner with
him at Oyster Bay.
Tho whole story Of the unpleasant affair
came out rather ludicrously at the Seawan-
haka club this afternoon. Francis G.
Stewart, secretary Of the club, was standing
at about 8 o'clock in a room at the rear Of
the clubhouse with tho telephone receiver
to his ear. He had just made the statement
that he was largely responsible for the
blunder which had disclosed the whole dis
agreeable incident, and had finished as
ssrting that President Roosevelt had de-
manded that he be the only guest Of honor
on the occasion. The newspaper men
were standing behind Mr.. Stewart.
'Ting-a-ling-a-ling" went the telephone
bell. Mr.. Colgate Hoyt. chairman Of the
board OF trustees Of the club, who invited
tho President 10 tins dinner and hss had the
whole matter In charge since, was on tho
other and Of the wire. - .-s-1--..---.
1Mr. Hoytf Is this Mr.. Hoyti' asked
Secretary Stewart. .Oh, Mr.. Hoyt,' he
continued, 'ths newspapers have got every
thing about the trouble over the Sir Thomas
invitation. They've got all the faots and
they know all about the correspondence.
yes, yes! What are we going to doP
What can you suggest? Hadn't I better
take the reporters up to see you? Yes,
yes, think that will be all right. III bring
them right up to your house,
Mr.. Hoyt lives about quarter Of mile
back Of the Seawanhaka clubhouse, on .
hill which overlooks the Sound for many
miles. The hill is steep and progress ON
foot is slow. Secretary Stewart had time
on the way to tell many interesting things
about the coming dinner and about things
that have occurred In the preparation
for 1t.
Its all my fault he reiterated sTm
largely responsible for this awful blunder.
I went down to the New York Yacht Club
last Friday night and saw Sir Thomas lap
ton there asked him II he had an en-
gagement for the 18th. He said he hadn't
and requested him to reserve tho date.
He said he would.
Il didn't mean to invite him to the ban
quet as guest Of the club, but as my own
private guest didn't know at the time
that President Roosevelt had sent word
to Mr.. Hoyt that he would not attend
Sir Thomas was q guest Of honor. Mr..
Hoyt told me about that later. I also
tried to get the Earl Of Shaftesbury, but
he had another engagement for that night
Mr.. Stewart was emphatic In asserting
that the President had made 1t plain to Mr..
Hoyt that he would not attend the banqust
If Sir Thomas came as guest Of honor.
Colgate Hoyt was waiting for tho party
of newspaper men and the secretary on bis
front veranda He took Mr.. Stewart asade
and held hurried conference. Then no
returned rubbing his hands tossther and
smiling easily.
Gentlemen" said he, there IL not q
word of truth in this story about the Presi-
dent and Sir Thomas. It's cut out of the
whole cloth.
The fact Is that the Seawanhaks club Is
going to hold it's regular annual banquet
on the night Of Sept. 10, and President
Roosevelt will be the guest Of honor No
invitation has been extended by the club to
Sir Thomas and none will be.
-Sir Thomas is, you know, an honorary
member Of the club and, as such, IL thor
ouphly entitled to attend the banquet with
out an invitation, or he may be invited
by some member Of the club. In either
case wa would be glad to have him with us,
and | don't know of anybody who would
object.
-Ths suggestion that We would invite
Sir Thomas az tho guest OF honor With Mr..
Roosevelt present Is absurd. We arc
uoins TO have the President OF the United
States at the banquet. We're proud Of
1t. and he will, want to say. be the only
guest of honor.
Mr.. Hoyt asserted that no oorraspond-
enoe whatever had passed bet ween him and
Secretary Loeb In regard to the Presidents
attendance at the banquet.