The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-15
LOEB SHOULDERS The BLAME.
ROOSEVELT DESIRES THAT LIP
TON ATTEND CLUE DINNER.
Inference Is That the Secretary Acted
without Authority when He Said Presi.
dent Would Not Attend Seawanhaka
Dinner II Sir Thomas Was to he Present


Dinner II Sir Thomas Was to he Present
OYSTER BAY. N. Y. Sept. IA Material
for another chapter in the Roosevelt-Lip-
ton.Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club
episode was furnished to-day when this
letter from Secretary Loeb to Mr. Colgate
Hoyt. chairman Of the yacht clubs board
Of trustees was made public by Mr. Hoyt:
MY DEAR Mr. HoYT: The President
directs me to say that it will be particular
pleasure to him if Sir Thomas Upton can
come TO the Seawanhaka dinner. As you
will recall, all that the President said when
TIE invitation was extended to him was
that re did not feel like accepting any
more invitations to formal functions; that
if it was simply to be neighborhood dinner
among his own friends in the Scawanhaka
Cub he would gladly come. The Presi-
dent has particularly high regard for Sir
Thomas Upton and a high appreciation
of the manly and sportsmanike spirit he
has shown throughout the yacht contests.
The President earnestly desires that
Sir Thomas be present at the dinner.
WILLIAM LOEB. Jr.
Secretary to the President"
With the secretary's letter Mr.. Hoyt
also gave out the following formal state
ment:
There has been so much msunderstand-
ing over the proposed annual dinner of the
Seawanhaka Yacht Club that | feel 1t my
duty as chairman of the board of trustees
TO state the facts, viz.
THAT the President was invited to be the
guest of the club at its annual banquet and
accepted with the distinct understanding
that it was not to he large, formal function,
hut simply the annual banquet of the club
for IFS members and guests. Sir Thomas
lipton's name was not mentioned, nor that
Of any other gentleman in my interview,
and to assure the public that nothing was
further from the Presidents thought than
10 bar Sir Thomas or any one else from
the dinner take pleasure in giving to
the press the letter which have just re-
ceiyed from Secretary Loeb
Mr.. Hoyt, when he gave out the letter
and his statement, was standing beside
his big red automobile in Oyster Bays
main street. He had just come from the
executive Offices, ard shortly before had
had conference with the President at
Sycamore Hill. Mr.. Hoyt refused to dis
cuss the details of his talk with the President
or to say positively whether he had been
II came" he said, merely to convey
to Mr.. Roosevelt the clubs deep regret
over the Misunderstanding.
Mr. Hoyt was closeted with Secretary
Loeb for some time, and it is not assumin &
too much to say that their conversation
was very much to the point and would
make interesting reading. Secretary Loeb
ders, unattended and alone, the blame for
the entire incident. That is the only con-
struction that can be put on the letter.
Secretary Loeb, according to the state
ment which he made last night informed
Mr.. Hoyt unauthoritatively that the Presi-
dent could not be present if Sir Thomas
attended Mr. Roosevelt. his secretary
said, could not, in Justice to other people
whom he had refused, attend large formal
banquet at the Seawanhaka club Nor
could he afford to create the impression
that he was OVERRIDING things in the way Of
courtesy to Sir Thomas by appearing with
him at the banquet here.
That a great mistake was made is ad-
n1itted by everybody connected with the
summer White House. There are some
persons here SO unthinking as to suggest
that Secretary Loeb has voluntarily sacri-
feed himself to save the President and
who believe that Mr.. Roosevelt took an
active part in requesting that an invitation
be withheld from Sir Thomas. But the
ment that Sir Thomas's name was not men
toned by him are certainly sufficient TO
preclude the possibility Of any such thing
The discrepancy between the statements
which Francis G. Stewart, secretary Of the
Seawanhaka club made yesterday to the
effect that President Roosevelt had re-
quested that he be the only guest Of honor
and the letter and statement issued to-day
Ia explained by persons in authority at the
clubhouse in the suggestion that Mr.. Stew
art was misinformed. Mr. Stewart. it was
explained, should have said that Mr.. Loeb
made the request, not the President. 1t
was a technical mistake and should be
overlooked, some club members suggested.
Or perhaps. Mr. Stewart was himself in
formed by some careless person who I'M
'hnkingly used the Presidents name in a
general way for Mr., Loeb's. That was the
opinion of another club member. Mr..
Stewards own explanation of the matter
could not be got. 1t was said that he had
gone away on visit.
The chief thing the Seawanhaka Corin-
THAN Yacht Club is interested in now is
10 find where the leak YVES that occasioned
all the fuss. Speculation is rife among
the members. and any time to-day little
groups could be seen talking the matter
over earnestly, criticising those suspected
Of being responsible for the blunder, and
deporing generally the embarrassing po-
sition Of the club. The dinner committee
naturally comes in for big share Of the
criticism. for the blame ought, it is argued
10 be attached to it for letting the informa-
lion out. But with all the talking and
specializing nothing definite was known
and it will probably never be ascertained
lust how the matter became public.
II is not expected at the clubhouse that
Sir Thomas will attend the dinner, even II
he wanted to- He will be in Chicago on
the 18th. it is said, but it is not improbable
hat some effort will be made to get him 10
the banquet. in the hope of smoothing over
the unpleasantness of the incident