The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-14

would he the only guest OF honor nj the
dinner"
Mr.. Hoyt would not, even after this
statement, admit that the absence Of Sir
Thomas was one Of the conditions which
Mr.. Roosevelt imposed before accepting
the invitation.
Mr.. Stewart. while Mr.. Hoyt had the
floor. occupied spot near the veranda,
behind Mr. Hoyt. Somebody asked the
secretary Of the yacht club when il was
he invited Sir Thomas to the banquet.
Mr.. Hoyt's right hand stole cautiously
ont from beneath his coat tail and gra&ped
the arm, of the younger man firmly. Mr..
Stewart started 10 speak, Mr.. HoT' =
grip frightened, and Mr.. Stewart kept still.
"Of course, of course" said MIR Hoyt.
Az | was saying, the Seawanhaka-C Cor
rinthian Yacht Club has banquet every fall.
al the close Of the yachting season. and
this year the President is going to be the
guest Of honor
Mr. Hoyx denied emphatically that any
invitation had been extended by the club
to Sir Thomas. He did not consider that
Secretary Stewards conversation with Sir
Thomas on Friday was an invitation by
the club 1t might have been 4 personal
invitation by Mr.. Stewart. Mr.. Hoyt thought
Anyway. it was hardly expected now
that Sir Thomas would be present. and the
President. Mr. Hoyt asserted. as the ne VS.
paper men were leaving him alone with
Mr. Stewart. would be the only guest OF
honor.
While things were beginning to get bit
lively on Center Island, the situation was
not whit less interesting in Oyster Bay
and out around Sycamore Hill.
Secretary Loeo had gone out to see the
President early in the afternoon. Mr..
Roosevelt, it was announced would not
receive any visitors on Sunday.
The Secretary got back to the executive
offices at about 8 o'clock. He jumped
into the breach nobly and assumed all re-
sponsibility for the affair. He told the Presi-
dents end of the story from the time
the invitation was first extended up to tho
moment of the last developments on Center
Island.
Il am responsible for the incident" he
said. II want to say that in beginning.
MIR. Colgate Hoyt came over 10 see the
President last Thursday afternoon. He
went to Sycamore Hill and while there in
vited the President to attend dinner Of
the Ohio Society Of New York this fall.
He also invited Mr.. Roosevelt to the
banquet of the Seawanhaka Yacht Club.
asking the President to name any date
convenient to himself. The President
named the 18th of the month, and Mr. Hoyt
went away after assuring the President
that the banquet was to be merely neigh
borly affair and would not be the object OF
much public attention
"On the following day, Friday Mr..
Loeb continued, ut occurred to me that
Sir Thomas Upton might be at the banquet.
knew that the President had already enter
tanned Sir Thomas at the White House and
on tho Mayf1ower, and thought, under the
circumstances, that it would be better il
he should not be with him at banquet
in Oyster Bay. 1t would, thought, be
OVERRIDING the thing, although Mr. Rooee-
welt, knew, had high regard for Sir
Thomas Upton personally.
Il telephoned to Mr.. Hoyt and told him
that the President would be unable to at
tend if Sir Thomas were invited. Mr..
Hoyt assured me at the time that Sir Thomas
had not been invited and that the matter
Il told him that the President. when he
accepted the invitation, had under stood
that the banquet was to be . little informal
affair.
Si Sst ussfaaiRG 1rnoeixed letteE
from Mr.. Hoyt. In which he assured me
that there would be no guest Of honor but
the President at the banquet. He called
my attention, however, to the fact that
there is club rule which allows any men,
Der of the club to invite guest.
That" said Secretary Loeb, was the
last we heard Of the matter until it came
out in an exaggerated form in print this
morning"
Mr.. Loeb said that nobody deplored the
incident more than the President. He
asserted, however, that he could not even
now say that the President would attend
the dinner if Sir Thomas were there.
Mr.. Loeb declared that he had acted in
the best faith in the matter. and with the
belief that the President could not afford
to put himeslf in an attitude Of extending
too much courtesy to foreigner.
II was not explained just how the Presi
dent would be extending courtesy to Sir
Thomas Upton by attending a dinner at
which he, as well as Sir Thomas. would be
a guest Of the yacht club Mr. Roosevelt
is a member of the Seawanhaka club, but
so also is Sir Thomas.
All of Oyster Bay. and particularly the
Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, has
rolled the entire situation over and over
again In its mind to-day. The affair is
almost the only topic of conversation at
the clubhouse. There was speculation
over every phase Of the mattert and the
silence Of the members Of the dinner CON-
mittce about the trouble added zest to
the talk
II was rumored that the dinner might
be called of altogether That could not
be verified, but a member of the committee
said it was being considered.
A further reason Sfor the Presidents
attitude toward Sir Thomas Upton was
given at the executive offices tonight.
The President, it was stared. had declined
many invitations to formal affairs and he
thought tire presence Of Sir Thomas at the
club dinner would cause it to be of most
formal character.
ETIOJrETTE MOTORS AMAZED.