The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-16
UNTRUE, SAYS WHITNEY
A WARM REPLY TO PRESIDENT
 ROOSEVELT.
Colleagues of Boston Man on Ccmmit- tee Unite in Declaring that White House Interview Was Not
 Confidential.

Boston, Mass, NOV. to--heury aa' Whitney, President of the Boston Chamber Of Commerce and Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts In the recent election. issued statement tonight in refer ence to President Roosevelt's remarks to the delegations of the American Boot, Shoe and Leather Workers who visited the White House today. Pres ident Roosevelt told the committee that he could not discuss the question freely and informally. saying that 8 year ago Henry M Whitney called on him with reference to tariff matters and later misquoted what the prest- dent had said. A,5s
 After reading the Washington dis patch, Mir. Whitney prepared a state. ment in which he denied that he had wilfully misrepresented the President or Intentionally violated any confi- dence.
 In the statement Mir. Whitney says:
 Andrew G. Webster. J. M, w. Hall and I. constituting a subcommittee of the Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100 on reciprocal trade, visited Washington last winter for a confer ence with the President touching es. pecially the matter of the Hay-Bond treaty. I, as Chairman of the Com mittee, made an argument in favor of the treaty. This argument made ref erence to the advantage of reciprocal treaties with Canada.
 Was Not Confidential.
 "we understood the President to ex- press himself as not unfavorable to the Bond treaty. but desirous of seeing and favoring also the fullest possible freedom of trade with Canada I was not aware that this was to be regarded in the nature of a confiden- tiai communication; quite the con- trary
 While we may have misunderstood the President, I do not see how we could have done so absolutely deny any 'wilful' and intentional misrepre- of the Presidents attitude refers to as the context which calcu- lated to modify the views he expressed. The committee above named made sub stantially this report to the full com- mittee at the time of our return from and the Presidents atti- tude as we understood it, has been sub tect for congratulation among our peo- pie from the time of our visit to Wash ington to the present It was there- fore nothing new and did not regard my reference to 1t in my campaign as new matter.
 Says It Is Not True.
 T regret extremely that the Presi- dent should consider that I have mis- represented his attitude and especially that he should feel I have intention ally done so, which aver, is not true"
 Copies Of this statement were sent to Mir. Hall and Mir. Webster who ac- Mir. Whitney to the White House. Mir. whitney requested them to examine the statement carefully and inform Mir. Whitney if 1t corresponded with their recollection of the matter.
 MT. Webster replied as follows;
 T have read your letter regarding the interview with the President last winter. My recollection of what was said at that time is substantially as you have written. I did not under stand that 1t was confidential inter- view"
 Mir. Hall in his letter said:
 T have just received your letter con- eerning our conversation with the President last winter My recollection agrees with yours. had no concep- lion that the interview was considered by any one"
 President RooseveIt's Charge,
 Washington, Nov. 15.-President Roosevelt was asked today to use his influence to have the customs duties on hides removed in the interest of all the people of the country
 A delegation of boot ana sbos.S and leather manufacturers, headed bvpCsov- ernor W. l.. Douglas of Massachusetts called on the President by appoint- nent and discussed with him pretty fully the proposed repeal of the duty on hides
 Subsequent to the departure of the delegation from the White House, 1 rFesioent roosevelt authorized the publication or his remarks on the ob- Iect of it's mission. In the course of | ihese remarks. he related an experI- | snce he had last winter with a com nittee from Massachusetts, of which | MT. Whitney, recently a candidate for | 1eutenant-Governor of Massachusetts, was member He said that MT. | Whitney had misquoted him in the campaign which was closed a few days Ago and declared he was constrained 70 believe that MT. Whitney had de- ioerately misrepresented what had oc- ,urred, With this experience in mind, the President declined to enter ipon discussion of the subject of free