The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1906-12-11
INSISTS He IS RIGHT
BELLAMv sToRER RElTERATEs
ASSERTIONS MADE IN FlRsT
LETTER TO PRESIDENT.
QUOTES MGR. IRELAND TO PROVE II
ROOSEVELT REPEATEDLY TOOK
CREDIT FOR THE ACTION
HE NOW REPUDlATES.

81
Cincinnati. Dec 11-Bellamy Storer.
tormer ambassador to Austria-Hun.
gary. has replied briefly to the state.
ments contained in President Roose-
velt's letter to Secretary of State Root,
which was given to the press Sunday
night. Mr.. Storer insists on the posi-.
ton he has heretofore taken and reit-
crates the assertions made by him in
tho statement to the members of the
foreign relations committee of con-
gress. made public last week: Mr..
Storer said:
II seem to have been elected mem.
beS of the 'Annanias club like all 9th.
ers who have come into dispute with
President Roosevelt. I am now to be
classed with Senators Chandler, Till.
man, Bailey and with others who
have questioned some act or word OF
the president. Like every other Amer
tect l undertook to protect her name
from insinuations and charges OF
falsehood."
Mr.. Storer then reiterated much
that appeared in his first statement in.
tended for private circulation, he
claims: and added that he has four
letters bearing on the controversy as
to the promotion of Archbishop Ire
land, all of which he claims tend to
bear out his contention that Il obeyed
the explicit instructions of Mr.. RoOse-
velt in acting as I did with regard to
the promotion" Continuing, Mr.. Storer
said: ..s
Archbishop Ireland told me also
that the president on several occa-
sions in conversation with him took
the credit for the action he now repu-
dates" 49, -. 49,
Continuing his remarks Mr.. Storer
said: 49, ,...s >-.-" ~.
Declares Roosevelt sidestepped. +
:'The crux Of the whole matter which
led to my removal was the action
taken by Mrs. Storer and myself with
regard to the promotion of Arch
bishop John Ireland of St. Paul to the
cardinalate. In my letter to the pres
ident and cabinet l cite letters writ
ten by Roosevelt to me speaking in
the highest terms of Mgr. Ireland and
expressing the personal wish that the
country might profit by his promotion
to the cardinalate. On Dec. 2, 1908,
had an audience with Pope Plus x,
at which l transmitted verbal note,
the basis of which had been given me
by President Roosevelt. l was par
ticularly careful in it's preparation and
after transcribing it into English I
translated it into French and con-
veyed it to the pope. The communi-
cation was as follows:
He said to me and authorized me
to say to your holiness that the arch
bishop of st. Paul is his personal
friend and that he possessed his
whole confidence as prelate and as q
citizen; that he earnestly desired for
Mgr. ireland all the honors of the
church and that he would view with
the greatest pleasure and satisfaction
the elevation to the rank of cardinal
Of Mgr. Ireland
Nov as to the charge that l acted
without warrant in this matter I have
only to cite the fact that Archbishop
ireland in conversation with me told
mo that President Roosevelt had told
him of all / had done and instead of
crittcising me for my actions seemed
to take great credit to himself.
Everything was all right until
section Of New York churchmen began
to agitate the elevation of another
archbishop than Mgr. Ireland. They
pointed out to Roosevelt that the New
York prelate had at least as much
claim to the red hat as the arch
bishop Of st. Paul. This resulted in
much perturbation at the White House
and letters were sent to me by Roose-
velt pointing out that what might be
very appropriate as the opinion of a
private citizen would come with a
very bad grace as president of the
United States.' ~