The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-10

addressed. at this time. With love to both Of
you. Faithfully yours.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Hon. Bellamy Storer. Minister OF the United
States, Madrid. Spain.
In fact Cardinal Rampolla did nave in his
possession copies of the two letters given
above, written by Mr.. Roosevelt in 1899 and
1900, when he was Governor Of New York,
or of parts of them. Mrs. Storer wrote at
once to Cardinal Rampolla. who ordered the
letters to be returned to her. She informed
President Roosevelt that she had got them,
and received from him the following letter:
The President 10 Mrs. storer.
WHITE HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, Feb. II. 1902.
MY DEAR MANIA: That is all right. You
need not bring the letters. All ] want you to
do is to keep them yourself. Evidently some
people at Rome have been talking. A most
resolute effort has been made TO mix up facts
and try to show that. as President. | have
been endeavorlng to interfere with ecclesias-
tical matters.
! I'M looking forward to seeing you and
Bellamy. Sincerely yours.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Mrs. Bethany Storer. Hotel d'Angleterre.
Biarritz, France.
have gone over these matters OF a rather
early date in order to make clear what had
been the position Of Mrs. Storer and myself
in matters affecting the relations between
the Church and the country, and how far
our actions in these matters had been known
to President Mckinley and to Mr.. Roosevelt
before he became President, and had been
not only permitted, but encouraged and
promoted by them. and by others in high
office in the Administration This brings
the situation down to occurrences in the
autumn of 1903, TO which l am now about
to call attention.
AGAIN ASKED sToRER TO SEE THE POPE.
In October, 1902, | was appointed by
President Roosevelt Ambassado to Austria
Hungary. In the summer and autumn of
1903 | visited the United States on leave of
absence, and with Mrs. Storer was a guest
of the President at Oyster Bay. During
my visit there the relations of the Catholic
Church with America were discussed by
President Roosevelt with me, and the Presi-
dent was warm in his praise of Archbishop
Ireland, Of whom he spoke in terms of
enthusiastic friendship on account of his
conspicuous services as an American citizen.
and incidentally for his assistance as a
supporter of the Republican party and the
administration On that occasion, Arch
lFilb AlVAhllh ellis ~ NpllN " NbbNNA-
sation, the President said to me that if I
went TO Rome he would like 10 rave me
see the Pope, and say to him in person that
the Archbishop was his friend, and that
he would be pleased 10 hear that he had
received the honor of promotion to the
C~ardinalate.
I did not tell even Archbishop Ireland Of
the Presidents commission to me, not feel
ing at liberty to do so, but he Immediately
learned Of il directly from the President
himself. for shortly after the conversation
the President told him what he had said.
This we learned from the Archbishop, who
wrote az once 10 Mrs. Storer. in October and
November, 1903. that the President had told
him that he had commissioned Mr.. Storer TO
speak for him, viva voce. at the Vatican,
and gave the substance Of his interview
with the President in these words:
The President said 10 me, Mr.. Storer has
told YOU what | said to him about you. Arch
bishop
Il replied, I do not remember
About his going IN Romeo
Il said No
Well he said. I told him I would not
write a letter to the Pope asking for honOrs
TO YOU but said that he could go to Rome
and say. viva voce. TO the Pope how much |
WlNfl NVh w wv - WIN hiIb NV VI L
personally would be to him for giving you
that honor.
A PARTIAL PROMISE FRoM THE POPE.
This action Of the President in informing
Archbishop Ireland of my commission
furnished me with an independent evidence
of his wishes and of his willingness that
they should he known TO the persons con-
cerned, though incidentally it confirmed
n -. -
to me. to the effect that he did not want to
put his wishes in writing. So far AZ oral
messages went, however, | was not the only
person who had been used TO deliver one,
for some weeks before the President had
asked Mgr. O'Connell to say the same thing
to the Pope, and this Mgr. O'Connell had
done in an interview with Pope Plus Y.
on September "a, 1903, in the second month
Of his pontihcate, and had transmitted 70
the President, in reply, a message from
Pope Plus X. in this form-"Present to the
President my compliments, tell him Of my
esteem for himself personally and for the
country which he governs, and say to him
that his wishes in regard to Mgr. Ireland
will most probably he fulfilled"
| had nothing to do with this mission Of
Mgr. O'Connell's, but was informed of il
dDu VI us vi btlOIp approaching NilS
Pope on the errand given 10 me.
A few weeks after my return to Europe
! went to Rome. and on December 2, 1903,
had an audience with Pope Plus X. I had
already made a translation into French Of
a memorandum which / had taken Of the
Presidents oral 10 the Pope, in order
that | might deliver it i~ntelligibly, a. the
Pope does not understand English. At
the interview | held that translation in my
hand and read it to the Pope. | have pre-
served il, and it reads as follows:
II ma din ct ma autoris6 de dire A votre
SaintPte que IArchAyeque de -. Paul est son
ami personnel. ct gu ii posseip toute AZ con
hanCe CONNIE prelat ~ comm Citoyen: uu'il
desire vivemenC pour Mgr, lrelGn nd tous les
honneurs de lEGlise. OF qu'I verrait avec
Ia plus grand pliisir ct satisfaction 'el"va-
tion au Cardinalat de Mgr Ireland.
said nothing which could enlarge the
scope of this message or color its import.
| simply delivered il and left il to carry
its own proper weight.
Immediately after this interview | wrote
TO Mr.. Roosevelt a personal and confidential