The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-04-03
PRESIDENT GETS wRATHY
Angry at President Shields OF the
League Of American Sportsmen for
Giving False and Inaccurate Ac-
counts of q Conversation Held at the
White House.

Washington, March 29-President
Roosevelt figured as the storm centre
In the house committe on territories to-
day, during a hearing On the Lacey
bill prohibiting the use of all kinds OF
automatic shot guns in the territories
of the United States in the interest Of
the protection of game. Both sides to
the controversy who were heard. en-
deayored to put the president Oh their
side. The result was finally an effort
to expunge the whole reference 10 the
president from the hearings, but this
the committee refused.
This record will therefore contain
first, a prepared article by President
G.. 0. Shields, of the league of Amer
lean sportsmen, which puts the presi-
dent squarely or record in favor Of
the campaign against repeating guns.
Then when the opposition representing
the manufacturers of small arms, init
mated that the president had repudiat-
ed this statement, Mr.. Shields admit
| ted the president had refused TO be
placed in quotations mark, but ad-
! mitted holding the views attributed to
him. In connection with the contro-
versy the men representing the manu-
facturers Of the guns in question read
a letter dated February 10 addressed
to Mr.. Shields by President Roose-
velt as follows:
"Sir' It appears that you have given
an extended interview with me in
quotations., putting my expressions III
the first person, 50 as to make me re-
sponsible for both the fight and Ian
guage. This is ~ineXcusable on your
part. At the time you called upon me
and | talked over informally with you
the question Of the preservation OF
game and of wild life generally in its
various aspects, | told you explicitly
that while you could state that l was
in hearty approval with your efforts
you were not to try to quote my IAN
guage, and subsequently l wrote to you
repeating this. AS a matter Of fact, III
what appears to be these quotations
YOU in no case gave the exact language
that [ used.
but pretending thus to give it, anc
by what you omit as well as what yol
insert which | had not said, you con
vey on certain points an entirely falsely
IMPRESSION, and you leave me no al
formation but to explicitly repudiate
your statement which | hereby do
Had you been content to say that yol
gave the general sense Of what l saw
YOU would have done what you were
authorized to do. But when you at
tempt to give you my exact WORD:
not ONLY do what | explicitly toll
YOU YOU should not do, but you uset
tempt to give my exact words you
was in no case accurate. Not on
single sentence you quote is as l SAL
if. Some of the sentences are shee
inventions, others are inventions t
part. and some of the things L said ar
omitted.
ut is unnecessary to characterlz
such conduct on your part.
Yours etc.
''THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
Representative Collie, Of Ohio,
member of the committee mari t
, Mr.. Shields do you think the pres
dent would trust himself in the Wooo
: without a repeating rifle:
Mr.. Shields answered that he though
2 he would.
! GREENSBORO GOLD BRlCk CAS-