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

am directed by the President to write you as
follows: On December II, 1908. the President
wrote YOU on a matter OF great importance
involving your retention in the service. a let
ter which called for an immediate answer. II
you chose not to answer IL the only proper
course open to you, consistent with the de-
mands alike o fpersonal and official prOprietv,
was Immediately to resign your position as
Ambassador. You, however. left the letter
una and indeed without even ac-
acknowledgement Of its receipt. After waiting
about two months without receiving an answer
the President -because Of his desire TO treat
you with the utmost co asideration instead
Of removing you. wrote You again on Feh-
ruary 3. 1909. This second letter YOU also LEFT
unanswered and without any acknowledgment
Of its receipt. After waiting a month. on March
5. 1905. the following telegram was sent you:
.StOrer. American Ambassador, Vienna.
You have not answered my letter OF December
II. although l supplemented IL by another letter ~
February 3. ] do not know whether this Is be.
cause you do not wish to remain In the diplomat
service OF are unwilling to comply with the require
ments which I have stated. In either event. |
request your resignation as Ambassador.
ROOSEVELT.
In this telegram you were merely requested
to resign a further act of consideration on
the part of the Administration
In view of your failure to answer
either of the letters referred to above,
it was clearly your duty. unless you ex-
pected the Department to believe that you
intended to leave this telegram likewise
unanswered. to acknowledge 1t by cable.
You did not thus acknowledge it. After
waiting two weeks without receiving any
answer. by which time three months and q half
had elapsed without any answer from you
to the original lett er, six weeks without any
answer from you to the second letter. and q
fortnight without any answer from you to
the telegram. you were notife ed by cable Of
your removal. This for the first time drew
an answer from you by cable. and Immediately
afterward your letter OF resignation was
received.
As you had alesdy been removed and
your successors nomination sent to the Senate,
no further action about you was possible:
even II. which was not the case. it had been
desired by the Department or the Administra-
ton to take such further action. Yours
truly. RoBERT BACON.
Acting Secretary OF State.
coULDN T HAVE T~ELEoRAPHED RESIGNATION.
By this letter my recall is put solely upon
the ground Of a gross neglect Of correspon-
dence In failing to answer two letters and a
telegram addressed to me on official bust
ness. Nothing Ia said Of the letter 10 my
wife or OF the character of either of the lei
tiers. : Whether the letter OF December II,
1905, TO me called for immediate answer
or called for any answer. I nave discussed
above. 1t seems hat l am now charged
with neglect in not answering by cable
instead Of by letter the telegram OF March 5
demanding my resignation. 1t is enough
TO reply TO this that l did not telegraph my
resignation because / was not asked 70
do so, and to have lone IL OF my own
motion would ave been contrary not only
to usage but to the rule expressly laid down
by the State Department. The Regulation
for Diplomatic Officers, " issued by the Stat