The Washington herald., 1906-12-09

dent excepting on one occasion when ]
/ acted in Rome by his express request)
| but we have confined ourselves to using
the two letters written in 1899 and have
done this in such way that no error as
70 their date could have arisen nor any
/ embarrassment have resulted to him as
Vice President or President by reason OF
any mistake about the time when they
were written"
Tried to Get Back Letters.
After Mr.. Roosevelt had succeeded to
the Presidency, he returned to the sub
ject Of publicity and the possibility of let
ters of his being in the possession of other
persons and wrote a letter dated The
White House, Washington, January 16
1902 and addressed Dear Bellamy," in
which the following statement appears
''Will you ask Maria again If there is any
letter of mine 10 her. or a copy of any
letter, which, so far as she is aware
is in the hands of any one else? 1t IS
stated with the utmost insistence that
Rampolla has one. care very little 50
far as I am personally concerned, for
what l write I stand by. but it is OBJ
viously not wise on general principles
that any letter Of mine should be in
the hands Of any one to whom it was
not addressed at this time.
Cardinal RampOlla. however, had copies
| of the letters or parts OF them. Mrs.
/ Storer at once wrote 10 the cardinal, who
| ordered the letters TO be returned TO her.
| She Informed the President she had them
and received from him a letter in which
he stated that he wanted her 10 keep
them. Evidently some people at Rome
/ have been talking" the President wrote
[ to My dear Maria" a most resolute
effort has been made 10 mix up facts
/ and try to show that as President have
! been endeavOring 10 interfere with eccIe-
/ siastical matters"
Mr.. Storer was appointed Ambassador
/ 10 Austria and Hungary In October, 1902.
/ In the following summer he visited the
/ President and Mrs Roosevelt at Oyster
| Bay. During his visit the relations of
| the Catholic Church with America were
/ discussed by the President. who was
/ warm in his praise or Archbishop Ire
/ land Of whom he spoke in terms Of en-
/ thuSiast.c friendship on account OF his
/ conspicuous services as an American citi-
zen, and. incidentally, for his assistance
I as a supporter Of the Republican party
| and the administrat tion.
! Urged Personal influence on Pope.
/ "On that occasion" Mr.. Storer states.
! Archbishop Ireland being the topic OF
/ conversation, the President said to me
/ that if I went 10 Rome he would like
to have me see the Pope, and say to
! him in person that the archbishop was
! his friend. and that he would be pleased
/ TO hear that he had received the honor
/ Of promotion to the cardinalate."
M. Storer quotes a conversation be
/ tween Archbishop ireland and the Pres
ident IN regard 10 his commission 10 Mr..
StoTer. So far as oral messages went he
I says he was not the only person who had
/ been used TO deliver one. for Mgr O'COu-
nell was commissioned 10 say the same
/ thing 10 Pope Plus Y. which he did on
September a. l9J3 and the Pope trans
/ mitted a message saying the President S
wishes probably would be fulfilled. On
/ December >, 1903. Mr. Storer had an audi
cnce with the Pope and delivered in
French "A memorandum which he had
/ taken of the Presidents oral message 70
the Pope. He preserved this mcmOran-
dun, and IL reads as follows:
He said TO me, and he authorized me
20 say to your holiness. that the Arch
bishop or ST. Paul IS his personal friend.
5nd that he Possesses all his confidence
as a Dreiate and as a citizen; that he
desires emphatically for Mgr ireland all
the hOnors Of the church; and that he
viii see with the greatest pleasure and
satisfaction the elevation Of Mgr Ireland
10 the cardinalate."
Mr. Storer states he said nothing
which could enlarge the scope OF this
message OF color its import He wrote
. rr Nfr wolf Of 4
He carefully avoided making known TO
any one that he had received a commits
sion from the President. Unfor, 1nately.
a newspaper correspondent IL Rome tele-
grdphed a report that Mr. Storer had
seen the Pope. connecting the audience
with Archbishop ireland. This report
was responsible for a letter from the
President, who wrete to Mr. Storer say
ing that few things could be more en-
barrasslng or more mischievous
Chided Him for Activity.
What has occurred. continued the
President, shows clearly that it is hope
less for YOU TO expect that people will
appreciate the difference between what
you as an American Catholic in your pri-
vate capacity say and what you as an
American Ambassador say. take il for
granted that you supposed you were
speaking merely in your private capacity
to people who would not misunderstood
you and VINO would not repeat what you
have saTd. Your faith has evidently been
misplaced
in view Of what has occurred. I must
ask you. while you are in the United
States service, to take no part. either di-
rectly or indirectly, in such a matter as
this, and hereafter TO repeat TO no man
what I have said to you concerning the
subject Of the article. You have doubt
less. yourself. seen by what has occurred
that such action can only have mis-
chievous results"
Mr.. Roosevelt repeated that he had the
heartieSt admiration Cor Archbishop Ire
land, and would be { lighted to see him
made cardinal. just as he was delighted
to see Lawrence made the Episcopal bishop
Of Massachusetts. and just as he had been
delighted when various Methodist friends
of his were made bishops.
But as President he added. 1t is
none Of my business to interfere for or
against the advancement of any man in
any church; and as it is impossible to
diRerentiate what 1 say in my individual
capacity from what 1 say as President
at least. in the popular mind and. appar-
entity. also In the Roman mind-I must re-
quest you not to quote me in any way or
shape hereafter"
nIr. storer states that this letter from
the President filled him with astonish-
mcnt. Its tone" he declares. was one
of rebuke for speaking to the Pope on
the subject. and yet l had spoken by his
exDrcss request. Then. too, my letter
reporting the interview was wholly ig
nored bv the President, and he assumed
the air of one who had just learned from
the newspapers for the first time. and
with pained surprise anything about the
affair"