Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-12-10
Says Storer of Roosevelt
in Reply to Sharp
Letter.
QUOTES ARCHBISHOP
Declares the President Fl0pped
When New York Catho-
lies We're Aroused.

Cincinnati, Dec 10.-Bellamy Storer
today replied briefly to the statements
contained in President Roosevelt's let
ter to Secretary Root. which was Civ
en- to the press last night, insisting on
the position he had heretofore taken
in reiterating statements made by him
in the statement to members of the
foreign relations committee of con-
gress. made public last week.
In Large Class.
Storer said today:
Il seem to have been elected a mem
Der of the Ananias club, like all others
who have come into dispute with
Roosevelt. | am now to be classed
with Senators Chandler. Tillman. Bail
ey. and others who have questioned
some act or word of the president.
Like every other American gentleman
who has a wife TO protect. | undertook
to defend her name from insinuation
and charges of falsehood."
Has Interesting Letters.
StOrer then reiterated much that ap-
peared in the first statement. intended
for private circulation, he claims. and
added he has four letters bearing on
the controversy as to the promotion of
Archbishop Ireland. all of which he
claims tend to bear out his conten-
tions that Il obeyed the explicit in
structions of Roosevelt in acting as /
did with regard to the promotion
Claimed Credit for Action.
Continuing. Storer said:
ireland told me the president on |
several occasions. in conversation with !
him, took credit for the action he now
repudiates-"
Request Was Personal.
Mr.. StOrer continued:
The crux of the whole matter which |
led to my removal was the action TAX |
en- by Mrs. StOrer and myself with re-
gard to the promotion of Archbishop |
Ireland of St. Paul TO the cardinalate. |
In my letter to the president and cab
met | cite letters written by Roose-
welt 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.
Saw the Pope.
Dec. 2, 1908, had an audience With |
Pope Plus X, at which | transmitted
verbal note, the basis of which had |
been given me by Roosevelt. l was
particularly careful in it's preparation,
and after transcribing it into English,
translated it into French and conveyed |
it to the pope.
Text of Communication.
1.-The communication was as follows.
He said to me he 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 a prelate and citizen, and
that he earnestly desired for Mgr. Ire
land all the honors of the church; that
ne would view with the greatest pleas
ure and satisfaction the elevation to
the rank of cardinal of Mgr. Ireland
''Now, as to the charge l acted with
out warrant in the matter, l have only
to cite the fact that Ireland, in conver-
sation with me, told me Roosevelt had
told him of all l had done, and, in
stead of criticising my actions, he
seemed 10 take great credit to himself
Tempest In New York.
Everything was all right until a
section of the New York churches be-
gan to agitate the elevation of anoth-
er archbishop than Ireland. They point
ed out to Roosevelt the New York
prelate had at least as much claim to
the red hat as the archbishop of st.
Paul. This resulted in much perturba-
tion at the White house, and letters
were sent to me by Roosevelt point
ing out what might be very appropriate
as to the opinion of private citizen
would come with very bad grace as
president of the United States.
Understood the Part.
Every one with a grain of sense
knows that. There never was a ques-
tion as To that. | knew in the entire
transaction | was not presenting the
official views of the president. This
separation of official and personal sides
of a matter is not unique. Mckinley |
did the same thing. He favored the :
elevation of Mgr. Ireland, but did not
do so as president of the United
States. Roosevelt favored the eleva-