The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-10
r. Card. MERev DEL VAL.
THE WHITE q

WABHINGION, Zee. u, lHDo.
MY DEAR Mrs. STORER: Secretary Taft
has lust shown me your letter Of November
%, this letter being evidently intended for
me as much as for him. On inquiry of Mrs.
Roosevelt I find that she had received from
YOU a letter to me which il probably the one
to which YOU refer in your letter to Mr.. Taft,
but she tells me she treated this letter as she
sometimes has treated other letters that you
have sent her to deliver to me, when she
knew that the receipt Of them would merely
make me indignant and puzzle me as TO
what action | ought TO take about Bel
Iany's remaining in the service; that is. she
did not give IL to me.
Your direct or implied complaints Of and
reflections upon my own personal conduct
give me no concern. but I am very gravely
concerned at the mischievous pfeN your
letters must have in incorporating the
nosition of the United States Government
and by the far reaching governmental scandal
your indiscretion may at any time cause.
have. now seen your letter to me. sent
through Mrs. Roosevelt. In It you actually
propose that | should authorize You to 90 10
Rome to take part in what ! must call an
ecclesia stical intrigue-and 10 drag the United
States Government into il. such a proposal
il simply astounding.
You say that Cardinal Merry del Val has
stated that have requested that two arch
bishops-one Farley-be made Cardinals.
All Won had TO say was that such "A state
ment was a deliberate untruth, because you
knew that ] had refused TO make such a re-
quest even for Ireland.
You say in your letter You can trust me.
really" How can YOU say this when YOU
write to Taft a letter which " by accident
published would absolutely misrepresent. in
the most mischievous manner. both me and
the American Government? You have no
more right to NEEDLE in these matters than
Mrs. Reid would have to NEEDLE in the Rit-
ualist controversy. or Mrs. Tower TO try TO
take charge Of the relations Of Germany to
the American Lutherans.
Your letter to Mr.. Taft and the letters
TO Cardinal Merry del Val and Archbishop
Keane (of the answers 70 which YOU enclose
copies) and your letter TO the Princess Alex
audrine Cof the answer 10 which YOU also on
close a copyl are all letters which it * utterly
improper for you TO have written, in your
nolitIon as the wife Of an American Ann
bassador, and show r continued course Of
conduct on your part which is intolerahle
II your husband is 10 remain in the dlplO-
matte service. In the first place, wish II 10
be explicitly understood that though since |
have been President | have been approached
al different times by p~relates Of Your Church
and even by laymcn in your Church with
reqnests thai ask Of the Vatican or express a
preference for the appointment Of some
person as Cardinal. ! have always positively
and uneuuivocally refused directly OF in
directly TO ask for the appointment of any
man as Cardinal, and it would have been a
gross improperly for me to nave made any
such request, while il il an outra &c to repre-
sent me as having IN any shape made II. To
Archbishop Keane. TO Mgr. O'COnnell. and
10 other men who have approached ME on
behalf OF Archbishop ireland 7 have said
that I had a very high regsr d for the Arch
bishop. and that | should be delighted to see