Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-10
DENIED BY PRESIDENT
ASSERTIONS OF MR.. STORER
CONTRADICTED.

President Roosevelt has made public a
long letter addressed to Secretary Root,
giving correspondence between himself and
former Ambassador Storer at Vienna and
Mrs. Storer, in which he says that Mr.. Stor-
er's refusal to answer his letters and the
publication Of various private letter. justi-
fed the ambassadors removal, that Mr..
Storer's publication OF private correspond
ence was peculiarly ungeutlemaniy." and
that he (the President) had stated with alb
solute clearness his position and the rea-
son why 1t was out Of the question for
him as President to try to get any arch
bishop made cardinal, though expressing
his admiration for Archbishop Ireland as
well as leaders Of other denominations. He
says he thinks 1t well that the members of
the cabinet should know certain facts
which he (Storer) either suppresses or
misstates." He says he did not resent the
action Of the StorerS until 1t became evil
dent they were likely to damage American
interests. He says Mrs. Storer urged him
to give her husband cabinet place, and
that she stated Mr.. Choate at London and
sons to be ambassadors, suggesting her
husband In that connection.
The President incorporates a letter from
Postmaster General Cortelyou, contradict
ing the statement that President Mckinley
had commissioned a gentleman to ask the
pope "as a personal favor to him. and as
IAN honor to the country to appoint Arch
bishop Ireland as cardinal. Mr.. Cortelyou
says the late President never made any
such request.
The Presidens declares that Mr. storer's
statement that he authorized any such mes
sage to be delivered to Pope Plus Is I'M
true. He says that he never received let
ter from Ambassador Storer giving an ac-
count of his visit to the Vatican, and Of
the message he personally gave the pope
dents action follows the publication of the
Confidential pamphlet" which Mr. Storer
last week sent to the President. the cabinet
and several senators and representatives.
The Presidents Letter.
The letter Of the President to Secretary
Root is as follows:
THE WHITE HOUSE,
WASHINGTON. December 2. 1906.
MY Dear Mr.. Root:
In view of the fact that Mr.. Bellamy
cabinet. well to myself, a pamphlet
under date of November 1906, purporting
to give an account of those relations of
his with me which led up to his removal
from the position of ambassador at Vienna,
l think 1t as well that you and the other
members of the cabinet should know GER
tain facts which he either suppresses or
misstates. As to the necessity for removing
him from this position, suppose there is
no need of discussion. An ambassador who
refuses to answer the letters of the Presi-
dent cannot remain an ambassador. His
statement that my letters to him were of a
character such that he could not answer
them needs no further comment than to
point out that in such case 1t was his clear
duty instantly to resign. His publication of
the various private letters between his wife
and himself and me would furnish adj
ditional justification, were such needed, for
his summary separation from the service.
final letter to him, which runs as follows:
Final Letter to Storer.
September 10, 1905.
Hon. Bellamy Storer, Paris, France:
"Sir-Your letter Of August 8 does not
require any comment as whole, but by
direction of the President 1 answer 1t as
regards one point.
You assume that in the letter of Deem
Der IL the President wrote you not as one
official of the United States to another, but
n. purely personal and private letter, and
you state that this letter shows on its face
that no answer from you was asked for,
suggested or expected.
sit is hard to understand your making
such statement, in view OF the fact that
the letter you quote derives it's entire i'm
portance from the accompanying letter.
which you were asked TO read and hand
to Mrs. Storer, in which Mrs. Storer was
informed that unless she took certain def
mite action your connection with the diplo-
matte service would have to be severed.
1t is. of course, unnecessary to discuss,
and 1t ought to be unnecessary even to
allude to. any proposition so absurd as
that this severance Of you from the service
would be asked for, not by the President
as President but in his private capacity.
The President was anxious to treat both
you and Mrs. Storer with the utmost gem
tleness and consideration. and it seemed to
him that his end could be achieved in the
way easiest for you by following the course
which he actually did follow. The letter
to Mrs. Storer of course became part of
the matter of which you were required to
take cognizance. In it Mrs. Storer was
asked to fulfill certain conditions, failure
to fulfill which would require, she was
informed. your severance from the serv-
Ice. which conditions she never fulfilled
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