The Washington herald., 1906-12-09

tiOnal exposures OF private correspond
ence, involving letters written by Presi-
dent Roosevelt to BeIlamy Storer. late
Ambassador to Vienna. and his wife, and
bringing into the story OF his recall the
questions of church and state. became
public property yesterday.
Mrs. Bellamy StOrer. when her husband
was recalled. on March g. said: If they
publish the reasons for the recall of Mr..
StoreT we will have many proofs of the
right being on our side"
That this was no idle intimadon. is
shown by the retaliation Of Mr.. Storer,
which has taken the form of a remark
able letter addressed TO the President, the
members of the Cabinet. ard the Senators
of the Foreign Relations Committee. In
Cluded in it are copies Of the secret cor
respondence that passed between Am
bassador Storer and President Roosevelt.
and copies Of letters that passed between
the President and Mrs. Storer.
This correspondence is Of the most con-
fidential nature. The letters written by
Mr.. and Mrs. Storer are addressed 20 My
dear Theodore" The letters from the
President are addressed respectively to
My dear Bellamy'' and My dear Maria.
Acted with Presidents Approval.
The effect of this document is to show
that Mr.. Roosevelt, both as governor OF
New York, as Vice President, and, pos
sibly, to a less extent, afterward as
President, was active in matters regard
Ing the Roman Catholic Church, and
that he urged strongly that Archbishop
Ireland be awarded the red hat of a
10 ole H.
show that when Ambassador Storer
had an audience with the Pope and urged
Archbishop Ireland's claims upon him. IT
was with the belief that ne had the cor
dial approval of the President
The statement Of BeHamy Storer shows
that more or less intimate relations be
tween Washington and the Vatican
have existed ever since the fall of Manila
1t shows. too, that Mr. Roosevelt was
taking an intense interest in the real fu-
ture of the Catholic Church in America,
while he was governor Of New York and
that he was writing on these topics to Mr.
and Mrs. Storer when they were stationed
at Madrid
Some of the quotations from Mr.. Roose-
Velts letters are Of the most positiva
character and were intended for use m
The Vatican Others were so strong IN
other directions that Mr. Roosevelt was
at pains TO get back copies that had fallen
into the hands Of Cardinal RampoIla.
In one letter, speaking of the eccIesias-
teal arrangement Of the Islands" dbe
Philippines), he says: we shall have IN
guard against any Protestant fanaticfsrn
which VIII give trouble, anyhow and NAV
be famed into a dangerous flame"
Some of the letters are exceedingly
warm in their fervent friendship. one ad
dressed TO Mrs. Storer beginning: 7 un-
derstand absolutely. Oh warmest of
friends and staunchest Of supporters
what your motives are" and later in this
same letter Mr. Roosevelt says: The
particular Dutch Reformed individual who
IS writing 10 you seems to have accumu-
lated an enormous quantity of Catholic
intimacy. I do not think it is exactly
support; it is rather a desire to be sup
ported"
StOrer Says He Was Sacrificed.
Reports of Washington influence being
brought TO bear upon the Vatican came
from Rome to the United States. and ''ev-
identity some people at Rome have been
talking" wrote Mr.. Roosevelt.
BeIamy StOreT's letter also charges
that when the facts Of the Presidents in
interest was noised about he was sac
rified so as to let it be inferred that he
and Mrs Storer had been exceeding their
Instructions. He also says that the Prcsi-
dent made another charge against Mrs
Storer. to the effect that she had meddIed
with French politics by taking part in an
anti-Republican intrigue TO promote the
marriage of Victor BOnaparte with a
member OF the Orleanist family. This
charge Bellamy Storer stigmatizes as ''ab-
solutely false"
incidentally. the letter of Mr. Storer
also shows that Secretary Taft was in
terested in the promotion Of Archbishop
Ireland
Wanted Catholic Vote.
Mr.. Storer's letter in reply to the Pres
ident's criticism that he had committed
the administration TO indiscreet support |
of Archbishop Ireland for the cardinal |
ate. was written on January 10. 1904 It !
was the last intimate communication /
from the Ambassador to Mr.. Roosevelt, |
and is significant as showing how ne re- |
garded Catholic support as a political |
entity. He said the church was a Demo- |
cratic hierarchy, always voting by a large
two campaigns of William Jennings Bry- |
an He thought the influence of Mes |
mer. McPhall, Gibbons Ryan, Keane, |
and ireland would have a direct bearing 4
on the approaching Presidential fight, |
and that as II would be thrown toward /
the Democrats unless some issue Of ex- |
traordinary interest were made. it would /
be well for Mr. Roosevelt 20 pursue a pol |
icy that would win them over.
Bellamy StOrers letter which is in 1
pamphlet form, begins by explaining that i
on March %. of this year, he received a |
cable message from the State Depart |
ment removing him from his Office as /
Ambassador of the United States at vi /
emma. AT the time he was in Egypt on /
leave He at once cabled asking the |
reason for his removal Assistant Sec !
retary Of State Bacon replied that he had /
failed to answer two letters and cable |
gram sent TO him by the President
Forced Into Lfmelfght.
Mr.. Storer says this summary removal /
from a post of honor where he deemed he
had given satisfaction to his home gov
eminent. as well as to the government to
which he was accredited. exposed him to
Injurious suspicious and cOnjectures. He
insists, therefore. that he is not response
bic for the situation by which this nara
tive Of personal matters, distasteful as it
is. is forced upon him
Il may premise writes Mr.. StOrer.
"that both Mrs StOreT and myself were
on terms of close. and. as we believed.
affectionate personal intimacy with NIr