The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-10

abJectly Oonfessing misbehavior where
o had been and promising to offend no
further. there could be no answer which
would not merely lead TO still more angry
correspondence. The result OF silence I
well understood might be that which the
President had expressly stated in his letter
that my resignation would be asked for.
I was ready to face. for 1 preferred
TO leave the service rather than sacrifice
self-respect In an attempt to ave my
place-an attempt which, even il I could
have brought myself to make it, l was
sure could not long have awaited against
a deliberate wish to nave the place in
order to give it to some one else. That
I should be abruptly dismissed, as finally
happened, did not, I admit, occur to me,
though l annot say that I should have
changed my decision even to avert that. l
had already sent in my resignation in Janu-
airy, 1905, and that resignation had been
ever since then in the Presidents hands
Enacted on. My impulse was to leave to
the President the responsibility of taking
on his own motion the step which he threat
ened. rather than to adopt h alternative
which he offered of sending in a second
resignation, a step which, If unexplained,
would have been interpreted as an admis-
sion that I retired because my wife was not
to be allowed TO do in the Church what the
President wrongly accused her OF doing.
The Presidents two letters given
above we're received on December 20 and,
"a / have stated, were not answered.
Shortly after that day l went to Egypt on
leave Of absence granted by the State De-
partment.
On February ,, 1908, the President wrote
me a second letter as follows:
The President 10 Mr. stOrer.
WHITE House.
Personal. WASHINGTON, Feb. 3. 1909.
MY DEAR BELLAMY: On December IL last,
nearly two months ago. l wrote you a letter
enclosing one for Mrs. Storer. Both letters
called for answers. | should like to have these
answers as early as is convenient. Sincerely
yours. THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
This letter was sent 70 the address in
Egypt which | had given TO the State De-
partment, and was received on February 26.
II will be observed that, like the previous 1,
letter, it is marked personal" and is adj
dressed to me by my Christian name. II
the designation means anything this letter
formed part of a non-oficial correspondence.
Had l answered this letter instantly
on its receipt the answer could not have
reached Washington before March II, allow
ing only sixteen days for the course Of mail,
and of this, of course, the President must
nave been we'll aware, having sent his letter
10 Egypt. Without waiting for that time
70 elapse, however, the President sent to me
on March 5 the following telegram, address
ing it not to my address in Egypt. as in the
case of the letter, but to Vienna, whence
il was forwarded, by intermediate repeti-
tons, to the address in Egypt which was
still my address in Egypt as registered
in the State Department:
The President 10 Mrs. stOrer (telesrsm).
StOrer, American Ambassador. Vienna:
You ha We not answered my letter Of December
II. although | supplemented it by another letter
of February 3. | do not KNOW whether this Is
because you do not wish TO reIna in 4 the Diplo-
matte Service or are unwilling to comply with
the requirements which | have stated. In
either event | request your resignation as
Ambassador. THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
On receipt OF this telegram, without a
moments unnecessary delay, | complied
with the request and rendered my r~esigna-
ton by the following letter;
On leave Of absence in Egypt near Luxor.
eth March. 1905. |
The How. Ehhu Root. Secretary Of STATE:
sIR-In obedience to the peremptory
lcltkThh Ol II IlFNlhcHb JubN ~ !
Vienna and Cairo l have the honor TO tepder
my resignation as Ambassador Of the United
States. |
Whoever may be designated my successor,
beg that he be informed that it will give
me pleasure TO afford him any Information
OF service in my power regarding his in
st4.iltiyn. / am, &c, sc,
BELLAMY SToRER.
NV letter should nave reached its destina-
ton, allowing the shortest interval For
mail, not earlier than March %. Without
waiting for it, and before it possibly could
nave arrived, the Department Of State
on March 20 sent the following telegram
addressed TO me in Egypt:
Secretary Root to Mr. stOrer (teIegrsm.)
President desires me to inform you that
you are recalled as Ambas sador Austria |
Hungary, and that your quality az such this
day ceases. Letters OF recall will be de-
livered by your successor. RooT.
This was followed. on receipt Of my resig-
nation, by the following letter confirming
my dismissal:
Secretary Root TO MIR. stOrer.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE.
WASHINGTON, March 20. 1909.
Bellamv Storer, Esquire. Vienna. Austria:
- - - 4 |