The Washington herald., 1906-12-10

President Roosevelt yesterday replied
to former Ambassador Bellamy Storer.
He takes up the various charges OF in
/ reference in church affairs and COM
ments on the peculiar perfdy'' Of a man
who, for many years. was his personal
friend. Mrs. Storer's part in the exten-
sive conhdentiaI correspondence much OF
which was printed in the Sunday issue
Of The Washington Herald is not iguOr-
ed by the President He quotes from her
letters, which he still possesses.
The President denies that he ever
directed either the ambassador or his
| wife to urge the Pope to bestow red
hat upon Archbishop ireland. OF his
| friendship and interest in Archbishop
ireland, covering period Of many years,
the President says there can be no doubt
The reply is given out in the form OF q
letter TO Secretary Root. II was written
/ December > last. not long after the Presi-
dent read Mr.. Storer's letter, and before
it had been forwarded to few Senators
and members Of the House. The letter
has been locked UP in Secretary Roots
! StiAt- hllEilIE II WIS LaAElA 9t.eLf-- AAti4
morning, the President having decided
after consulting with several friends, that
he should make statement Immediately.
Feels 30 Personal Concern
He was moved TO this step quite as
much out Of consideration for Archbishop
Ireland and others mentioned in the cor
trespondence which Mr.. StOrer made public
as on his own account. In fact the Pres
ident it not at all concerned personally
because Of the sensational incident To
his regret. however, the enemies of Arch
bishop ireland are making the most of IL
Probably an interview with Mr.. Storer,
printed in The Herald. FASTENED the
President in making his reply public. The
former Ambassadors intimatiOn that the
knowledge of the pamphlet which was
mailed as confidential" leaked out from
the White House was keenly resented BY
the President The disclosure came from
a distinctly different source. soon after
the members of the Cabinet read the
Storer pamphlet. the President requested
them 10 exercise special care in guarding
the correspondence from the public
There is said to be much additional ma
terial OF lively interest in the letters Of
Mrs. Storer TO the President which he
does not mention He does say that she
began to importune him, as soon as he
became President to promote Mr.. Storer.
She asked that he be given Mr. Roots
place when the latter was Secretary Of
War. and later that he be made Ambas-
sador TO London or Paris. It is under
stood that she thought neither Mr.. Choate
nor Mr. Porter fit for the diplomatic
service.
Constantly ImpOrtUned Him.
Because Of the intimate personal friend
ship that existed between him and the
Storers. beginning when he was Civil
Service Commissioner and Mr.. Storer a
Congressman, the President says some
times it was difficult TO know how TO an
swer her" She and Mr.. Storer were con-
stsntIy writing to him and making at
tacks upon all sorts of people Many OF
these attacks were upon dignitaries Of
their own church.
The President points out that the cor
trespoadence is misleading as printed by
AIr. Storer lie quotes the same letters
as he finds them in bis own files, and
gives his own Interpretation. He calls
Postmaster General COrtelyou. who was
private secretary 20 the late President
Mckinley. to refute the statement that
the latter asked the promotion of Arch
bishop ireland "as a personal favor tG
him." Nlr Cortelyou denies that Presi-
dent Mckinley made any such representa-
tions
Mr.. Roosevelt in denying that he ever
made any such request of the Pope. also
denies that Mr.. Storer ever wrote him
giving full account Of his visit TO the
Vatican to execute the errand he claims
Mr.. Roosevelt sent him on Around that
point the controversy may soon center
should Mr.. Storer be able to produce evi.
dence that he sent such letter TO the
President.
The Ambassadors Resignation.
A striking instance of difference be
tween the statements by Mr. Storer and
by the President is in the matter Of the
resignation. The former Ambassador
said in his pamphlet that he resigned be.
cause the President had rebuked him fol-
going to the Vatican to ask for Arch
bishop Ireland's elevation. The President
quotes a letter Of January 16 1904. show
ing that he had rebuked Mr.. StoTer for
serious breach Of diplomatic etiquette il
writing letter concerning the dismissal
of Consul Hurst, son of the late bishop
of the Methodist ChErch. In expressing
his penitence for the offense. which had
provoked the late Secretary Hay, Mr..
Storer stated his willingness to resign.
After quoting that letter. the President
writes Secretary Hoot that there could
be no fuller confession Of wrong -d0ings
or more absolute throwing himself upon
the mercy of his suDeriors"
Reviews Case I'm Detail.
The full text of the Presidents state
ment which was put in type at the Gov.
ernment Printing Office for convenient
distribution. is as follows:
The White House
Washington. Dec .. 1906
My Dear Mr. Root In view of the
fact that Mr.. Bellamy Storer has sent
TO each member OF my Cabinet, as well
as 10 myself, a pamphlet under date OF