Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-05-23
FAKE ANIMAL TALES
Dr. Long Says Roosevelt Is
 8 Mature Fakir."
"A COWARD WHO SLAUCHTERS ELK"
Author of Wild Animal Stories Att lacked In Magazine Declares PEes- ideut Is Game Killer, Not
 . True Sportsman.

l STAMFORD, Conn.,, May 23.- The Rev. Dr. William J. Long gave out an interview in reply to President Roose- velts criticism of his nature books. He l intimates that the president is angry because he dared to criticlse his meth
 cd of "slaughtering game promiscu- ously." Also, he says, the president is taking up cudgels against mature fa- kirs'' in behalf of John Burroughs, the
 naturalist, with whom Dr. Long car
 ried on bitter controversy in maga-
 zines and newspapers few years ago.
 Burroughs and President Roosevelt
 are close friends. he says, and their
 methods of attack similar.
 Dr. Longs statement follows:
 T have no desire for controversy
 with the president of the United States.
 have profound respect for that of
 flee, which is not modified or changed
 in the least by any man occupying the office. The point is that a man named
 Roosevelt has gone out of his way to make violent attack upon me and my
 books. Ordinarily I would ignore such an attack. If you read the article even carelessly you will see 1t is personal and venomous i'll spirit, while its liter, ary style marks . fit for the waste basket There is not magazine in the country which would print it on its own merits. Were 1t not for MT. Roose- velt's official position no attention would be paid to the article, but his position gives weight and importance to his work, so am obliged to take notice of 1t.
 The title of this article is 'Roose- welt on the Nature Fakirs.' The first thing I notice about the article is that 1t is itself fake. Mir. Roosevelt has frequently declared in the midst of his endless personal squabbles that the president must not enter into n per sonal controversy. In the present case this alleged interview is one of the transparent modesties behind which he conccals his colossal vanity.
 Mfr. Roosevelt arranged this inter- view and, as I am informed by the magazines, revised the proofs, from the gross personal fattery at the be- ginning to the unfounded charge at the end. In concealing himself behind an alleged interview and using his posi- ton to attack man of whose spirit he knows nothing his article seems to me not only yenomous, but little coward ly, just as when he hides behind tree and kills three bull elks in succession. leaving their carcasses to rot in the woods. That In itself is incomprehen- sible to sportsmen,, but what jars you altogether is the preaching which fol- lows on the heroism and high moral qualities developed by hunting.
 Tn my article 1t seemed to simple mind. without prejudice, as if the pro- miscuous. slaughter of game which. as Mir. Roosevelt claimed, develops hero ism and manly virtue was in reality a sort of brutal thoughtlessness. Those who care to read the article will find 1t in the chapter on Heroes Who Hunt Rabbits in 'Brier Patch Philosophy Mir. Roosevelt has never forgiven the poor animal who dared to criticise bis hunting and twice to my knowledge has declared to his associates that he would get even
 The magazine article is the fulfill ment of his declaration"