The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-26
The President in a Hot Contro-
 versy Wilh the NaturaIiStS
HOWARD GOULD SCANDAL
Wife Suing Him for Separation-Pass- ing of Howe & Hummel, Notorious Law Firm-Kurokis Real
 Mission Here.
BY sEwELL HAeeARD.

New York, May 25.-The President haY- ing found the spring season stupid has started a controversy with the natural ists by way of keeping his hand in until the next session of Congress or another Hartman letter is given out or some thing really worth while come up to en7. gage his attention. In a magazine article the President intimates that the repu tations of certain wild animals have suf- fered sadly at the hands of naturalists and writers of fiction. With protesta- tions of great grief that they should be so maligned, Mir. Roosevelt declares that the animals never did the things that have been saddled upon them by the Rev. Dr. William J. Long, Jack London and others. Dr. Long, knowing the Pres idents liking for a controversy and hot one, has written an article for the World defending himself. Here are some choice bits fro mthe author minister's reply:
 'I have no desire for a controversy with the President of the United States. l have q profound respect for that office which is not modified or changed in the least by any man oc- cupying the office The point is that man named Roosevelt has gone out Of his way to make a 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 in spirit, while it's literary style marks it fit for the waste basket. There Is not a maga- zine In the country which would print 1t on its own merits.
 "The title of this article Is 'Roose- welt on the Natural Takers The first thing l notice about the article is that 1t is itself a fake. MT. Roosevelt has frequently declared, in the midst Of his endless personal cquabbes, that the President must not enter into personal controversy. In the present case, this all legged interview Is one of the transparent modesties behind which he concerns his colossal vanity.
 MT. Roosevelt araigned this inter view. and, as l am informed by the magazine, revised the proofs, from the gross personal 1attery at the beginning to the unfounded charge at the end In concealing himself behind an alleged in terview. and using his position to attack a man of whose spirit he knows nothing, his article seems to me not only venomous but a little cowardly-just as when he hides behind a tree and kills three bull elks in succession leaving their carcasses to rot In the woods.
 They took the most improbable thing ever wrote-a story of a woodcoclS setting Its own broken leg in clay cast and called this a gross deception, yerging on lunacy, and demanded that l produce evidence or witnesses. at once publish cd A record of five cases with the sworn testimony of eight witnesses. The evil dence was printed in Science and all the documents were examined by the editor. Did the acknowledge or apologize? Not bit of it. They simply made another attack, upon another observation.
 Tn way, MT. Roosevelt, is not naturalist but a gamekiller. Of the real spirit of animal life, of their habits as discovered by quiet watching with no desire to kill. he knows nothing and never will learn until he goes into the woodss leaving his pack of dogs, his rifle, his prejudice and his present disposition be- hind him."