The sun., 1908-12-17
PRESIDENTS TRIP FINANCRD
nv SAYS HE GOES TO AFRICA
As A "FAUNAL NATURALIST"

INC FApelbe- WAV'OUO TEO" Uutbiuc'
WASHINGTON, Dec. ie.-Additional facts
were brought out to-day In regard TO the
journey which Mr. Roosevelt will make
into widest Africa In 1902 II seemt
that the President encountered some
more or less serious questions In conneo'
ton with financing the trip and that there
was repeated correspondence between
him and Charles d. Walcott. secretary
of the Smithsonian Institution. on the
subject Of raising the wind for the Afri
can expedition. One OF the letters which
the President wrote TO Secretary Walcott
dated June 20, 1908, was referred to ! Z
an Official statement in THE SuN thiI
morning. The text OF that letter, II
which the President asked Secretary
Walcott to -arrange for" a part Of the
expenses OF his hunting (scientific) expo
dition, was made public to-day. 1t ID
learned that there was another letter ol
the President to Mr.. Walcott which wal
not made public.
A member Of the board OF regents OF
the Smithsonian said to-day that in this
second letter Mr.. Roosevelt suggested
that in case the Smithsonian was unable
to participate in the Quitting OF his trip
Congress might be asked for a special
appropriation for the purpose. As il
| turned out the Smithsonian did find itself
unable to apply to the African huntir g
| trip any of the moneys provided regu-
| larly by Congress or the Smithsonian
fund for the support of the institution.
| Evidently the President decided how
ever that 1t would be better not to ask
Congress to aid him. for it was officially
announced yesterday that persons In
private life had supplied the desired funds.
$4,000 had been made available for the
trip and that the money was donated
from several sources. The names of the
donors could not be learned. although
Andrew Carnegie is suspected OF being
one OF them. 1t also leaked out to-day
that no person was permitted to subscribe
more than 81 600 and that some persons
contributed smaller amounts.
Until about. a fortnight ago 1t was not
known to the general public that the
African journey was to be anything more
than hunting trip Of Mr.. Roosevelt and
a few chosen companions. Then 1t was
made known in an official statement that
The President in his letter of June 20 last.
the existence of which did not become
generally known until the meeting Of the
Smithsonian board Of regents yesterday,
declared that he SIS not game butcher.
but that he goes to Africa as "a faunal
naturalist
Looking at it Ithe expeditionl dispas-
sionately. the President says. the chance
to secure from him valuable collections
for the National Museum ought not to
be neglected. He would not wish to
keep any trophies except few trihing
ones for himself and those of little
that field taxidermists and naturalists
be provided by the Smithsonian lnstitu-
ton, saying that he has not the means
that would enable him to meet this eK-
pense.
-Of course the President says, the
actual hunting Of the big game would
The Presidents letter in full is as fol-
lows:
OYSTER BAY. N.Y. June 20. 1908.
MT DEAR Doctor WALCoTT: About
the first of April next intend to start for
Africa. My plans are OF course indefinite.
but at present hope they will be some
thing on the following order:
By May l shall land at Mombasa and
spend the next few months hunting and
travelling In British and German East
Africa, probably going thence to or toward
Uganda, with the expectation Of striking
the Nile about the beginning Of the new
trips after animals and birds. so as to come
out at tide water. say. about March 1.
This would give me ten months in Africa.
AS you know, am not In the least game
butcher. I like to do q certain amount
Of hunting. but my real and main interest
is the interest OF faunh naturalist.
Now it seems to me that this opens the
best chance for the National Museum TO
get a fine collection, not only Of the big
game beasts. but Of the smaller mammals
and birds Of Africa. and looking at it dis
passionately. / believe that the chance
ought not to be neglected.
will make arrangements to pay for
the expenses OF myself and my son. But
what I would like to do would be to get
one or two professional field taxidermists
and field naturalists to 60 with me, who
should prepare and send back the speci-
mems we collect
The collection which would thus 60 to the
National Museum would be Of unique value.
1t would, hope. include specimens Of big
game, together with the rare smaller ami
mails and birds.
have not the means that would enable
me to pay for the field naturalists or taxi
dermists and their kit and the curing and
OF the specimens for the
National Museum.
OF course the actual hunting OF the big
game I would want to do myself or have
my son do but the specimens will all go to
the National Museum, save very few per-
sonal trophies OF little scientific value
which for some reason I might like to keep
Now. can you. in view Of getting, these
specimens for the National Museum. ar
range for the services OF the heid taxider-
mists and for the care and transport OF the
specimens1 As e1-President | should feel
that the National Museum Is the museum
to which my collection should 20.
With high regard, sincerely yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT
This resolution was adopted at the meet
ing of the board Of regents OF the Smith
sonian Institution yesterday:
Resoired That the Board OF Regents
OF the Smithsonian Institution express 10
Roosevelt. President OF the United
States. its appreciation OF his very generous
offer contained In his letter Of June 20, 1908.
TO the secretary Of the institution. with re-
spect to his expedition TO Africa, and that
Il accept the same.
Another resolution was adopted thank |
ing the private persons who financed Mr. |
Roosevelt's trip. but the text Of this reso-
lution was not made public.