The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-06-09
MYSTERY SCENTED
IN RESIGNATION
Behind Action, Friends Say,
Is Long Standing Fam
lily Feud.

Algernon Sartoris. grandson Of the
late President Grant. and until recently
secretary OF the American legation in
Guatemala, has resigned" from the
Diplomatic Service. Incidentally, Mr.
Sartoris attributes his diplomatic undo
ing not so much to Official mandate as
10 the reputea aHtagonistic attitude OF
certain members of the distinguished
Grant family who have never ensoUr-
aged his ambitious career.
Behind it all, so those on the inside
say. is a story of family disaGreements
beginning when the then Miss Nellie
Grant married the elder SsrtOrls during
President Grants occupancy OF the
White House, and ending-p possibly not
yet.
Involved N The mixture of state poll
tics and family influence, according TO
the depcsed secretary's understanding,
are such dignitaries as former Secretary
OF State Elihu Root. Secretary Knox
and the "otner side" of the Grant fam
ily.
Extended Leave Refused.
Secretary Of the Legation AIgernon
Sartoris was on his leave in Paris
recently when he cabled the State De
partment TO know II that leave might
7
/ ing TO his story told after reaching
Washington TO enter a protest. he re-
/ ceived a rather curt cable that his
resi- gnatIOn would be most acceptable
I TO the department
/ Recalling that certain influences or
/ iginally had been brought TO bear
when Secretary Root was considering g
/ his application and that for a time
/ his appointment was withheld be-
| cause OF these adverse influences, Mr..
/ SartOris took the next steamer for
! America. Evidently, he reasoned. the
I Influences were again at work with
the successor OF Secretary Root.
He is said TO have obtained but little
/ satisfaction from the State Department
/ as TO the underlying reasons for his re-
! call. On his inability 70 reach the ear
/ Of Secretary Knox, Mr.. SartOris lodged
/ his protest with one of the assistant
/ secretaries-the whole transaction clos
/ ing rather unsatisfactory for the young
/ diplomat. ThcTeupon he left Washing
/ ton this week for New York and from
1 there viii sail 10 France, where he Will
/ resume his tour of Europe.
Preparations To Return.
The state Department admits that Mr.
/ Sartoris has resigned" III health, Il
| Is said, is the cause. a department
! official making the announcement that
/ Mr. Sartoris probably could not have
/ stood the climate Of Guatemala another
| year On the other hand, Mr.. SartOris
and his young wife had just purchased
IN Paris an elaborate outlay Of clothing
! suitable fof the entertaining they pro
/ posed to do upon their return 10 the
/ young diplomats post, and especially
/ adapted. some of IL. TO the climate and
/ customs OF that country.
1 While ia Washington Mr.. Sartoris Un,
1 burdened himself TO a close friend re.
+ lating IN detail the obstacles thrown in
the way OF his diplomatic aspirations
His near nemesis IN the first instance
he was frant 10 state, was member
/ Of what may be called the Frederick
! Dent Grant side Of the family. The
/ other side is represented by Mrs. Nellie
! Grant Sartoris, who was permitted u
/ marry the wealthy Englishman, Alger
/ non Sartoris, ST., only after family op
/ position proved futile.
/ SartoTis received his appointment Jun,
TO- 1905 prior to that time he had
/ rather suicv interview wits Secreta ry
! Root. In this interview II is said tht
/ Continued on Eleventh Page.l