The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-04-04

POPE GRANTS AUDIENCE.
Rome. March S.-The rector a the American
Catholic College Bishop Kennedy. in reply 10
an inquiry which / caused 10 be made requests
that tie f0llowing communication be transmitted
20 you. It begins: The holy father viii be
delighted 10 grant an audience to Mr. Roosevelt
on April 5, and hopes that nothing viii arise to
preyent it. such SIS the much regretted incident
which made the reception Of Mr. Fairbanks I'M
possible.
Mr. Roosevelt replied in telegram
dated March 25, in which he said;
Please rresent the following to Bishop Kennedy;
1T would be 2 real pleasure 10 me to be pre-
sslted 10 the holy father. for vhom ! entertain
hieA rsspect both personally and as the head
8 a rTeat church. faIiy recognize his entire
right 10 receive o. not receive whornsoeFer he
cFeessz fos any reason that seems good TO BIN,
ana II he does not receive me shall not for
moment question the rTop1iety q his action.
"On the other hand. ]. in my turn. must decline
"a make any stipulation or suhmit to sny co0di-
tiops which would IN any Wsy limit ny freedom
Il conduct. trust that april he VII hn1
it Convenient 10 receive me-
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Letter of Restriction.
This reply was communicated to the
Vatican on the same day, and on March
o Bishop kennedy was instructed TO
send the following communication:
His holiness would be much pleased 10 giant
an audience TO Dir. Roosevelt for whom ne enter
tsins hish esseep both personally and az forIner
President IF the United States His holiness
yecognizes Mr.. Roosevelt's entire right TO fuii
freedom Of conduct. On the other hand IN view
# circumstances for which neither his holiness
nor Nh Roosevelt is responsible. an audience
could not take place except On the understanding
expressed in the former message
Mr.. I.eishman telegraphed this TO Mr..
Roosevelt at Cairo, and the latter, on
March %. telegraphed to the Ambassa-
dor:
The proposed presentation is, of
course, now impossible"
This impossibility was not given pub
licity until to-day. by which time IT was
evidently quite established.
Cables His Explanation.
Shortly before leaving Naples this aft
Groom Mr.. Roosevelt cabIed to DR.. Abbott
a statement for publication in the Out
look The abortive attempt to arrange
an audience is not yet generally known
in Rome. but it is already evident that
when It does become known il will cause
an immense sensation. One gathers that
the line of argument taken by the Vati-
can is that Mr.. Roosevelt demands too
in fact. the Vatican could
grant to no individual-in stipulating alb
solutelv for an unconditional audience.
The Vatican, like every court, has GER
tain regulations. a certain protocol. that
II must insist upon.
The Vatican's friendly hint TO Mr..
Roosevelt not to make the mistake that
MIR. Fairbanks made was not suggested
by fear that MIR. Roosevelt contemplated
anything of the kind, either before or
after the audience. at was given him In
case the informati@l was needed. Mr..
reply was apparently regard
ed, not. perhaps, as suggesting that he
any action which might
hurt the Pope's feelings or cause him to
repent of granting an audience. but as
at any rate reserving to himself the
right to do such II he pleased.
Vatican Rules and Visitors.
II is pointed out that other distin-
guished Protestant visitors conform to
the vatlcan's well-known regulations,
often doing what is unnecessary in order
10 avoid hurting susceptibilities. as DR.
Won -HoIlweg. the German inn
perial chancellor. did the other day.
when staying at the German embassy
be drove from there TO the German Vati-
ran embassy, alighted from the royal
carriage. and entered the Vat
lean embassy's carriage to drive to the
Vatican.
So the Kaiser. some years ago, took
entirely different suites when he called
on the King and the Pope.
So far as the matter is discussed yet,
the shortest way of summarizing the
feeling seems 20 be to say that the
pope refuses to meet Mr. Roosevelt quite
On equal terms
Mr.. Roosevelt intended TO visit the
family of the late Marion Crawford. the
novelist, in Naples before coming TO
Rome. but he found time for nothing
but short walk. His correspondence
occupied all the rest of his time The
royal waiting room in the Naples station
was placed at the party's disposal A