The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-04-04
A Repetition Of the Fairbanks
Incident Has Come.
DUE TO METHODISTS.
The Holy Father Objects to
Having ANY Visitors
Who Have Anything to Do With
That Organization.


would have with the pope on Tuesday
will not take place. owing to conditions
which the Vatican has imposed, and
which Mr.. Roosevelt refused to accent.
Although the definite negotiations
relative to the audience ended before
Mr. Roosevelt left Egypt, the an
nouncemeL was withheld until after
Mr.. Roosevelt reached Rome at the
solicitation of his American Catholic
ir1enos mere, who believed in the mean
time the Vatican might change it's at
titude. One of the former presidents
American friends, who had been with
him in Egypt, came to Rome without
an authorization from Mr.. Roosevelt
and 1nterceded with Cardinal Merry
Del Val, the papal secretary, in an en-
deavor to avoid a situation which, as
1t now stands. has caused a real SEN
sation in Rome, although it was not
were unavailing.
While at Gondokoro in February last.
Mr.. Roosevelt wrote to Ambassador
Le1shman, saying that he would be
glad of the honor of an audience with
King Victor Emmanuel and the pope.
The audience with the king was
promptly arranged. Before an arrange
ment could be reached relative to an
audience with the pope, several tele-
grams were passed and the negotia-
tions were ended by Mr.. Roosevelt's re-
fusal in any way to be limited as to
his conduct, and announcing that an
audience with the pope under the cir
cumstances was now impossible
AS a matter of fact, Mr.. Roosevelt
while declining to accept any conditions
in connection with his audience with
the pope, had neither directly nor in
directly before, during or after the
negotiations, made or considered any
engagements in Rome except those Of
an official character and he actually
entered Rome last night with but two
definite engagements. the audience
with the king, and the dinner to be
given in his honor by the municipality.
History OF the Negotiations.
The history of the negotiations Is
about as follows:
While at Cairo. Mr. Roosevelt re-
ceived the following telegram from
Ambassador Leishman, dated March
%:
Mgr. Kennedy, rector of the Ameri-
can Catholic college, in reply to an in
quests that the following communfca-
ton be transmitted to you:
The Holy Father will be delighted
to grant an audience to Mr.. Roosevelt
on April s. and hopes that nothing will
arise to prevent it such as the much
regretted incident which made the re-
ception of Mr.. Fairbanks impossibIe'
Replying by cable to Ambassador
Leishman on March 25. Mr.. Roosevelt
said:
please present the following to Mgr.
Kennedy:
"'It will be a real pleasure to me to
be presented to the Holy Father for
whom i entertain high respect, both
personally and as the head of a great
church. I fully recognize his entire
right to receive or not receive whom
soever he chooses, for any reason that
seems good to him, and If he does not
receive me 1 shall not for a moment
question the propriety of his action
On the other hand, I in my turn de-
cline to make any stipulations or sub
NIT to any conditions which in any
way would limit my freedom OF
conduct. trust that on April he will
find it convenient to receive me-"
On March 28. Mr.. Roosevelt at Cairo
received a cablegram from Ambassador
Leishman giving the message from
Mgr. Kennedy, which concluded by
saying:
"The audience can not take place ex-
cept on the understanding expressed ia
the former message"
The following day Mr.. Roosevelt sent
another message to the American am
bassador, saying:
1.-THE proposed presentation is, OF
course, now impossible"
Purely Personal.
Mr. Roosevelt particularly desired
that the incident shall be regarded by
his friends, both Catholic and Protest
ant in America as personal, and that II
shall not give rise to an acrimonious
controversy. WIN LnlS cru III NASW ne
cabled the following statement to the
Rev. Lyman Abbott. editor of the Out
look, at New York:
Through the Outlook wish to make
a statement to my fellow Americans re-
garding what has occurred in connec-
ton with the Vatican I am sure the
great majority of my fellow citizens,
Catholics quite as much as Prctestants,
will feel that I acted In the only way
possible for an American to act, and
because of this very fact most earn
estly hope that the incident will be
treated in a matter of course way as
merely personal. and above all, as not
warranting the slightest exhibitions OF
rancor or bitterness
Among my best and closest friends
are many Catholics. The respect and
regard of those OF my fellow Ameri-
cans who are Catholics are as dear to
me as the respect and regard OF those
who are ProteStants. On my journey
through Africa. I visited many Catho-
lie as well as many Protestant mis-
sions. As look forward to telling the
reople at home all that has bsen done
by Protestants and Catholics alike as
1 saw It in the field of missionary en-
deavor, it would cause me a real panS
to have anything said or done that
would hurt or give pain to my friends.
whatever their religious belief But any
merely personal considerations are OF
no consequence in this matter. The I'M
portant consideration is the avoidance
OF harsh and bitter comment such as
may excite mistrust and anger between
and among good men,
Thankful He Is an American.
1.-THE more an American sees of 9TH
er countries the more profound must
be his feelings of gratitude that in his
own land there is not merely complete