Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-04-04

/ to the Fairbanks incident in the message
was intended by the Vatican only as
friendly intimation.
/ notice that my second message is
not fully given. 1t ran thus:
".Hfs Holiness will be much pleased
to grant an audience to Mr. Roosevelt,
fer whom he entertains great esteem,
both personally and as President OF
the United States. His Holiness quite
recognizes Mr.. Roosevelt's entire right
to freedom of conduct. On the other
! hand, in view of the circumstances,
| for which neither His Holiness nor
Mr.. Roosevelt is responsible, an audi
ence could not occur, except on the un-
Outstanding expressed in the former
| message
after this no further communica-
ton reached me from Mr.. Roosevelt.
1t further appears that it was John
Callan O'Laughlin, who was assistant
secretary of state in 1909. and a great
personal friend of Mr.. RoOsevelts, who
yesterday tried to intercede with Car
dinal Merry Del Val. The following
semi official version of what happened
at that interview has been furnished to
The Associated Press by Vatican au-
thirty:
Cardinal Merry Del Val said to Mr..
O'Laughlin: Can you guarantee that
Mr.. Roosevelt will not visit the Meth
odists here?''
Mr.. OLaughlin replied: II cannot.
Indeed, 1 believe that Mr.. Roosevelt
is lust the man to go there. He will do
as he pleases."
at is indefensible,' said the Papal
secretary, "for any person to ask to be
received by a great parsonage, whose
feelings he would be unwilling to re-
spect.
In the course of further conversa-
ton. the cardinal declared that no
court in Europe granted unrestricted
audiences.
mr. Roosevelt himself" said the
cardinal, when he was President de-
clincd to receive persons uncondition-
ally at the White House"
Without giving the name of the per-
son, the cardinal recalled a case where
President Roosevelt, having been err
roneOusly Informed that certain per-
son was visiting him by the authority
Of the Vatican, Immediately sent a
cabinet officer to the Apostolic delegate
at Washington to inform the delegate
that he could not receive this person.
age, but he meant no discOurtesy to
the Pope by his refusal. The PontifT,
when informed of this, replied: Il es-
TEEN President Roosevelt more than
ever
Returning to the present incident,
Cardinal Merry Del Val remarked 1T
&c ~, ~
ligion Mr. Roosevelt might have gone
to an Episcopalian. Presbyterian or
any other church except the Methodist
and delivered an address there, and he
would have been received by the Pope
even on the same day. But h" could
.lot be received when it was suspected
that after the audience he intended 10
go to the Methodist church in Rome
which is carrying on most offensive
campaign of calumny and destruction
against the Pontiff."
The Papal secretary even recognized
MIR. Eocsevelt's right to claim the priv
ilege of visiting the Methodists the day
after the audience on condition that he,
Merry Del Val, had received private
assurance that he would not actually
10 so.
The Vatican emphasized the state
nent that it did not receive from the
American embassy any notification of
Mr.. Roosevclt's final message that an
audience had become impossible. AZ
ter being apprised of the contents of
the Natican'S statement. it was eX-
planned on Mr.. Roosevelt's behalf that
his final message had not been COM
nunicated to the Vatican, because
Manager Kennedy's second telegram
was all Of the matter so far as he was
Concerned, but that he wished to keep
the door open not for his own sake,
but for the sake of the Catholic church
in America.
When Mr.. OL.aughlin came to Rome,
It was with the distinct understanding
that he did not do so in Mr.. Roose-
vclt's behalf. but in behalf of his CO.
reigionists in America and that ne did
not carry any authorization to sub
tract or add a word to Mr.. Roosevelts
position as defined by his telegram to
Manager Kennedy.
Naples, April 3.--Col. and Mrs Roose-
welt attended services at Christ church
this morning. leaving for Rome at 23O
this afternoon. An immense crowd as
sembled at the station to see them Off
The private car which had been placed at
their disposal by the Italian government
was filled with flowers.
HIS ONLY ENGAGEMENT