The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-04
SAYS ACTIONS
IN ROME MUST
BE UNLIMITED
Enters City With No Engage
ments Save Those With King
and Municipality, but Insists on
Right to Do and Go as He
Pleases-His Unexpected Re-
fusal to Be Bound by Vatican's
Conditions Creates Sensation.
Roosevelt Hopes 1t Will Be
Regarded as Merely Personal
Incident

Rome, April 3--The audience which
1t was believed Ex-Presldent Roosevelt
would have with the Pope on Tuesday
next Will not take place, owing to
conditions which the Vatican has i'm
posed, and which Mr.. Roosevelt re-
fused to accept.
Although the definite negotiations
relative to the audience ended before
Mr.. Roosevclt left Egypt, the
nouncemcnt was withheld until after
,Ir. Roosevelt reached Rome Tonight
MT the solicitation of his American
Catholic friends here, who believed
TINT In the meantime the Vatican
might change Its attitude. One Of the
former Presidents American friends,
who had been with him in Egypt, came
| to Rome yesterday, without, however,
any authorization from 1Ir. Roosevelt,
and interccdcd with Cardinal Merry
Del Val, the papal secretary, In an
| endeavor TO avoid n situation which,
| rs It. now stands, has caused real
! not entirely unexpected. hut his cf-
| forts were unuvniiing.
| While at Gondokoro in February
| last. Nr. Roosevelt wrote to Anbas
sador Leishman. saying that he would
i be glad of tho. honor OF an audience
with. King Victor Emmanuel and the
Pope.
The audience with the King was
1 promptly arranged. Before an ar
4 rang ement could be reached relative
to an audience with the Pope several
! kilograms were passed, and the nego-
! tiations We're ended by Mr.. Roosevelt
refusing in any way to be limited
i as to his conduct. and announcing that
i an audience with the Pope. under the
circumstances. was now impossible.
\ No Other Engagements.
AS matter of fact. Mr.. Roosevelt.
| while declining to accept any condi-
tions in connection with his audience
! with the Pope, had neither directly nor
indirectly before. during. or after the
negotiations, made or considered any
engagements in Rome except those of
an official character. and he actually
| entered Rome tonight with but two
definite engagements-the audience
| with the King and the dinner to be
/ given in his honor by the municipality.
(. 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 Amer
lean Catholic College. In reply to an
| inquiry which l caused to be made,
( requests that the following commu-
nication be transmitted to you;
1.-The Holy Father will be delight
ed TO grant an audience to Mr.. Eoose-
/ Welt on April 8 and hopes that moth
ing will arise to prevent it, such a.
/ the mucn regretted incident which
/ made the reception OF Mr.. Fairbanks
| impossible.
Permits No Conditions.
! Replying by cable to Ambassador
Leishman on March %. Mr.. Roose-
| Welt said
"Plcnsc present the following 10
i Mgr. Kennedy: 1T would be real
pleasure to nc to be presented to the
Il
high respect, both personally and ms
the head of great church. fully
recognize his entire right to receive
I or not receive whOnSOcver he chooses,
! for amy reason that seems good to him,
/ ana If lie does not receive me, shall
| not for II moment question the pro-
| priety of his action. On the other
hand, l, IN my turn, must decline to
/, make any stipulation or submit TO amy
conditions which In any way would
limit my freedom OF conduct. trust
TINT on April .. he Viii fnd 1t con-
venicpt to receive me /"
On March 2S Mr., Roosevelt, at
/ Cairo, received cablegram from
| Ambassador Ieishnan giving a mes
sage fom Mgr, Kennedy. which con-
cluded by SAYING .,rhe audience can
i not take place except on the under-
standing expressed In the former n,eh-
i sage"
The following day, MIR. Roosevelt
sent another message to the Amer
lean ambassador saying, .The pro---
i posed presentation is, OF course, now
impossible."
II .Personar' Incident.
Mr.. Roosevelt particularly desires
that the incident shalt be regarded
by his friends, both Catholic and Pro.
testnht. In America, as personal, and
that 1t shall not give rise TO an
acrimonious controversy. With this
end in view, he cahled to-day the fol-
lowing statement TO the Rev Lyman
Abbott editor OF the outlook, at New
York;
..rhrough the Outlook, wlsh tn
make statement to my fello'v-Amer-