Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1910-04-15
COLONEL ROOSEVELT'S
LOYAL AMERICANISM
Why He Did Not See the Pope, but
Did See King Victor Emanuel
Ill.

Colonel Theodore Roosevelt had
an experience with his holiness the
pope. 1t is given in full below.
Following is the correspondence
that passed bewteen American Min
lister Leischman at Rome and Theo-
dore Roosevelt at Cairo:
Leischman's Message.
"The holy father will be delighted
to grant an audience to Mr.. Roose-
velt on April 5, and hopes that
nothing will arise to prevent 1t, such
as the much regretted incident which
made the reception of Mr.. Fairbanks
impossible"
Roosevelt's Reply.
"It would be real pleasure to me
to be presented to the holy father,
for whom | entertain high respect,
both personally and as the head of
great church. I fully recognize his
entire right to receive or not receive
whomsoever he chooses for any rea-
son that seems good to him, and If
he does not receive me | shall not for
moment question the propriety Of
his action. On the the other hand,
|. in my turn, must decline to make
any stipulation or submit to any con-
ditions which would in any way limit
my freedom of conduct. l trust that
on April 5 he will find it convenient
to receive me-"
Leischman's Answer.
His holiness would be much
pleased to grant an audience to Mr.
Roosevelt, for whom he entertains
high esteem, both personally and as
the former president of the United
States. His holiness recognizes Mr.,
Roosevelt's entire right to full free
dow of conduct. On the other hand,
in view of circumstances for which
neither his holiness nor Mr.. Roose-
welt Is responsible, an audience could
not take place except on the under
standing expressed in the former
message"
Rooseyelt'S Answer.
"The proposed presentation is, of
course, now impossible"
Everywhere in Rome, except posi-
bly, in Catholic ecclesiastical circles,
the opinion is expressed that Colonel
Theodore Roosevelt acted wholly
within not only his rights but in con-
formity to his dignity and position,
in refusing to accept an invitation
to have an audience with the pope, as
long as the invitation carried with
1t such restrictions upon his conduct
as were implied in Mgr. Kennedy's
final telegram to Colonel Roosevelt
at Cairo. Summed up, this restric-
tion was that Colonel Roosevelt could
not be received by the pope II he con-
templated a prior address to the
Methodists of Rome. This was the
Fairbanks incident" to which Mgr
Kennedy referred. Roosevelt con-
templated no such address, but he
resented the implied dictation.
The affair, conceded to be regret
table by the Catholics, apparently
made no difference in King Victor''
attitude, for he received Roosevelt
at the palace with unusual warmth
The Vatican authorities expressed
. amazement at Roosevelt's publica
tion of the text of the messages
4 These messages, in the opinion o
Vatican authorities were confidential
and should have been so treated. ]
was explained that Mgr. Kennedy
reference TO the Fairbanks Incl
dent" was intended as friendly ref
erence in that hope that an intlma
4 ton along this line would avoid th'
possibility of another such unpleas
ant situation arising
The audience granted by King Vic
4 tor TO Colonel Roosevelt and Ker
NIT lasted two hours, being one o
the longest audiences ever granted
by the king to any one except OF
I political occasions. The nature o
the conversation was not divulged
4 but It is believed the length Of tn
3 interview was partly due to tn
kings desire TO hear Rooseyelt's sid
4 OF the controversy with the Vatican
II "They are most interesting pair
n the king remarked after the depart
\ ure Of his guests. 81 have alway
\ looked upon Mr.. Roosevelt as one q
y the greatest men I'm the world an
= today's meeting has only Strengthen
ed this impression The colon,
\ was cheered repeatedly by IN
4 crowds along the streets and hur
i drods collected about him whpnpyc