Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-04-04
Col. Roosevelt in Dignitied Name
States Why He Can Not Comply
With Conditions imposed Thou
sands Greet Him at Naples.

Rome. April 3.-The audience which
| 1t was believed Ex-President would
have with the Pope on Tuesday next
Will not occur, owing to conditions
which the Vatican has imposed, and
which Mr.. Roosevelt refuses to accept.
Although the definite negotiations
relative to the audience ended before
Mr.. Roosevelt left Egypt the an
nouncenent was withheld until after
Mr.. Roosevelt reached Rome tonight
at the solicitation of his American
Catholic friends here who believed that
IN the meantime the Vatican might
change its attitude. One of the former
Presidents American friends. who was
with MIN in Egypt, came to Rome yes
terday, without, however, any authori
cation from Mr. Roosevelt and inter
ceded with Cardinal Merry Del Val,
the Papal secretary, in an endeavor to
avoid a situation, which as it now
stands, has caused a real sensation in
Rome, although it was not entirely I'M
expected. But his efforts were unavail
ling.
While at Gondokoro in February. last,
Mr.. Roosevelt wrote to Ambassador
Lieshman, saying that ne would be
glad of the horror of an audience with
King Victor Emmanuel and the Pope.
The audience with the King was
promptly arranged. Before an ar
rangement could be reached relative to
an audience with the PoOe. several
kilograms We're passed, and the nego-
tiations wore ended by Mr.. Roosevelt
refusing in any way to he limited as
30 mis- conduct, and anno ncin9 that an
audience with the Pope. under the CIR
cumstanceS, was now impossible.
As Il matter of fact. Mr.. Roosevelt,
although declining to accept any con-
ditions in connection with his audience
with the Pope, had neither directly nor
indirectly, before during or after the
neget iations, made or considered any
engagements in Rome except those %
an official character and he actually
entered Rome tonight. with but two
definite enga gements. the audience with
the Eing, 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-
ceivcd the following telegram from
Ambassador Lieshman, dated March a.
Mgr. Kennedy. rector of the Ameri-
can Catholic College, in reply to an in"
ouiry, which | caused to be made, re-
quests that the following communlca-
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 impossible.
Replying by cable to Ambassador
Leishman on March 25. Mr.. Roosevelt
said:
please present the following to Nigh.
Kennedy:
ut 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 | 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 | shall not for a moment
question the proprety of his action
On the other hand. l. in my turn. must
decline to make any stipulations or
submit to any conditions, which in any
way would limit my freedom of con-
duct | trust that on April he VIII
find it convenient to receive me.
On March 2S Mr.. Roosevelt at Cairo
received cablegram from Ambassa-
dor I.eishman giving a message from
Mgr Kennedy, which concluded:
Thee audience cannot take place ex-
cept on the understanding expressed
in the former message"
The following day Mr. Roosevelt
ambassador. saying:
THE proposed presentation is of
course now impossible.
Mr.. Roosevelt particularly desires
that the incident shall be regarded by
his friends. both Catholic and Protes-
tants in America as personal and mat
it shall not give rise to controversy.
With this end in view he capled To-Day
the following statement to the heN'
Lyman Abbott, editor of The OUTLOOK
at New York:
Through The Outlook. I wish to make
n statement to my fellow Americans re-
garding what has occurred in connection
with the Vatican. | am sure thal 'ie
great majority of my fellow cl'izehS'
Catholics quite as much as Protestahts'
will feel that I acted in the only way
possible for an American to act. ana pc
cause of this very fact I most earnestly
hope that the incident will be treated III
matter of course way as merely per-
sonal and, above all. as not warrantins
the slightest exhibition of rancor or DIT
terness. Among my best and closest
friends are many Catholics. The respect
and regard of those of my fellow Amer
leans who are Catholics are as dear to
me as the respect and regard of those
who are Protestant On my journey
through Africa I visited many Catholic
as well as many Protestant missions. As
I look forward to telling the people at