The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1911-12-31
MANY DISTINGUISHED CITIZENS
PRESENT, BUT ROOSEVELT
WAS NOT THERE.
The ex-President Explains Why He
Did Not Attend the Conference.
Says He is Not in Sympathy With
All Features of the Movement.

New York, Dec. 3O-Twelve hundred
protagonists of peace attended rne
citizens peace banquet with President
Taft as guest of honor tonight.
President Taft was due to arrive at
s O'Clock, and at once went to the
peace dinner. The list of speakers
included President Taft, Andrew Car
negie, Oscar Straus, Henry Clews and
John Temple Graves, the toastmaster.
Why Teddy Wouldn't Go.
Why Theodore Roosevelt did not
attend the banquet tonight of the citi-
zens' peace committee with President
Taft as guest Of honor, was made pub
lie today in correspondence between
Mr.. Roosevelt and MilIard j. Bloomer,
executive secretary of the committee.
Il cannot permit the use of my
name for that citizens peace banquet"
Mr.. Roosevelt's letter reads, simply
because | do not know what that ban
quet is for If it is meant to oyerawe
the senate and force that body against
its conscience to support the una
mended treaties which the senate
committee on foreign relations has
shown by unanswerable argument to
be hostile to the honor and interest
of the American people,the l am
in sympathy with you. For instance,
if you propose to support the arbi-
tration treaties then / think that you
are not merely wrong but that you
are engaged in what is essentially an
unworthy, and, however, unconscious
ly, hypocritical move against rne
interest of peace and honor and inter-
est of the United States and civiliza-
ton.
Mr.. Roosevelt's letter then con-
tinues:
"'Now If Nyou do not believe the
question / have named (The Monroe
doctrine state bond question, Amer
isa's right to abrogate the Russian
treaty of 1882, question of allowing
unlimited Asiatic immigration, into
the United States) should be arbitra-
ted, tLen you occupy an improper and
from the national standpoint, a dis
honorable position, if you desire to see
these treaties ratified without amend
ment.
OF course, if you do believe in ar
bitrating all questions of the national
honor and interest, including the Mon
roe doctrine, then you are justified in
wishing to pass the unamended treat
les; although I think that in such
case you will occupy very foolish
and unpatriotic position. But if you
do not believe in arbitrating these and
similar matters then you occupy a
wholly indefensible position in asking
that we pass in unamended form
treaties which unquestionably pledge
us rs nation to. arbitrate them"
Mr.. Bloomer replied to this letter
on December 13, stating that the form
Of invitation to the banquet had been
changed, SO as not to include the rati-
fication of the proposed treaties, add
ing that the banquet in his opinion,
should be a demonstration for broad,
honest peace movement. To this Col.
Roosevelt replied under date of De-
cember 16, in part, as follows: "As
you state and understand the move
ment, / am entirely in sympathy with
it. That is, am in favor Of broad,
honest peace movement in line with
the traditional policy of this country
of good will and fair treatment for all
the nations and mankind"
In replying to another letter OF Mr..
Bloomer, written in answer to the
above, Colonel Roosevelt said: "Un-
fortunately, it Is not possible for me
to accept any invitation Of any kind
or sort, otherwise, would surely ac-
cept this"
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