New-York tribune., 1912-08-26
Roosevelt Says He Can't Un-
derstand Why Committee Did
Not Give Him Chance
to Face AccuSer.
RESUME OF HIS DEFENCE
He Issues Preliminary State
ment and Will Go Into Detail
in Long Letter-Purely
Political Animus Behind
Charges, He Asserts.
| BY Telegraph TO The Tribune


Oyster Bay. Long Island, Aug. 25.--
| Theodore Roosevelt was very indignant
to-day over the action Of Senator
| Clapp and the Senate investigating
committee because they let John ..
Archbold go abroad and will not give
the colonel chance to go before the
committee and tell his version Of the
incidents described in the Archbold
testimony until the committee meets
again. in September.
Nevertheless, Colonel Roosevelt
seemed TO feel entirely satisfied that
he had got the Archbold- -Penrose
'frame-up" discredited.
They picked up the wrong end Of
the poker, by George" he exclaimed
tonight. The committee pilloried me
and then they got scared"
The ex-President, in lieu Of his offer
10 go before the committee tomorrow,
is preparing a letter which he will send
10 Senator Clspp embracing A full
statement of at least some of the
things TO which he would have testi-
fed.
He said tonight that the committee
need not bother about getting more
power to investigate into primary cam
paign funds his relations with George
w. Perkins and William Finn, the
Pittsburgh leader, or any other mat
ters connected with his primary cam
paign, or. for that matter, anything
that he had ever done as President,
for he said he would be perfectly de-
lighted TO answer any question in his
power as to any knowledge he has re-
garding any Of these episodes; only, he
said, he did want to suggest that the
committee take up the primary cam
paigns of all the other candidates IL
they desired to so into the matter at
all.
No Harm, Says Loeb.
William Loeb, former private secre-
tary to President Roosevelt, motored
out to Sycamore Hill this afternoon
with Mrs. Loeb. He told the reporters
that Colonel Roosevelt had got Mr..
Archbold dead to rights" on the mat
ter of campaign contributions and that
the Archbold testimony couldn't pos
sibly harm the colonel bit.
George Fred Williams, former Con-
gresham and the one time supporter
of William J. Bryan, and latterly the
supporter of Governor Wilson, was an
other guest of Colonel Roosevelt. He
told the Progressive candidate that he
was heartily for him both on account
Of the Progressive platform, which he
said he regarded as almost perfect, but
he believed was more boss controlled
and more boss ridden even than the
Republican convention.
The former Presidents letter will he
a long one and it may not be completed
until tomorrow night. Much of his
refutation of MIR. Archbold's testimony,
he feels, will have to come out by
questioning. Nevertheless, he will aim
to reply to all the points in the latters
testimony. and it is pretty sure that
he will bring to light some interesting
letters bearing on his ideas about ac-
cepting contributions without strings"
TO them.
Ii is also pretty certain that he will
bring TO light many interesting rela-
tions between himself and Senator PEN
rose while he was President.
AS a curtain raiser 70 the letter
Colonel Roosevelt issued this statement
tonight:
have gone away and let Archbold 20 to
Europe without taking any OF his testi-
mony on the really grave charge, and
then failed to let me appear Immediately.
knowing. as the committee must know.
what my later engagements are.
Delighted to Answer.
] shall, however. at once write Senator
Clapp full statement of at least some OF
the things to which | would have tes-
tilted. Incidentally / should like to say
that they need not bother about con-
ferring additional powers upon the COM
mittee to question me about my primary
campaign. Whether they are given power
L
question in my power which the commit
tee may put TO me as 10 anything or
which I have knowledge connected with
the primary campaign, or, for that mat
ter. OF anything that have ever done as
President or In this campaign. | sug-
gest, however, that the committee take
up the primary campaigns of all the other
candidates also If they desire To go into
the matter at all.
Let me repeat as strongly as | can that
| do not understand why the coUmittee
let Mr.. Archbod go TO Europe without
examining him on the real charge, and
that | regret | was not given the chance
Immediately to appear and testify.
Not TO permit me to 20 on and testify
tomorrow amounts. as the Democratic
and Republican friends of Mr. Penrose,
Mr.. Lorimer and Mr.. Archbold in the
Senate Of course know, TO rendering IL
almost impossible for me to appear later
without causing the most serious dislo-
ca ton of my announced plans
The incident is especially significant
as showing the way that the interests
for which Mr.. Penrose and Mr.. Arch
bold and their Ike speak have toined in
their assault on the Progressives and on
me. They are entirely willing TO see
either of the two old political machines
triumph, because they control both.
Their real hostility Is reserved 70. me
and the Progressive party.