Evening star., 1912-01-14
|SAYS PLAT ERRED, REPLIES TO TANOR|
Roosevelt Denies Statements Mr. Macfarand Explains Soe
in His Autobiography. Matters in District Financing.
TALE OF VICE PRESIDENCY ADVANCES FROM TREASURY
Nomination Only Because From Former Commissioner
Party Wanted Him Read in the House
DID NOT ASK ENDORSEMENT QUESTION OF BOND ISSUES
But gance Be
Inaccurate Information
Roosevelt Denies Statements
in His Autobiography.
TALE OF VICE PRESIDENCY
Accepted Nomination Only Because
Party Wanted Him.
DID NOT ASK ENDORSEMENT
Former President Denies Interview
With Astor, But Senator's Sec
retary Says It's True.

ALbANts January 1S.-LctterS which
have passed between Col. Theodore
Roosevelt and Louis Lang. author Of
the Autobiography Of Senator Platt,'
were given out here today. Col. Roose-
welt wrote the author December 19 last
as follows:
Il have been interested in reading the
Autobiography Of Senator Platt' which
you sent. i have no question that the
senator meant to relate things ac-
curately. and l have no quarrel what
ever with the statements he makes
about my conduct as governor. But
among the erroneous assertions are tho
following:
The statements as to the nomination
for the Vice Presidency are erroneous
For instance. after the senator told me
that / could not be renominated as gov
ernor. said. Very well. we will fight
l told him I should absolutely refuse
to accept the nomination as Vice Presi-
dent. and that If the New York delega-
ton tried to force it upon me I should
get up and say that Senator Platt had
denomination for governor. and would
have to be nominated for Vice Presi-
dent, and that should then and there
announce that I would not take the
nomination for the Vice Presidency and
would be candidate for the nomina-
tion OF governor.
Convinced Senator Platt.
1.-The senator evidently did not believe
that I would do this. but when 1 got
downstairs / announced my intention
to dozen Of the delegates. stating
what Senator Plat had said. Immedi-
n
message was sent up to Senator Platt,
and two minutes later I was summoned
to his room, where he explained that l
must have misunderstood him, that he
had no intention of saying that / should
not be renominated as governor: that
no further effort would be made by the
New York delegation to put me in
nomination for the Vice Presidency. and
that no opposition would be made to
my nomination as governor.
Accordingly. the effort ceased and the
New York delegation put Woodruff In
nomination. Later 1t developed that the
convention, as whole. was bound to
have me. and Senator Hanna, who had
up. his mind that the feeling was SO
strong that ne could not afford to antago-
niZe 1t. After considerable hesitation
then concluoed to accept. In other words.
while did not intend to permit myself
TO be forced into, the vice presidency, in
l did not feel at liberty to refuse the
nomination when it became evident that
the earnest desire of the republicans
as a whole was to ha. me take the po-
sition for the benefit of the party.
Asked No Endorsement.
Again. the statements about my COM
ing to Senator Platt for his Endorsement
as Secretary of the Navy are absolutely
without foundation. l never went to Sen
ator Platt to ask his approval OF the
application. The whole story about my
calling upon him March II. or any other
day. whether with John Jacob Astor or
anybody else. Is pure invention. AS soon
as / saw the book wrote to Astor, and
have now received his letter. dated De-
cember IA. In it he says that at the out
break OF the Spanish war 1 introduced
him to the Secretary of War and to sew
eral members of Congress-. among them
may or may not have been Senator Platt
but that never at that time or previous
ly saw Senator Platt with him about my
appointment as assistant sec.<eary of the
navy.
1t is rather singular that Senator Platt
should have imagined such an interview
and it shows how much his mind wa
failing when the "reminiscences were writ
ten Let me repeat that the account as
given by Senator Platt of this interview
is absolutely and wholly without founda-
ton, and that neither while l was with
Astor nor with any one else did l ever
have any such conversation with him or
make such a call upon him as is therein
related.
by the way, the whole statement
about contributions Is equally without
foundation. l never called upon Senator
Plat with Gov. OdeIl on any such err
rand nor had any such conversation with
Senator Platt.
II do not desire to have this letter pub
lished. because 1t Is not worth while go-
ing into the ublic press on such q mat
ter, but l think it best that you should
know the facts In the case
Sincerely yours,