The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1912-07-05
oEcRErARY MAC vEAoh SAYS HIS
ASSISTANT DIDN'T WANT
TO RESIGN.
ewes OUT STATEMENT
Resignation Was Repeatedly Requested
BY the Secretary and President TAFT,
After Andrew Had Gone to the Con.
vsntion at Chicago in Defiance Of
Orders. .

Lancaster. Mass, July 4.-Secretary
OF the Treasury Franklin Macveagh.
In a statement given out here today,
declared that the resignation OF A,
Piatt Andrew. assistant secretary of
the treasury, was not submitted un-
I'll II had repeatedly been requested
BY both Mr.. Mcveagh and President
Taft. The secretary said that Mr..
Andrew pleaded to be retained In the
service and brought every possible In
fluence to bear TO have the request
Tor his resignation Withdrawn.
secretary MacVeagh, who is q vis-
itor at the home OF Bayard Thayer,
received many messages today ex-
pressing confidence In his administra-
ton and prepared this statement:
Il regret that It seems necessary TO
refer TO the letters published by Mr..
A. Piatt Andrew and addressed to the
president and me- The virulence Of
the attack probably has limited sits ef-
feet; but apart from the attack on me
he strongly misrepresented a number
OF the chief men of the treasury de-
partment, to whom attribute a large
measure the success of the depart
mental work. am obliged, therefore,
to restore Mr.. Andrews resignation 10
It's proper light.
"Mr. Andrew says he resigned be-
cause of the conditions In the treasury
department of which he disapproves.
He did not resign voluntarily. hut was
asked to resign-and asked repeatedly
and he used every effort and influ-
ence TO get the request for his resig-
nation withdrawn ana pleaded to be
allowed to continue In his place. And
It was when he failed In having his
request for his resignation withdrawn
that he made his attack and the as
sertion that his resignation was a
matter OF his own choice and deter
mined upon for public reasons.
The Details.
"The details as to his resignation
are as follows:
"On June "a. when Mr.. Andrew re-
turned from Chicago, formally asked
In a note for his resignation. He
called on me Mt once to urge me to
change my mind and allow him to
stay. At his wish. explained at
length my reasons and listened to all
his arguments and wishes. felt.
however. obliged to tell him the re-
quest for his resignation could not be
withdrawn. supposed Mr.. Andrew
would send his resignation promptly
and as a matter of course, as l had
never known OF case where such a
request had not been promptly COM
piled with.
II waited however. without reply
until June 2S. wrote again repeating
the request. On the 29th Mr.. An
drew sent me brief note treating
the matter with vagueness. replied
immediately, saying I could not accept
vagueness, but wished to have that
day either his resignation or his re-
fusal to resign. To this he did not
reply at all. And. therefore, on July
2. I wrote fourth time renewing the
request and communicating copy of
a letter addressed to me by the pres
ident. authorizing and directing me
TO ask for the resignation. l asked
for prompt reply. stating that I was
going out OF town. left Washington
on the midnight train without hear
ing from Mr. Andrew and saw In the
next afternoons paper long letters.
one to the president and one to me.
which at last conveyed his unwilling
resignation.
"Meanwhile-as 7 only learned after
a week-Mr. Andrew had diligently
used the interval while I was wait
ing to secure all the influence .he
could to aid him in keeping his
place. Besides arguing the case him.
self with me and with certain sena-
tors and besides having his case ar
gued both at the White House and be-
fore me. ne argued his case himself at
the White House.
"Mr. Andrew did not at any time
mention to me any objection, to his
treatment in the treasury department
except that he thought did not give
him az much OF my time as l ought
and that had sometimes allowed
other callers to be received when nc
was In my room.
A Great Disappointment.
1T was great disappointment to mt
that Mr. Andrew was not efficient
enough to meet the requirements ant
that II was necessary to get someone
else That In all there was to It wher
the change was decided upon. Sub
sequently, In direct disobedience to m,
instructions and without my knowl
edge until he left washington, h
went to the Chicago convention whei
the other two assistant secretaries al
ready had gone by previous arrange
ment. This irresponsible conduct mus
have led In any event to his promp
NsA (Continued on Page Five)