Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-01-15
ROOSEVELT-lANG.
Continued from Page One.)

dent that the earnest desire of the Re
publicans as a whole was to have me
take the position for t* benefit of the
party.
again. the statements about my COM
ing to Senator Plat for his Endorsement
as secretary of the navy are absolutely
without foundation. / never went TO
Senator Plat to ask his approval of the
application The whole story about my
calling upon him on March Il or on any
other day, whether with John Jacob AS
tor or anybody else. is pure invention.
As soon as l saw the book l wrote TO
Astor, and have now received his letter
dated December H. In it he says that
at the outbreak OF the Spanish War l in
troduced him to the secretary of war
and To several members of Congress,
among them may or may not have been
Senator Plat. but that l never at that
stime or previously saw Senator Plat
with him about my appointment as as
sistant secretary of the navy.
1T is rather singular that Senator
Plat should have imagined such an in
terview and it shows how much his mind
was failing when the "reminiscences We're
as given by Senator Plat Of this inter-
view is absolutely and wholly without
foundation, and that neither while I was
with Astor. nor with anyone else. did
ever have any such conversation with
him or make such call upon him as IS
therein related.
"By the way. the whole statement
about contributions is equally without
ator Plat with Governor OdeH on any
such errand. nor had any such conversa-
ton with Senator Platt.
Il do not desire to have this letter pub
lished because it is not worth while going
into the public press on such a matter,
but I think it best that you should know
the facts in the case.
'Sincerely yours.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
Mr. Lang wrote to Albert II. Howe, for
II years secretary TO the senator, stat
ing the Roosevelt denial and asking for a
statement. Mr.. Howe's letter is in hand
as follows:
Il have read your photographed
sketch of Senator PIatts life and par
ticularly that portion of the addenda re-
lating to the appointment Of Colonel
Roosevelt to the assistant secretaryship
of the navy, and i'll response to your spa-
clfc inquiry 1 have to say that the story
as you have told it accords With the
facts Colonel Aston did accompany Col
onel Roosevelt TO Senator Platts parlor
for the purpose of soliciting the latter's
Endorsement of Colonel Roosevelt for that
position The circumstances are most
clearly impressed upon my mind.
Later Mr.. Lang asked the privilege of
publishing Colonel Roosevelt's letter, 70
which Colonel Roosevelt replied. under
date of Dec. q, 1910:
II desire that my letter should not be
published at present simply because it is
not worth while to get into a public con-
troversv. As l have told you, l have Il
letter from Colonel Astor stating that he
never saw Senator Plat about my being
assistant secretary of the navy. None of
the incidents to which [ referred in my
first letter are related accurately or
truthfully by Senator Plat, but l think
his mind was falling and do not accuse
him of intentional untruth."
The campaign contribution. story, to
which Mi. Roosevelt took exception, was
not that reciting how e. II. Hartman at
Mis- solicitation raised $4,000 in 1904 to
save his election as President and that
of Higgins as governor. MIR. Roosevelt
referred to Senator Platt's story of how
he had saved Roosevelt's election for
governor in 1898 by securing from J.
Pierpont Morgan, Thomas f. Ryan, Will
liam c. Whitney and three others at the
eleventh hour 100000