The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-08-27
CENSURE U1l.;.aQOO
IS UDJUSTIF led
SAYSROOSEvELT
Colonel Claims Full Responsible
ty for PlattShurg Speech
GENERAL HAD NO INSTRUCTIONS
If Speakers Were to be Restricted
Camp Commander Should Have
Been so Informed.
GENERAL HAD NO INSTRUCTIONS

New York. Aug. 27--Col Theodore
Roosevelt, advised of Secretary Gar
rlson's telegram to MajGen Leon
ard Wood, late yesterday said that
he was entirely responsible for his
own remarks at Plattsburg. He also
said he considered the secretary had
no right to criticize Gen Wood. Mf.
Roosevelt's remarks were contained
in statement 1t read as follows:
Nearly three weeks ago it was an
nounced in the public press, the
statement being carried prominently
in every big newspaper that in addi'
ton to President Wilson and Secre-
tary Garrison some scores of private
citizens had been asked to to the
Plattsburg camp, where it was eX-
pected they would speak TO the men.
Among the names mentioned in addi-
ton to my own were those OF former
President Taft, Samuel GompeTs and
John Mitchell. 1t is, of course, i'm
possible that Secretary Garrison
can have been ignorant that we were
asked and if he desired Gen. Wood
to notify us in advance what we were
expected to say or leave unsaid it
was clearly his duty to direct the
general accordingly.
when the war department after
three weeks public notice made no
objection to my coming they stopped
themselves from any right to criti-
coming or because | did not submit
my speech in advance to the admin
istration for approval. am, Of
course. solely responsible for that
speech, and until yesterday General
Wood had no more idea than Secre-
tary Garrison what / was going to
say. In the speech, not only did |
never mention the president but |
never mentioned the administration
SPOKE purely of the nation; of the
people Of the United States.
81 spoke on the assumption that
the men who paid their expenses in
order to og to the camp We're ciJiaeEs
deeply interested in the welfare Of
their country; men who know the
greatest value of this camp lies not
in the months training to each Of the
2000 or 5000 college students and
business men but in the object les
son afforded in fetching our people
that this nation should do all for her
sons by teaching them in time OF
peace how to do their duty by their
nation in time of war. If the admin
istration had displayed one-tenth the
spirit and energy in holding Germany
and Mexico to account for the mur
der of American men, women and
children that it is now displaying in
the endeayor to prevent our people
from being taught the need of prepar
ations to prevent the repetition Of
such murders in the future it would
be rendering service to the people
oi this country,
Gen. Wood issued orders that at
tendance at my speech was not re
quired by any man, that it was option
al to come or not; orders which at
once established the fact that he had
no responsibility for the speech 1t
was delivered outside the line of
tents and one-half the audience was
made up of men and women from the
surrounding country"
Mr. Roosevelt seemed perturbed at
the idea that his own remarks might
reflect in any way upon the record Of
Gen. Wood.