Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-11-16
ON :
W|LSONCA[T !.
LOSES HIS S Job
Winnetka Assistant P. M. Said
President Should Delay
Remarriage.
LETTERS GIVEN OUT
TO THE PRESS.

TO THE PRESS
Chicago, Nov. 15.-Heorge Burkitt
for six years first assistant postmas
ter at Winnetka, has been discharged
from his job and from the govern
ment service on the ground of "disloy
atty to the president"
He is alleged to have made the re
mark that President Wilson should
have waited longer after the death Of
his wife before becoming engaged tt
Mrs. Calf.
MIR. Burkitt yesterday gave to !;
a reporter a series of papers relat
ing to ais discharge, which the Unit
ed States government, he says, has
been making efforts to get possession
Of. =.
Mr.. Burkitt, the papers show, ap
pealed to First Assistant Postmaster
Gen. Daniel &C. Roper on the ground
that his dismissal was irregular and
contrary to civil service regulations
Mr.. Roper replied that, the papers had
been carefully reviewed" and that
favorable consideration Of the request
would have to be denied.
Here Are the Letters.
Following are the letters in the or.
der in which they were written:
United States Postoffice, Winnetka
ILL.,, Oct. 20, 1915-Mr. George !Burkitt,
Assistant Postmaster: 1t has been re.
ported to me that on the day the re.
ports concerning the engagement of
the president were published in the
daily papers you made remarks con
corning the same which indicated dis
loyalty, not only to your superior Off.
GERS, but also the administration as
we'll, thereby placing me in a very
embarrassing position.
please let me have promptly a
written statement from you quoting
the exact language. you used and sub
INIT such explanation as you may
wish in this connection. "a, M. Kloep.
fer" 3-E1 azf
He Admits Remark. ~
MIR. Burkitt did not keep a copy of
his reply to this letter, but he quoted
what he could remember of it, as fol-
lows:
Il replied to this in the nearest
words 1 could remember, and as fol.
lows: 4 acknowledged that in a gen.
eral conversation with a man through
the window-t,lat in answer to a ques-
ton l made the remark that / thought
that anyone should wait at least a
year before remarrying and in line
with that thought that ~t1eapresident
should, too. ~ 'a&9s :
Il also made answer to- the forego.
ing letter that there was not a soul
in the Office except the postmaster's
own brother and this man with whom
1 was talking" !.
Explicit Answer Demanded.
Burkitt then received this letter:
United States Postofice, Winnetka,
ILL.,, Oct. 20, 1915-Mr. George Burkitt,
Assistant Postmaster: Your reply to
my letter Of eve date. DO you not
making certain remarks in
the presence Of carriers and clerks
office hours in the morning the
same day that you admit you mad
statements through the postoftice win.
dow to a stranger? If so, state the
language used. Please return origi.
nal letters. ~..
. "A. M. Kloepfer, Postmaster"
Others Attacked, Too. r.
He replied as follows: w
"A. M. Kloepfer, Postmaster-,Re.
to your second letter of, this
date, will say that there was a general
exchange of remarks by all on duty
the day in question.
81 could not recall any specific re.
mark in the matter on my part any
more than l a of those present.
Il do know, though, that the talk
was general and any more than taking
part in a general line of talk with the
others l remember nothing. I do not
see how j can be held liable for maxi
ing with the rest a small talk affair
of the matter, of which | could not re.
call a single remark.
George Burkitt."
The Blue Envelope.
On November 4 Burkitt received the
following notice of his discharge:
United States Postoffice, Winnetka,
ILL.,, Nov. 4, 1915-Mr. George Eurkitt,
Postmaster. Winnetka. ILL.,:
This Is to advise you that you are
this day removed from the service of
the government and from your posi-
ton as assistant postmaster of this Of
flee on account of your dsloyalty to