Evening star., 1915-03-27
Col. Roosevelt's Telegram.

Col Roosevelt's telegram was as fol-
lows:
'The sources Of my information are
and have been for months open to
every Intelligent man. The whole mat
ter OF the ship purchase bill has for
months been discussed in all its de-
tails In the public press. Every man
who has looked into the matter at all
knew perfectly well that we were lit
orally purchasing quarrel with every
ship that was purchased from any of the
corporations owning the German In
termed ships Every man knew that
the object Of the bill was to purchase
these interned ships. If this were not
SO the proposed law would have con-
tained proviso expressly exempting
these interned shsips from It's provi-
sions. Such a proviso was on several
occasions voted down. you yourself as
l am informed, being one of those who
voted 1t down.
'.The failure to put in such a proviso
Is conclusive proof that the main OBJ
,tect in passing the act was to purchase
these ships. Such an act was of neces-
sity an act in the interest of the cor
porations, foreign or native, who had
any interest in the ships, and Indirect
ly In the interest of the German gov
ernment, one of the belligerent gov
ernments. My statement was literally
and exactly correct President Will
son and Secretary McAdoo have been
pushing this ship purchase bill to the
utmost of their ability. This is a
matter of common notorlety and l do
not suppose that any one will pre-
tend to deny it. Their action was in
the interest of the foreign corporations
owning or interested in the ownership
of the interned ships. If it had not
| been specifically exempted from the
| operations of the act. This statemen mt
1 again cannot be denied.
| ut is useless to attempt to deny it.
| and it would be mere folly to get me
| on to testify on the matter when my in
| formation is merely that which is pat
| lent to every man of common sense who
| takes an interest in his country's vel
| fare and is acquainted with the course
| of current events. There was no prece-
dent for the proposed act. for purchase
| by the government is wholly distinct
from purchase by private individuals
| and never before has it been proposed
| that our government should purcha Sc
the ships of belllgerent powers. That
| the purpose of the bill was the pur-
chase of the German interned ships was
| in effect admitted by Secretary McAdoo
! in his testimony before the House com
mittee last summer, which testimony
| was quoted by Senator Lodge in his
| first speech in the Senate on the sub
| ject, and must be familiar to you.
Cites Speeches of Lodge and Root.
| "As for President Wilson and Secre-
tary Bryan knowing that this proposed
| act would bring US into conflict with
the powers opposed to the power own
ing the interned ships. 1 can refer you
| to the speeches in the United States
| Senate of Senators Lodge and Root and
| others. / am informed that our gov
ernment was officially or unoficially
4 notified OF this fact by representatives
| of the foreign governments with which
| we would be brought into hostile con-
| tact by the measure; but whether OF
| not this is SO any man in public posi-.
| tion who did his duty. who n
| formed III any way of the sentiment In
| the foreign countries concerned aboui
the measure or who had read the de-
bates Of the United States Senate OF
| the articles in our own press on the
| subject, could not possibly have avoid
| ed knowing that we would have beer
brought into conflict with foreign
powers by the success of the measure
that, III the words of one OF your owl
body. We were purchasing a quarre
with every ship.
"It therefore appears first. that Presi-
dent Wilson and Secretary McAdot
pushed the measure. Second. that 1t wa.
In the interest Of the foreign corporation,
owning tho interned ships. Third. thai
the success of the measure would hass
meant the likelihood of embroiling III
l., fCnnfinueiIs ~, Second ps1eY