The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-03-28
Reiterates That Wilson, Bryan
and McAdoo Were Trying
to Help Foreign Corporations
By Purchasing
Interned Ships
Says His Statement to This Ef-
feet Is Literally and Exactly
Correct-Declines to Testify
Before Probers

New York, March 27.---ColoneI Theo-
dors Rooseselts reply 70 Chairman
j. Walsh. OF the Senate ship Lobby In
vestiFating Committee. refusing TO tes-
tify before the committee, reiterates as
literally and exactly correct" the
colonefs previous statement that the
action OF President Wilson and Sec
Rotary McAdoo In pushing this ship
purchase bill TO the utmost OF their
ability was In the interest of the for
eign corporations owning or interested
III tho ownership OF the interned Ger
mani ships" Otherwise. he maintains,
these ships would have been specifically
1 exempted from the operations of the
act
In characteristic fashion. Colonel
/ Roosevelt fatty decla- IS that not only
Is IL useless to attempt TO deny the
above statement, but also "it IL. Of
course, childish 70 maintain that
President Wilson and Secretary Bryan
and Secretary McAdoo did not know
these facts. which every one else did
know AZ matters of common
notoriety." the Colonel says, every in
teiltgent man knew the purport of the
bill. knew President Wilson and Sec
rotary McAdoo pushed the meas
ure." and knew that the success OF
the measure meant he likelihood OF
efuuTUlilfkG las WITH the GlIleu powers.
says Everybody Knew IL.
what the colonel said he asserts in
hts reply to senator Walsh, was based
on knowledge available to everyone
and 10 ask him to testify on the sub
isct hs iikens asking him to show
that the amateur war with Mexico
last summer. which resulted In a
greater loss or life in the Afnericaf,
navy than occurred In the American
= .ssra
was ended. and Vera Cruz abandoned.
without obtaining q salute for the
American flag
Colonel Roosevelt himself made pun-
lie text OF his reply
senator Walsh's Letter.
Senator Walsh's communication 60
Colonel Roosevelt, March "a. was as
follows:
"ship lobby committee would like
TO have you attend Saturday morn
ink. next, To answer inquiries touch
April magazine as follows:
They tWilson and Bryan) have
endeavored In the interests of certain
foreign business firms to secure for
the United States the power to pur-
chase the informed ships OF one OF the
beiliserents'
kindly advise whether IT will be
tcslNeIlieht itf you To aiJeUu at tnAI
time; II not, when IL will be-
'Waiving any comment on the
courtesy Of the reply to the message
Of the chairman OF the committee or
the degree of respect 1t exhibits for
the United States Senate. whose d.
rections the committee Is endeavorins
to carry out" said Senator Walsh
the telegram will be read by the sec-
rotary"
Rooserc1t's Rejoiner.
Colonel Rooseveit's retoiner was as
follows:
The sources OF my information are
and have been for months open IN
every intelligent man. The whole
matter of the ship purchase bill has
for months been discussed in all its
details in the public press
Every man who has looked into the
matter al all knew perfectly we'll that
We were literally purchasing a quarrel
with every ship that was purchased
from any OF the corporations ownin g
the German informed ships Every man
knew that the object OF the bill was
To purchase these interned ships. II
this were not so. the proposed law
would have contained provision ex-
pressiy exempting these interned ships
from its provisions, Such proviso