New Britain herald., 1917-05-11
ROOSEVELT OUT 0F
 THE ARMY LEAGUE

Claims Pres. Letter Was Using
 Organization Against Him
 Washington. May 11.-Colonel Roosevelt has resigned as honorary vice president of the Army League on the ground that Joseph Letter of Washington. the leagues president. in opposing the Colonels wishes regard ing a volunteer, division. was using the league to the detriment of the army and of the United States. MT. Letter in warm reply admitted that he opposed the Roosevelt vounteer plan. but that he did so because he believed Cnlonel Roosevelt incompetent to lead large military force.
 Colonel Roosevelt's letter of resiR- nation follows:
 May 8. 1917. Dear MT. Letter:
 Your letter is indefinite. As far ns its statement can be understood, they apparently indicate that you disbe- neve In the Harding amendment. The proposition for the selective draft has now been adopted, so, therefore, there can be no further pretense that the Harding amendment in any way antagonises the Administrations draft measure. All that 1t does is to add to the army of the United States a force of men admirably calculated to do A Avp k%H Hn N immediately, who will not otherwise be used 1t all.
 By reading Senator Stones speech in opposition to the amendment you will see that he puts 1t frankly on political grounds. Indeed. so far as the opposition 1s not due to mere puzzle-headedness. 1t can only be due to politics, and politics of a very un- wise and improper kind You are, therefore. as it's president, using the Army 1eague of the United States to the detr1ment of the army, and to the detriment of the United States, in the attitude you assume in this matter. Accordingly. herewith resign as honorary vice president of the or ganization. Yours truly,
 THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
 Ieater's Reply.
 Mir. Letter replied as follows:
 May 10. 1917. "My Dear Colonel Roosevelt:
 Your letter of May 8 resigninR your office in this organization in reply to mine of May ? have re- reived. The executive council at it's next meeting will take action upon it. While you seem to think my letter in- definite, you have grasped the point which wanted to convey. I am opposed to the Harding amendment. The charges that am using the Army League to the detriment of the army and the country is personal. To this charge let me reply as an individual. Because I do not agree with you l you can see nothing in my attitude but 1 the betrayal ofxa trust. Do you think l that you alone can thinks correctly? ! Did the Almighty constitute you the sole arbiter of what is right or wrong? Has ITO one else the right to | an opinion? I can imagine such a l state of affairs in Germany alone. Do 1 you. think that you are the most com petent person in the United States to head the first expeditionary force sent to Europe? Candidly, do you think you have sufficient military experience to in any way qualify you for this position? Why not leave the busi- ness to competent people who have been trained to 1t instead of injecting yourself into the situation without the desire of any of the. authorities who must be responsible for the success or failure of the conduct of the war. 'I thought at first that your inten- tions were inspired by patriotism. I am now constrained to believe that your own schemes of political and personal aggrandizement lie at the bottom of your agitation. ''The early disaster of the civil war came from those who had received military rank as the result of possess ing the political influence to put them in commands for which they were not fitted. Let us hope that in this war this can be avoided. Do your part to this end. Make sacrifice of your personal ambitions on the altar of efficiency ,and as an act of real pa triotism put an end to the political storm which has been caused by the Harding amendment.
 ''Very truly yours,
 (Signed)
 JOSEPH LETTER,
 President"