The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-05-21
ROOSEVELT NOT
TO LEAD ARMY
ONFRENCHL|NE
Refuses Offer to Head New
York Troops
WILSON is HIT HARD
Denies Purpose Was to Command In
dependent Army at Front and Is
Still Ready to Serve.

New York, May 2O--Colonel Theo
dore Roosevelt, in a long statement
tonight, called on the men who had
volunteered for his proposed division
to France to disband Immediately. He
| advised them TO go TO the front in
the best way they could If they were
unable to secure places in service
abroad, he suggested they devote
their energies to aiding the country
at home.
A vigorous reply was made to the
statement Of President Wilson issued
On Friday denying the Roosevelt re-
quest for service abroad
Il is understood tonight that the
Colonel will decide not TO accept the
position at the head of the New York
National Guard offered to him by
Governor Whitman.
Colonel Rooseyelt's statement fol
lows:
TO the men who have volunteered
for immediate service on the firing
line in the divisions which congress
authorized:
The President has announced he
viii recline TO permit those divisions
to be organized or to permit me tC
have q command in connection with
such a force. After consultation yes
.erday, personally or by wire, with
some of the men who had volunteered
to raise units--regiment and battal
ions for the division It was decided
unanimously that in view of the de
cision of the President the only course
open for MS is forthwith to disband
and to abandon all further effort in
conEe elton with the division
AS good American citizens, we
loyalty obey the decision of the com
mander-in-chief of the American army
and navy.
The men who have volunteered
will now consider themselves alb
solved from all further connection
with this movement. The funds that
have been promised will be treated
as withdrawn and applied to other pu
poses. | therefore direct this state
ment to be sent to the leaders in vari
Gus states who have been raising
troops and that it be published Our
sole aim is to help / nevery way in
the successful prosecution of the war
and we most heartily feel that no in
diy,dual personal interest should for
one moment be considered save as Il
can serve the general public interest
I'VE rejoice that a division com
posed of our regular fine soldiers and
marines under so gallant and efficient
a leader as General Pershing is to b.
sent abroad. We have a right to q
certain satisfaction i'll connection
herewith. A certain paper last eve
ming stated authoritatively the send
ing of this expedition was com
promise between the original plans
of the general staff which favored no
early expedition and the request of
Colonel Roosevelt for authority for an
immediate expedition, The Roosevelt |
agitation backed by the expressed de |
sire of such distinguished leaders as |
General Joffre and General Petain un. |
questionably had its effect in bring
ing about the Pershing expedition |
The compromise is that France gets |
American soldiers in the trenches |
but Roosevelt will not lead or accom- |
pany them 1t is believed in Wash |
ington that any criticism for turnine |
down Roosevelt will be fully answered |
by the fact that American soldiers
are going over"