The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-05-11
ARMY LEAGUES
IbRESiDEN1eRAPS
COL. ROOSEVELT
Accepts T. RS Resignation and
Tells Him He Is IncOm-
votna EPf eStsntrl r. 80


Washington, May II Colone
ROOSEVELT has resigned as Honorar
Ice President of the Army League o
le ground that Joseph, Letter of Wash
lgton, the leagues president, in op
osing the ColonePs wishes 'regardin
, volunteer division, was using tn
sague to the detriment of the arm
nd of the United States. Mr.. Leite
warm reatEsla dinitted that he op
osed the Roosevelt volunteer plar
ut that he did SO because he believe
'olonel Roosevelt incompetent to lea
large military force.
Colonel Roesevelt's letter of resig
alton >followsi
May s, 1914
Dear Mr.. letter.
Your letter Is indefinite. AS
far as it's statements can be I'M
derstood, they apparently fndi-
cate that you disbelieve In the
Harding amendment. The prop
esition for the selective draft,
there can be NO further pretense
that the Harding amendment in
any way antagonizes the admin
istration's draft measure, All
that it does Is to add to the army
of the United States a force of
men admirably calculated to do
good work, ready, to be sent
abroad immediately, wo will not
otherwise be- used at all.
By reading Senator Stones
speech in opposition to the amend
ment you will see that he puts it
frankly on political grounds, In
deed. SO far as the opposition is
not due to mere puzzle-headed-
ness, it can only be due to- poll
tics and politics of very unwise
and improper kind, You are,
therefore, as its president, using
the Army League of the United
States to the detriment of the
army, and to the detriment of the
United States, In the attempt you
assume in this matter. Accord
lmgfy, herewith resign as Hon
orary Vice President OF the or
ganizatior. Yours truly,
x. THEODORE ROOSEVELT,
Mr., Letter replied as follows:
"A Il. May 10, 1917.
MY Dear Colonel Roosevelt:
Your letter Of May resign
; Ing your office in this organixa-
ton in reply to mine Of May I
have received, The Executive
Council at It's next meeting will
take actaon upon It. While you
seem to think my letter Indefinite,
you have. grasped the point
which I wanted to convey. am
-lopposed to the Harding amend
nsep3ff .fTheE ahArgestlthat I am
lnsingS the Army League to the
detriment OF the army and the
country Is personal. To this
charge let me reply as an indi-
vfdual, :
Because ! do not agree with
you, you can see nothing in my
attitude but the betrayal of
: trust Do you think that you
alone cam think J correctly? D.
the Al11ighty constitute you the
fole srq1fer ef Yhatsis right or
wrong? Has no one else the
right to. an opinion? 1 can
imagine such state Of affairs In
Germany alone. Do you think
that you are the most competent
person In the United States Ito,
head the first expeditionary force
sent to Europe? Candidly, do
you think you have had sufficient
military experience to in any
w4ys 6palify you for Athis posi-
Hidf Wha not aeay& 1.-THE BUSH
ness to competent people who
have been trained to it instead of
injecting yourself into the situa-
ton without the desire OF any of
the authorities who must be re-
sponsible for the success or fall
ure of the conduct of the war?
thought at first that your In
! tentid4R we're inspired by patrio-
tisgn. am now constrained to
believe that your own schemes of
politicaIr and personal aggran-
dixement lie at the bottom Of
your agitation
The early disasters of the civil
war came from those who had
received military rank as the re-
suit of possessing the political in
fluence 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 q sacrifice of
your persona1 ambitions ON the
altar of efficiency, anad as an act
of real patriotism put an end to
been caused by the Harding
amendment
Very truly yours,
& (Signed) JOSEPH LETTER,
President.