Show PRESIDENT TAFT TAn DENIES SENDING MAJOR 1 BUn BOITON g TO THE iiii VATICAN WASHINGTON Ma May May At 13 At At the tha white whits h house Sunday a per personal statement fat nt by y President Taft Tuft was given out puL cates categorically rl- rl cally crilly denying t that at Major Archibald B Butt U. U th the pres presidents president's military tary aide aide who wes was loson lost los loston loston on the Titanic had gone to Rome Bom on any ani 1 mission whatever from th the presIdent nt to th tile the The statement rollo follows Among mo C the Insidious s methods of at attack pursued by BOmB some sorn against me mo Ji the h attempt t fO Jo o arouse ro e t religious h loust j prejudice on tI th tho charge that I X am am amIn In jn some OD manner unduly t favoring the tho Roman Boman Catholic church It has haa be been bein n my personal purpose first pa fiB s the tho governor general of the Philippine Philippines second aa as ae secretary secretary- of Jot war and ond third an as president to encourage every church a. a as far tx as u possible where this this' doss does not Involve Iou bus distinctions n and aM does doe not de depart depart part from the tho rule rolo which separates our state from personal relations relations' to o all churches I have unduly favored ored church but have treated them all with absolute ute impartiality Saw Siw w Pope op When Governor General In 1902 1901 I vilt Rome and md nd con coo with Pope Leo XIII XII In an at attempt attempt attempt at- at tempt tempt- to settle the tho friar rIar land controversy contro contro- versy ersy which had arisen In the Philippines Phil Phil- while I was governor g general gen gen- eral and nd after L time I succeeded In doing O so When last lut March my ad alde v Major Butt set let out on a trip solely for his health and proposed to visit Rome he asked mo me for fot a letter Ietter ot of ot Introduction to the present pope that he might have han the tho privilege of or f an an audience and I gave him such a let let- ter tar The letter Jetter contained nothing but bitt a statement statement- containing a. a message le of ot hope The only message from the pope or any representative of at h his In answer to this let letter r of ot Introduction which I have received receive Is a cablegram of or condolence fo for all concerned sent lent by Cardinal Merry del Val by direction cUrse cUrse- tion of ot the tho pope at the time of ot the tho Titanic disaster and making an inquiry In In- In as u to the tho fate of ot Major Butt to which I J replied expressing m my thinks thanks and giving the facts fact The letter Introducing Major Butt contained con con- tamed no reference to the recent appointment of American cardinals nor comment on or reference to the church or anT or any matter relatIng Ing to it St The stories tories circulated that tb-at I 1 hav havo made any Inquiry or that I have havo taken anywhere at any time any t port or or manifested ru any y Interest in qu questions of at social Bodal precedence of the recently appointed cardinals ar are arp wholly without foundation Conspiracy racy Is Alleged The eviden e evidence there Is III 01 a conspiracy con eon for tor the tho purpose of ot arousing religious prejudice against me mo is I. shown hown by the fact that at the in instance In- In stance lance c 0 of bl some somo one unknown to mo me it was Waa represented in a s. great areat many re respectable re- re newspapers that I J sent ent a a. a mel message of welcome and congratulations in to the newly appointed apos apostolic toile delegate by wireless Ireless to the Incoming incoming In in- in coming steamer which was aB bearing him hint to New York No such Buch message was 11 sent by me or or by anyone anone bym by by- m my mf authority A denial of ot the tho pub- pub lUned report was issued from the White house but the tho has hae ob obtained ob- ob no publicity The statement that I t suspended an lin order made by th the tho Indian commissioner commis Ioner affecting the tho garb of or th the teachers teachers' In Indian zeh schools ola which have been transferred froin the Catholic church to the tho government is true truo I did did- this tb-Is tor for th the reason nason tho the commissioner commis commis- sinner had issued an order ol-dor after con con- suiting with the secretary of of the In In in- tenor lid and nd without awaiting his conclusion con con- 8 The propriety It if f the order has halt now flOW been made subject o of ot an open free frea discussion by all an the parties par par- ties in tn Interest st st. and th the de decision slon of ot th the th secretary of ot the Interior will soon lIoon b be handed down I t say nothing of or the merits merits' of the controversy eny except that the order reversed a condition which has baa existed for tor years and af a- a thirty or forty orty teachers teacher who had hod been AS M nuns long Jong before m my time Incorporated In the service of or tho tue government o and who would be in effect t expelled from that service b by the order order- Should order It tt prevail They They- were er therefore entitled to a full fun hear hear- ing log WILLIAM H. 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