The Bennington Evening Banner

INVITED TO VERMONT
President Taft Doesn't Promise But Says He May Come

Washington, D. C., Feb. 25.—President Taft may visit Vermont next fall as the guest of the Vermont Historical society and deliver an address before the society on the occasion of its annual meeting at Montpelier which is fixed for the third Tuesday in October.

An invitation for this purpose was extended the president this morning by Col. Charles S. Forbes of St. Albans, corresponding secretary of the Vermont Historical society, who called by appointment at the White House accompanied by Congressman D. J. Foster. In extending the invitation Secretary Forbes stated that the people on the east side of the state were very desirous of seeing and hearing the president and that comparatively few of them were able personally to greet and welcome him during the Lake Champlain Tercentenary celebration in the Champlain valley last summer and that the proposed trip to the capital of the state would give them this opportunity.

The custom to have the annual oration before the society delivered in the state house and that he would have an audience of Vermonters from all sections of the state were explained to the president.

President Taft in response said he would be very glad to visit Vermont as the guest of the Historical society and make an address, and while he could not at this time give a definite answer he would come to Montpelier if he found it possible to do so and public business permitted him to leave. The president in the course of the interview, facetiously said that he thought perhaps the people on the east side of the Green mountains had not been able to hear his speech made at Burlington during the Champlain celebration last summer.

"Perhaps they could hear your voice but not quite well enough to understand all you said," was the rejoinder.