The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-11-23
President Roosevelt Impressed by
the Representations of the
ST. Louisan.
KERENS FAITHFUL TO SMITH.
Missouri Republican Fractional
Fight Drives the President 10
to the WoOds-May BE
Settled Monday.

HE ana IenHSH wanna ave.
Washington. Nov. 1.-The fight over the
reappointment of c. Fl. Smith. Surveyor Of
the port of St Louis. is growing in inten-
sity. if that is possible 1t has got down 20
a tug of war and both sides are s;rainirg
every nerve for victory. There will be no
decision before Monday. and possibly later.
President Roosevelt heard continued
guments. appeals. supplications and recrim-
nations to-day and then. worn out. in des
peratIon. left the city for short hunting
trip, apparently hoping in rest and seclusion
to discover a way out Of his embarrass-
ment
This morning the President heard addi-
tiOnal arguments from the Akins- Hitchcock
forces. Charles Nagel, after dinner and
long conference with the President last
night, returned 20 the White House to-day
and continued his presentation of the case.
He reviewed all the charges and complaints
official and political made against Smith.
and summing up. said it would be the de-
struction of the Missouri machine to give
Smith new commission. The President has
a high regard for Mr.. Nagel. and was i'm
pressed by his statement. If he has inclined
TO recommission Smith, the statements of
Mr.. Nagel certainly have changed that in-
tention. A prominent politician from anOth-
er State. who was present at the confer
ence, SAID NageIs argument was unansWer-
able.
HOuser Mixes in the Fight.
Naeel was followed an hour later by d.
NJ. Houser of the Globe-Democrat. who
came in this morning, post-haste. to clinch
the anti-kerens case. Mr.. Houser's state
ments had less bearing upon Smiths per
sonality, but appealed strongly for recogni-
tion of the two St. Louis Representatives,
joy and Bartholdt. Joy is here but did not
go to the White House to-day. BartholGt
has been telegraphed to to come at once.
and is expected to arrive in time for final
word Monday.
Mr.. Houser will not remain until the mat
ter is settled, but Mr.. Nagel, who went TO
New York this evening. will return Monday
morning. Colonel Kerens and Walter Dickey
Will remain also until this test case is dis
posed Of Kerens has staked everything up
on it, even offering the opposition every
other appointment in st. Louis if permitted
to name Smith for another term. 1t is said
that he has even promised that Smith will
resign within a few months If only he can
be reappointed. and thus permit the Ma
tional Committeeman to control this case
for the time being.
This proposition was rejected outright by
every one Of the opposition leaders. They
have informed the President that they will
not endure Smiths reappointment for one
minute even.
President Is Besieaed.
kilograms. letters, petitions. protests af-
fidavits and almost every other form of doc
umentary communication have poured upon
the President to-day in addition to the oral
arguments he has heard from both sides.
The forces have lined up on the surveyor
ship, and that must be settled either in
favor of Smith or Boyd. No third man will
be considered. they say, and no retention of
Smith for a day after his term has expired
will be accepted by the Hitchcock side.
Among the new forces enlisted to-day is
Archbishop Ireland. who was given a long
hearing in favor of Kerens. This illustrates
the extremes to which the factions are
going in their contest.
These are the developments Of the day
The Hitchcock forces appear to have gained
some confidence. but the struggle is 50 well
maintained that the final result cannot be
foreseen. Monday may find the President
fresh from the hunt, with an inspired way
out Of the deadlock, but neither side can
conceive one tonight which does not in
volve the complete backdown of the other
nor will either admit that any sort of a
compromise is possible.
The offer by Kerens TO permit the opposi-
tiOn TO control all the ST. Louis offices, and
for that matter anything else in the State.
save the st. Louis surveyorship. would be
attractive under ordinary conditions The
statement that it was made and rejected
outright shows how bitter the fight has be-