The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-11-10
CRISIS IS REACHED
ROOSEVELT MAY TRY FOR THIRD
 TERM.
President Is Convinced He Canot Force Taft's Nominatien--Befeat of
 Burton Has Had Great
 Influence.

New York Globe. @ tFrom a Staff Correspondent.)
 Washington. D. C., Nov, GA crisis a= s= aarssss& ching ..sa .ks movement se force President Roosevelt into a third term nomination. Politicians on the inside of things realize the present uncertainty as to the Presidents inten- tions cannot continue many weeks, and In some fashion must be definitely re- moved.
 That Secretary Taft Is likely to re- tire from the presidential race is no longer disguised here. It is being much talked of in we'll informed quar- ters. Men close to the Taft situation and friendly to Taft admit that the outlook for his nomination is dis couraging, that his campaign is being mismanaged, and that his retirement Is more than a possibility.
 strong indication of what is nov ing deep down in the political current is the probable hastening home of Secretary Taft across the Pacific and his abandonment of his trans Siberian trip. He has been advised that his campaign is not progressing favorably
 Burton's defeat in Cleveland and the fact that through the Markbriet cleo tion in Cincinnati the Fox-Foraker element is firmly in the saddle there are developments calculated not to smooth the way to a solid Ohio dele gation for the Secretary of War. and to have a weakening effect on the Taft candidacy out of the state.
 When Secretary Taft gets back he will be subject to great pressure by third term forces to get him to quit the race. He will be informed that the third term forces are powerful and organized, that his own candidacy Is making no progress, and that in order to prevent the nomination of a conser- yatiye Republican and prevent the elec- tioo of Bryan, Taft should step aside and make it practically impossible for Roosevelt to withstand the pressure on himself. On the other hand Presi- dent Roosevelt is being subjected to Tremendous pressure from members or Congress and others to induce him 10 arafn be a candidate. He Is being told that he alone can beat Bryan, ana thdt he owes 1t to the party to suomerge lie own nersonal wishes and run.
 Not less important than this Is the fact the President has been looking closely into the Taft situation and mas been getting plenty of advice that MT. Taft's case is well nigh hopeless not because Taft is not liked, but hecause of the power ef third term sentiment
 whether the President. down in his heart, cherishes an ambition tn succeed himself is a question that need hardly he considered. Leaving hum out of the question, the fact remains that the third term movement is being organ jzed with great skill and great energy many men close to the President being active.
 First Assistant Postmaster General Hitchcock has played a role of great Inportahce He has been charged with working covertly for Cortelyou. What he has really done is to organize Fed eral officials and postmasters in the South. the Southwest and West and wherever else possible for a third term for ahe President. His work in this direction Is declared to have been prac- ticaIly completed.
 President Roosevelt is embarrassed deeply as to what he ought to do. He is giving the sub ject more serious con- siderntion than he has probably ever done. He is losing hope as to Taft. There Is. in fact, reason to believe he has lost hope almost completely and is aware of the difficulty of trying to push any other administration candi- date He is aware, too, that if he talk es another term himself his popularity is almost certain to suffer. Yet he is in- tensely opposed to letting the nomina- tion go to Fairbanks Knox, Hughes. Cannon or any man put in by conserv- ative forces. What will he do about 1t?
 Leaders in the third term movement declare they are convinced moro surely than ever that the President will yield in the end and run again