New-York tribune., 1908-06-19
PRESIDENT AT TENNIS
Vas Playing q Game Uhen Nezcs
Ariued-Mr. Taffs Busy Dag.
From The Tribune Bureau

w.ebineton June 1S-"Taft will have seven
hundred votes on the first ballot" was the con-
fident prediction OF President Roosevelt month
ago. and to-day, when the delegates were verify
ing his prediction to the unit, he was playing
tennis in the hot sun with Robert Bacon. Assist
ant Secretary of State, on the court behind the
White House office building.
When the flash" bulletins recording the roll
call gave North Dakota and it apparent
that Ohio's vote the next minute would give the
Secretary Of War more than enough to nominate
him and just as Secretary Loeb called out from
the window overlooking the court the crucial
fact the Presidents racquet was extended full
reach over his head as he shouted Game and
the next minute he and his opponent were pro-
ceeding with another set while Secretary Loeb
was distributing to the newspaper representa-
tives typewriter copies of the statement die
tated by the President hours earlier congratulat-
| ing the country the pre-eminent fitness of Mr..
| Taft to be President
Over in the War Department In the secre-
| tary's private office when the rollcall was in
| progress Mrs Taft and her Charles, Cen
| erals Bell and Edwards and telegraph oper-
ator were keeping tally the bulletins came
! from the convention. All were intensely ex-
| cited, so much so that through an error in cal
culation 1t was not known that the needed 491
| votes had accumulated in the Taft column until
| Oklahoma was passed. Immediately all further
| interest seemed to be lost and the doors were
thrown open to admit a large number of officials
and friends. who pressed forward with congrat-
ulations Secretary Taft did not wait for the
rolIcall to end to learn that his nomination
made unanimously He went at to the
street, where he and General Edwards mounted
their horses. and accompanied by Secretary Root
and General Bell. rode hurriedy down to the
new Army War College. which they had ap-
pontment to inspect.
Until he returned TO his house at o'clock
Secretary Taft knew no further details of the
convention than that he had been nominated
and the dreaded stampede to Roosevelt had not
materalized. AS soon he entered his house
he learned for the first time all that had oc-
CURED after Oklahoma voted, and was con-
fronted by the enormous stock of congratulate Dry
messages that had been pouring in for Mrs
Taft and himself from all parts OF the country
for two hours.
He had no time to read them just then he said
he was late To dinner and hungry and he
wanted to go the White House at .
o'clock to talk TO the President. No day in his
life had been buster for Mr.. Taft than this was
has any day of his official life called upon
him to transact more important business for his
country. Matters Of critical value not only to
the army and the militia, but relating to the
isthmlan canal, the republics OF Panama and
Cuba. and pressing Philippine affairs. also had
his attention To the almost utter exclusion of
giving any though: to politics and his personal
interests and kept him. in conference with the
President. Secretary Root and his bureau chiefs
from early morning until late in the day Even
the inspection of the completed War College his
first formal visit there, was an unavoidable Of
hc: duty.
When de .elopments render publicity possible
OF the action taken by him to-day upon affairs
beyond the continental United States. # Will be
demonstrated low far his duties and knowledge
extend. how thoroughly capable lie is OF admin
istering the complex interests Of the nation and
how fortunate the nation is to possess man of
such experience and judgment for the problems
Of the next fou- years