The Washington times., 1910-09-20
Proposition to Spring Taft
Endorsement at Conven-
ton Headed Off.
COLONEL KNOWS
WHERE He STANDS
Seeking Conference With Presi-
dent, However, Shows New York
Situation Is Acute.
By JOHN SNURE.

NEW YORK, Sept. 2a-The desperate
nature Of the struggle in New York
State between the old guard and the
p-esressives for control Of the Repub-
lican State convention eight days hence.
could not be more strongly emphasized
than it was by the action Of Theodore
Roosevelt in seeking a conference with
President Taft in New Haven
In his Western trip and in his speeches
generally, Roosevelt has ignored Taft
as completely as possible. The nearest
he has come TO giving the President
an Endorsement. however, was limited 70
certain specified achievements OF the
Administration and was not a general
and sweeping Endorsement President
Taft's friends have not been pleased
over Roosevelt's attitude.
To Know Where He Stands.
That Roosevelt, under such circum-
stances should have sought an interview
with Mr. Taft means only that he and
his friends felt il important 10 see the
President and know just where he
stands in the New York fight It means,
too that despite all claims, Roosevelt
and his friends know the situation as
TO control Of the convention IS close,
and that Woodruff, Barnes. and their
followers are pressing them desperately
II IS believed here that the specific
thing that drove Roosevelt 10 make his
hurried trip 70 see Taft was the propo-
sitlon Of William Barnes. IT.. the Al
1any boss, 10 put Roosevelt in q hole at
Saratoga 5y springing a resolution
frr rr-r -
nation and reelection in 1872
Had TINS come up IL con- ention and
Roosevelt been forced 10 take a stand
On Il, II would have been intensely en-
Removes Obstacle.
As II is. while 1t must have cot the
colonel an effort 10 go to New aaven
to see President Taft under all thu cir
cumstances, the matter Of Endorsement
for 1912 has been thrust out Of the way.
President Taft viii get a strong fndorse-
ment Of his Administration, and wants
nothing more He does not seek a 1912
Endorsement.
To have got nd Of this embarrassing
proposition IS in Itself no small achieve
nent for Roosevelt When the shrewd
boss Of Albany, William Barnes. con-
ceIved this plan Of indOrsing Taft for
denomination, he knew II would give
Roosevelt many a bad half hour
But IL Is clear that Roosevelt has
met the proposition with a bit Of
strategy as clever as Barnes Though
he had 10 90 to President Taft in per
son 10 meet the Barnes pTC oOsaL he has
nevertheless. blocked the Barnes scheme
and has, moreover. REINFORCED the fight
against the old bosses by apparently
lining the Administration Up on his
side.
RooseveIt's Attitude.
The seeming anxiety Of Roosevelt
over the 1912 Endorsement Of Taft will
lead hosts Of people to leap to the con
clUSion he himself has his eve on the
1912 nomination RooseveIt-s friends say
this does not follow They say hat
Roosevelt realized that the Western
progreSSives would have been sore II
the New York convention with the ac-
quiescence Of Roosevelt had put through
resolution indOrsinZ the Taft re-
nomination; they would have claimed
Roosevelt IN part for IL, though II would
have been manifestly impossible for
Roosevelt to have openly fought it-
II looks TO-DAY as If the old guard
would be beaten at Saratoga The pro-
gresSiveS profess to believe they viii
have 81 out OF the LOIS votes in the
convention. Roosevelt can probably
have the temporary ChsITma nShiD. but
the old guard is lighting tooth and
nail to have its say IN the resolutions
in the permanent organization of l.e
convention and in the makeup Of the
new State committee