The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-21
Roosevelt Denies Sending An
UItinatum to President
Taft AT Beverly
LOEB is. IN MIDDLE OF
AWKWARD PRED|CAMENT
Collector of Port Hns Two Masters and
He May Retire From Politics
because He Is Unable to
Serve Both


predicted by man priminent in the po-
litical world that Vice President James S.
Sherman would resign from the position
In which he has been placed and in the
interest of harmony. refuse to allow his
name to go before the New York state re-
publican convention as temporary chair
man. In this event the honor was to go
to former President Theodore Roosevelt.
In view of current political events in the
Empire state it is believed that Colonel
Roosevelt would spurn the offer as his
name has been turned down by the state
republican committee. At Oyster Bay
Colonel Roosevelt denied this afternoon
with characteristic vigor that he had
sent ultimatum to the President de-
manding that the President break with
Vice President Sherma. Colonel Roose-
velt branded the story as the invention
of politicians. According to the rumor
Lloyd Griscom, chairman of New York
county committee, would go to Beverly
next week as the envoy of the former
President.
Il am sending no ultimatum to Presi-
dent Taft l have sent none and do not
intend to send any,, said Colonel Roose-
velt at Sycamore Hill THAT report is
a tissue of falsehood from beginning to
end and has no warrant. in fact"
Despite the colonels emphatic denial.
there were some of the lesser leaders in
this city who professed to believe that
Colonel Roosevelt is attempting to es-
tablish a truce with the administration
The public adherence of Collector Loeb of
the port of New York to Roosevelt. places
him in delicate position and wonder
ment is expressed whether or not he
will soon be called upon to play his old
role of the goat.
Loebs Obligations
Collector Loeb is under obligations to
both President Taft and former President
Roosevelt and 1t would not come as
great surprise If Mr.. Loeb should an
nounce his retirement from politics Col
lector Loeb has made a name for him
self lie has administered 1t without fear
| or favor and in so doing he has brought
down upon his head the wrath of many
rich Americans who have heretofore
managed to evade the red tape of the
customs office in making European
trips.
Collector Loeb is making periodical
journeys to Oyster Bay where he confers
with his former patron, and Mr. Griscom
has also announced publicly his affilia-
ton to the Roosevelt standard And so
the collector of the customs finds him
self between the devil and the deep blue
sea.
report came from Washington today
that Mr.. Loeb will soon be called upon
to choose definitely between his two mas
ters He must either renounce the
Roosevelt standard and take arms with
administration followers. or he must re-
nounce the administration and take the
consequences Mr. Loeb gets $4,000 per
year. He is bound by the ties of personal
friendship to the President and the former
President and he is as already stated un-
der obligations to both.
Mr.. Loeb has been mentioned as a
possible republican candidate for gov
ernor of New York on the republican
ticket. but he will not speak of this
matter with interviewers. So far as
known. he has not discussed it with his
friends. Whether he has aspirations to
sit in the executive chair at Albany few
men know. Colonel Roosevelt knows,
but he won't tell.
Strained Relations
To get back to the nub of the story.
the apparently strained relations between
Colonel Roosevelt and President Taft in
dicate that national split Is possible
in the party, but friends of the former
President declare that Roosevelt would
retire from active life rather than 1eop-
ardize the chahces OF success OF the party
with whbh ne Is aHiiioted
1t is not too much to expect that Pres
ident Taft will make public statement
regretting that the attitude OF the ad-
ministraton mad been misunderstood.
In New YORK state there are malcon-
tents IN the republican party VINO are
angry TO thlnk that PRESIDENT Taft should
align the administration with the "Oid
Guard" in the Empire state
Mr. sherman, In short, Is expected to be
convinced that the dignity or his posi-
tion demands refusal to appear as the
leader of a dtScredited faction. For his