Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-08-19
Accepts Rebuff of State
Committee and Holds
Tongue.
LETS VOTERS DECIDE
However, He Is Making No Iron
Clad Promise-May Cut in
at Any Time.

New York, Aug. 19.-Roosevelt to-
day confirmed the reports that he
will not take any part in the coming
state campaign. AS he put it, he
did not think he had been encourag-
ed to take any active interest by
the action of the state committee in
turning down his name for tempor-
ary chairman of the convention.
Makes No Promises.
Close friends are authority for the
statement Roosevelt has never indi-
Gated what his intentions are with
regard to 1912. He, however, has
always said he reserves the right to
engage in any situation at any time,
whenever he feels his policies de-
mand it.
Relations Are Strained.
Oyster Bay. n. Y, Aug. 19.-Theo-
what was probably the most important
POLITICAL conference he has held since
he left the White house. He gathered
ABOUT him a group of his close friends
and talked over with them the situa-
ton which is best expressed in the
reports that relations between Presi-
dent Taft and himself are strained to
the breaking point.
William Loeb, Jr., collector of the
port of New York; Lloyd G. Griscom,
chairman of the New York republican
county committee; Representative VIII
liam NJ. Calder of Brooklyn; FredeT-
ick ]. H. Kracke of Brooklyn, and Rep
resentatiye w. W. Cocks of Colonel
Roosevelt's home district took part in
the conference.
Agree on Plan of Action.
From what was said by some of the
visitors it was learned that the ex-
president and his friends have agreed
on a plan of action which will hold
until the situation shapes itself more
clearly. Briefly stated, it is this:
Colonel Roosevelt is to stand aside
in the New York state campaign and
let the "old guard" fight its own fight
and thus shoulder all the responsibility
for the conduct and result of the cam
paign. He is neither to endorse nor
is to keep out all around, if he can.
why Colonel Keeps Hands on.
Through some of yesterdays visitors
it was learned why the colonel has
decided to keep his hands off. He feels
that the republican state committee, in
refusing to endorse him for temporary
chairman of the Saratoga convention,
a position he had agreed to accept
much against his will, with the knowl-
edge that he would be held responsible
for election results, acted in manner
that would make further activity on
his part look as if he were leading
factional fight against the administra-
ton.
1t was said that Colonel Roosevelt
does not deem it either wise or proper
to permit himself to become involved
In such a factional fight, and that his
present decision is that he will not go
to the convention or take any part
which would render him responsible.
May Jump Into Fight.
He has come to no definite conclu-
sion, however One important pro-
vision was emphasized at yesterdays
conference Those with whom he talk
ed were made to understand clearly
that Colonel Roosevelt reserves to
himself the right to enter the thick of
the fight at any time if he believes that
the policies of which he is an exponent
are in serious Jeopardy. 'ButAhe let it
be known that he would do so with ex-
treme reluctance, for he feels that in
such contingency he might be led in
evitably into a controversy with the
Taft administration.
Secs Possibility of a Break.
From what was said after the con-
ference 1t was gathered that Colonel
Roosevelt believes the present attitude
of men who are influential in the ma
tional administration is hostile to him,
and that an open rupture may result.
In such case the colonel feels that he
may be compelled at some juncture to
exert his influence against the admin
istration
Those who are closest to the former
president believe he will do everything
In his power to avert such crisis dur
ing the fall campaign 1t is their opin-
ion that if he should decide to fight, he
prefers to postpone the struggle until
the 1912 campaign, when the question
of the nations policy for the next four
years is to be brought before the en-
tire country, and when a successor to
William H. Taft is to be elected.