The Sentinel=record., 1911-12-12

itics."
 Friends of President Taft enter ed upon the work of the day prelim- mary to the meeting tomorrow thor oushly confidea' that there would be no opposition to New. It was not IUntll after that they learned 1hat the program arranged Sunday was giving dissatisfaction. Strangely elough, the opposition came from members from the Southern states, the section over which the admins tration was supposed to be in undis- puted control
 Members of the committee from the Southern states met early in the day ostenslbly to take measures of self protection against any attempt in the next convention to reduce the representation. A motion was adopt ed authorizing General Powell Claytcn of Arkansas, who acted as chairman to name a committee of five to devise the method and provide the sinews to fight any movement made to orr tail the Southern delegations. At tho conference also E. Duncan, the member from North Carolina, was en- dorsed for membership of the execu- tive committee.
 After this formal business had been transacted, several members made. impassioned speeches, advocating op- position to preferment for any posi-. tion of power of maSi who had been member of state delegation that had voted solidly in the convention of 1908 to reduce the representation of the Southern states. 1t was rec ognized that Colonel New was meant by this characterization, although af- ter the meeting several members blandly reported that News namc had not been mentioned at the con. ference, which probably was true.
 No vote was taken ka the Southern conference but soon after adjourn ment it began to be whispered about that Colonel New would be opposed by a large number of committeeman who had hitherto beea counted for any man favored by the White House
 Following the announcement ot opposition to Colonel New among the Southern membership of the commit tee, several members openly advo- cated the retention by Vice Chairman John F. Hill of Maine, who will be elected tomorrow as successor of for. mer Chairman Hitchcock MT. Hill will have the honor of directing the convention arrangements. It was re- ported that MT. Hitchcock was a party to the plan, and it was openly stated by several other members that Mr Hitchcock was in sympathy with the action that had been taken by them.
 On every side MT. Hitchcocks name was coupled with the Anti-New move ment and 1t probably was because of this the postmaster general issued his statement.
 Several of the conferences were at tended by Mr Hitchcock, and at one, held at the White House, both the postmaster general and the secre- tary to the president were present
 Among others who participated in the conference were vice Chairman Hill senators Crane of Massachusetts and Penrose of Pennsylvania; Secre- tary Nagel, Arthur Ivorys of Ohio and Secretary Hayward of the national committee. Some members of the committee hoped the White House conference would result in an agree ment for the selection of MT Hill aa chairmaa' of the committee on ar- engagements and to make Mr. New q member of the committee, bnt this hope was not realized
 Considerable ill feeling was mani fested late in the afternoon and the executive committee of the national committee met to consider the situ- ation
 After much parIeying the execu- tive committee adopted a resolution presented by former Rev Franklin Murphy, of New Jersey. who. although not a member, had been admitted to the conference, naming MT. Hill Charles F. Brooker of Connecticut, and former Representative Frank O. Lowden, Of Illinois as a special con- mittee to go to the White House to ascertain the wishes of President Taft.
 Broker aad Lowden were known to be in favor of New and some of the latter's opponents went so far as to say that the committee had been stacked" against the vice chairman.