The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-05
RoosEvELTs STATEMENT.
Long Ago Said He would Accept IL
Nominated, He Says.


Nominated, He Says.
Ovster. Bay. March 5.-Colonel Roose-
veIt's position in the matter OF the van
Yalkenburg letter is set forth IN
statement which he gave out, explain
ing the circumstances which 1nduced
him to write to Mr. van Nalkehours-
This is the statement:
"At that time persistent efforts hao
been made from Washington TO con-
vince the progressives that was redlly
supporting Mr.. Taft. On this particular
occasion the statement was mace "lIh
the greatest eXplicitneSS.
81 promptly denied the statement ana
was assured on the one hand that IL
had been inspired from the mite
House. and assured on the other hand
that it had not been, but on the con
trary was made purely on the lnltld-
tive of the Associated Press.
s'rhe Associated Press people assured
me that they We're not resp -siole for
the false statements, ana as II VIII %
seen by reference to the letter ltSeI'
Mr. Moves was quoted as having got
the information from independent
sources. do not know who gave out
this letter, but I am certain that 1T was
not Mr.. Van Valkenburg, for L know
him to be an honorable man.
ITO all who were at that time writ
ing to me to be a candidate, I answered
that I would not be. To all who asked
whether [ would accept if nominated,
answered yes if 1 knew them suffl-
GENTLY we'll to be sure that they would
understand me; otherwise I said simply
that I would cross that bridge when
came to it, and in most cases If the
man was at all a close personal friend,
told him that I counted on his doing
everything possible to prevent any
movement looking to my nomination
1T was not until the last three or
four months that 1 was finally obliged
to come to the conclusion that there
was a real demand among the people
as a whole for my nomination, which
did not come in any way from any per-
sonal friends of mine, and was neither
inspired nor engineered by them. When
became convinced that this popular
demand was real and was considerable
and when the governors of seven states
increased by this time to ten, I may
mention incidentally asked me whether
I would accept if nominated, answer
ed yes I added an expression of my
wish that wher ever possible open
preferential presidential primaries
might be held, SO as to find out who the
Republican voters wished to have nom
mated.
If the people do not wish me to serve.
most certainly I do not wish to serve If
they do desire me to undertake in their
interest great task, I shall do so and
shall perform it with whatever courage
and ability I possess. Whether there
will be such an expression of the popu-
lar will, I cannot say, as where there
are no preferential primaries it I'M
fortunately seems too often to be the
case, that the effort of the political
leaders is not to give expression to the
popular will. but to thwart it in every
imaginary way possible"
Van VaIl<enburg's Statement.
Philadelphia. March 5.-In refer
ence to the Roosevelt letter, E. A.
Van Va1kenburg, editor and president
of the North American, made the fol-
lowing statement:
"Of course, the letter was not made
public by me. When Colonel Roose-
welt attended the Cardinal Gibbons
celebration in Baltimore last summer,
the Associated Press sent out an in
spired statement to the effect that
Colonel Roosevelt had positively
a denomination. AS matter of
routine news, we printed this dis
patch, although / had personal knowl-
edge that Colonel Roosevelt's attitude
must have been misrepresented.
Much was made by the Taft man
ayers of the supposed Endorsement
and even his denial was met by thel
rejoinder that his assurance had been
given privately and he was merely de-
nying it for public effect.
This led to my correspondence
with him, which eliminated in the
letter of June 81. 1t will be observed
that he denies the fake story and asks |
that copies of his letter be sent to two |
directors of the Associated Press for
their information. His purpose was
that they should have an official de-
NAL on record, from which they
would Issue n formal withdrawal of |
the fake yarn. I sent copies to Mr. |
requesting that he furnish
one to Mr.. Noyes, but no denial of the
fake story ever was made by the Asso-
ciated Press.
mot only from his letter, but from |
conversations with Colonel Roosevelt, |
know that his communication ac-
curately and sincerely set forth his
attitude at that time, for L heard him
repeatedly and emphaticalIy urging
friends to drop all talk of his possible
candidacy and to use every effort to /
such talk in their own cir
cles. Moreover, I heard him speak |
in the same strain and with equal en- |
phas1s to political leaders in my
presence-to men who could offer |
not merely sentimental support, but |
delegates to the national convention" |