New-York tribune., 1912-05-30
ROOSEVELT WON'T DENY
PLAN TO CO TO CHICAGO
But Impression Is He VIII YET
Find 1t Necessary to Lead
His Convention Battle.
PRIMARY BASIS OF FIGHT
National Committeeman Problem
To Re Fine Work
in Jersey-Off To-day
for Gettysburg.

personally direct MS COnNeHtioH "
DO YOU intend to go?" he was asked
Il do not now expect to go TO ohI-
caeo." he replied. Il can't imagine any
thing that will make it necessary
When he was told that Chicago news
paper dispatch published yesterday al
ternoon in New York said he Wou!i 90
tefore the convention the colonel smileo'
"Tu wager you leo to that don l.
hc said
Mr. Roosevelt, by comparison with Ills
former manner Of disposinS OF the I'M
cago trip question, lent the impression
Yesterday that he wasn't entirely against
the idea 1t is believed that unless the
claim of the newly elected national COM
mtteemen in some six states to assume
their duties before the convention beSin"
its work is decided before June u. Colonei
Roosevelt may conclude that his pres
ence in Chicago will be absolutely nee
essary. Extraordinary circumstances
alone. II is believed, will send him there.
The pilgrimage of fifty-siX Of the Hit
nos delegates TO Sycamore Hill on Sa,-
urday is regarded as one of the hrst
steps in his fight to gain control Of the
national committee Frank o. Low den
IS the stanch "stand-patter' whose SCALP
is in danger Colonel Chauncey Dewey.
who is Roosevelt's state manager is
much talked Of man for Lowdens 9 sue
cessor if the shaking up gets to be Il
fact.
The Roosevelt people hold radical con-
victions on the validity Of the office Of
those committeeman from Nebraska
California. Illinois. Pennsylvania, Mary
land. New Jersey, and. in fact. all the
states where Roosevelt delegates have
been elected through the new direct pri-
mary laws. The open primary, they say,
for the frst time legalzes the election
OF delegates since the delegates are fit-
ted out for the convention with creden-
uals from the Secretary OF state in the
commonwealths where they are elected
They are. they say. the only lawful
delegates and they alone bear the states
official stamp as delegates.
that the only legal representatives, Of the
Republican party as a corporate body
are the delegates from the direct pr
mary states. r. therefore. the RO7se-
Welt men can eject the committeeman
from these states and fill their places
with Roosevelt committeeman the con-
trcl of the national committee is as
sured.
Primary M Be Basis Of Fight.
The ex President. when asked whether
the "modus operand'' would he along
these lines. declined TO go into the mat
ter. He said the Roosevelt men did net
at present know just what would he
done. II is generally believed that they
are considering the attack on the oppo
sition in the national committee on tn
basis Of the legality of the direct pr!-
mary law and Of the Legality of repre-
sentatives of the Republican party
chosen under the law.
The colonel left the city soon after
midnight this morning for Gettysburg.
where he Will address the Brotherhood
of Locomotive Engineers to-day. He left
oyster Bay Yesterday afternoon on the
{ - o'clock train. arriving AZ the station
in his automobile during a heavy thun-
der shower He carried his heavy suit
case 10 the train ana climbed into one
Of the day coaches and sat down among
the plain people" To read.
for the electric trains. the colonel tugged
his heavy baggage 10 the platform. and
was standing there alone reading. when
a train pulled in from Garden city. near.
" ten minutes late This train delayed
the approach Of the electric for Manhat-
tan. For the most part Mr.. Roosevelt,
seemed to he attracting little attention
until qucerlc dressed little woman,
a bout seventy years OLD started 10 sc.
out of the train from Garden City. She
WAS struggling with a heavy satChel and
"A bunch of flowers. and was having Il
hard tine of it trying to climb down 10
the platform.
When Colonel Roosevelt caught sight
of her ne dropped his book by the side of
his luggage on the platform and sprarG
to her assistance. He had her down in
a jlfy. and. big campaign hat in hand,
was accepting her thanks when thH
crowd began To realize what was going
on The little woman appeared bewil-
dered she told MIR. Roosevelt she had
come in from Garden city and wantel
to get 10 New York. but she was turned
around and really didn't know where
she was or where she ought TO go
Gracously the former President gave
her his arm and led her down the plat
the train. After some delay the train
arrived and Colonel Roosevelt con-
Quoted her 10 IA seat. carrying her bag
gage and his own. When the conductor
came through the car he shook hands
with Colonel Roosevelt and thanked him
for assisting the elderly woman. The
colonel laughed pleasantly and chatted
with the conductor for "A minute or So
Fine Piece Of Work" in Jersey.
At the Pennsylvania Station the
colonel carried his luggage vigorously
over to the checking room. and after
washing his hands he began hurrying
around the station with one of the port
crs in search of something. He was in a
genial mood. and laughed and jokcd
with the reporters. who discovered him
as he was following at the heels of the
porter.
Some one mentioned something about
William Barnes, jr., and his intimaton
that he would lead the fight at Chicago