The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-05
Says Not Contradictory

Oyster Bay. N. Y, March 4.-Colonel Roosevelt said today 1t was perfectly true that he had said he would not be candi- date in 1912
 persons, he said, but had not declared he would not accept the nomination if 1t were rendered him. He drew distinction between becoming a candidate and ac- cepting the nomination.
 He said he saw nothing in the VanVal- kenburg letter in which he said he would not be candidate in 1912 to conflict with his recent statement that he would be- come the nominee of the party if his party asked it.
 Colonel Roosevelt's position in the mat ter is set forth in statement which he gave out today explaining the clrcum- stances which induced him to write to MT. VanValkenburg. This is the statement:
 At that time persistent efforts had been made from Washington to convince the progressives that I was really sup porting Mir Taft. On this particular oc- casion the statement was made with the greatest expicitness. l promptly denied the statement and was assured on the one hand that it had not been, but on the contrary was made purely on the in itiative of the Associated Press. The As sociated Press people assured me that they were not responsible for the false statements ana as II Will De seen D] It1- erence to the letter itself MT. Moves was quoted as having got the information from independent sources. l do not know who gave out this letter. but 1 am certain it was not Mir Van Nallxenburg, for knew him to be an honorable man.
 Made Several Answers
 "To all who were at that time writing me to become a candidate I said I would ,a Ta otI xty, ad I xsrnp1J ha answered Yes" if they understood me and understood the conditions. To others l answered that I would not cross any bridges until I came to them.
 "It was not until the last three or four months that I 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 personal friends of mine and was neither inspired nor engineered by them when I 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, l answered yes I added an expression of my wish that wherever possible open preferential presidential primaries might be held, so as to find out who the repub- lican voters wished to have nominated
 '1f the people do not want me to serve, most certainly l do not wish to serve If they do desire me to undertake in their interest a great task, l shall do so and shall perform it with whatever courage and ability l possess. Whether there will be such an expression of the poular will I cannot say. as where there are no pre6 erential primaries it unfortunately seems too often to be the case that the effort of the political leaders is not to give ex- pression to the popular will, but to thwart it in every way possible"
 Serves on Jury
 They say I'm fighting the courts" said Colonel Rooseevlt, as he took his seat today as juror in the county court house at Mineola. 'I'l show them my obedience to the courts"
 Colonel Roosevelt did it by refusing to claim exemption from jury service, al- though the law would have permitted it. and Justice Putnam offered to excuse him. All he asked was to be allowed to go his own way today and tomorrow to fulfill pressing engagements This re- quest the justice granted and on wednes- day the former President is to 20 to court to have his first experience as a juror.
 q believe in this sort of thing" Col onel Roosevelt said on his return to Oys- ter Bay 'I shall stay just as long as they want me-"
 "Wont it interfere with your cam paign?''
 "Others are running that.9
 This was March the day when Presi- dents are inaugurated and when the col onel left home he had on a brand new campaign hat It is soft black felt hat with a wide brim and approaches the sombrero type.
 The colonel spent the afternoon dictat- ing letters.
 The colonel said he had received word from Oklahoma that 52 of the 76 Of the counties of the state were for him and that the delegates to be elected by the state convention next week would be in structd for him.