The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-05
Admissible Snid IL

oyster lay, y, Y, March i.--Coionel
Roosevelt said to-day that it was per-
fcctlS true that he had said he would
not - candidate In 1912.
He had matte that statement 10
many persons, he said, but had lot
declared that n. would not accept Nic
nomination If il We're rendered to nan.
lie drew distinction between becom-
ing candidate anu being willing to
accept the nomination.
The Colonel made it plain that hc
saw nothing in the Van Snlkenburg
letter. in which he said he would not
be a candidate in 1912. TO conflict with
h's recent statement mat he would be :
come the nominee Of The party II his
party asked H.
Colonel l;oosevclts position In the
matter Is set forth In u statement
which he gave out to-day in which
he explains the circumstances which
induced him 10 write TO Mr. Van
Nalkcahurg This Is the statement:
AT tina, time persistent efforts had
en- made from Washington TO con-
vice the progrcssiycs that ! was really
supporting Mir. 'ruit. On this particu-
'"r OCCASION the statement was made
with the greatest ,xplcltncss. |
promptly denied tha statement and
WAS assured on the one hand that il
had been inspired from the White
Louise and assured OH the other hand
that t had not been. but on the con-
tfary was made purely ON the ini,iu-
i've of the Associated Press
The Associated Pregs people as
tured me that they We're no, respon.
tio!e for the false statements. ana as
II was seen by reference to the letter
itself. Mr.. Moves was quoted as hav-
irG got The information from indepen
dent sources do not know who ruvo
laf -
II was no, Mr., Van Na!kenburg, for |
Know him TO be an honorable nun.
Varied HIS Ans,rcrs.
10 all who d that time were writ
ins me to be q candidate, | answered
That would not be. TO all who asked
whether | would accept II nominated
answered yes If | knew them SUI
ieiently well TO he assured that they
would understand me. otherwise said
simply that | would cross that bridge
when l came to it, and in most cases,
II the man was close personal friend.
told him that | 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 | WAS finally oblig.
Cd 10 come to the conclusion that there
was real demand among the people
as whole for my nomination, which
did not come in any way from any per-
sonsl friends OF mine, and wac neither
Inspired nor engineered by them. When
l became convinced that Ihs popular
demand was real and WAS consdera BILE
and when the Governors OF seven states
Increased by this time TO ten, may
mention incidentally, asked ME who
ther l would accept ii nominated, |
answered yes l added an expression
Of my wish that wherever possible open
preferential presidential primaries
might be held, so as to find out who
the Republican voters wished TO have
nominated.
II the peorlc do not wish me 10
serve. most certainly I do not wish 10
serve. II they do desire ms to undertake.
IN Their interest q great task, l shall
do SO. ana shall perform II with what
ever courage and ability 1 possess
Whether there will bt such an ex-
preston of the popular Will cannot
say, as where there are no preteren-
tial primaries it unfortunately seems
TOO often TO be tho case that the effort
OF the political leaders Is not to give
expression to the popular VIII, but TO
thwart It In every way possible"