Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-30
TAKE HOPEFUL VIEW
.Tafts Friends Look for Victory
in Massachusetts.
REPORTS ARE FAVORABLE
President Devotes Entire Time To-
day to Business Matters.

President Taft, returning from Massa-
chusetts this morning. plunged into ac-
cumulative business that has been held up
during his absence. No engagements were
made to see visitors and the President
got time to dispose of some of the things
before him. The regular cabinet meeting,
due for IL o'clock, was called of. The
President left the city at $50 o'clock this
afternoon for Savannah and Augusta.
Ca, and will not get back until Friday.
Saturday the President will plunge right
into the Maryland primary fight, speaking
at Havye de Grace, Aberdeen, Baltimore,
and several other points. The Maryland
primaries to express preference for presi-
Dental nomination on the republican tickle,
will be held next Monday. and the fight in
that state Is becoming hot. Roosevelt
will be in the state Saturday. and both
the President and the colonel will have
rival meetings in Baltimore Saturday
night.
Around the White House there was an air
of. confident hope that the Massachusetts
primaries today will prove q valuable VIC
tory for the, President. The reports from
the state were uniformly favorable to the
President and the word from Roosevelt
headquarters was that the leaders there
do not claim over sixteen OF the thirty
six votes, giving Taft at least twenty of
the total The Taft people are looking
for an almost clean sweep.
The situation, however, has its uncer-
tainties In the fact that this Is the first
primary ever held in the state. everything
Is new about i. and the registration Is
not UP to what was expected.
Senator Crane called at the White House
today, having just returned from his
home state. He was not overconfident in
his claims but believed that the state
would prove true to Taft. The returns
from Boston will be the first to come in
tonight, the polls there closing earlier
than In other cities and towns. Senator
Crane looks for early information as to
the results in that city. Boston. accord
ing to the Taft men, is more likely to be
pro-Roosevelt than other portions Of the
state. and the first returns may be that
way, although the situation In Boston
from the Taft standpoint has improved
In the last two days.
It was pretty generally conceded among
political wiseacres today that the defeat
Of Roosevelt In Boston will mean his
elimination from the fight. The defeat
Of Taft, on the other hand, will not be so
serious. but will not leave his followers
should he win the bulk Of the Massa-
chusetts delegates.
In Other States.
President Taft has many advantages
over Roosevelt In the states yet to choose
delegates, and with the influence Of q
victory In Massachusetts back Of him
these advantages viii show up much
stronger. II was at least apparent to-
day that the claims Of the Roosevelt
headquarters here have grown tanner
each day for some time. The adverse
news from Massachusetts,. in advance Of
the primary. has not had q stiffening eff
feet.
Inside information is that the head
quarters star here has gotten direct from
Col. Roosevelt something Of call down
for its attacks ON Taft and Its big claims,
and instructions have gone out from
the colonel that II win be best to 30
conduct things that II he should be
nominated he win stand slight chance,
at least, Of election. With the bitterness
that the colonel himself aroused by his
assaults on Taft and tho hot answers OF
the President, republicans everywhere
arc gliding into condition Of hot water
that forbodes no good for the man who is
From Massachusetts, come
reports OF the most intense bitterness
ever known there. Col. Roosevelt, IL n
believed. is try1ng to hold. down his fol-
lowers and managers 90 that IL he should
win thss nomination there will be some-
thing left Tor him 10 dght Tor.