The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-01-06
Taft Is Talking with Unusual
Frankness to His Political
Callers at the White House
These Days.
NEEDLESS ATTACKS
UPON THE COLONEL
Made by Some Of the Admin
istration Officials Has
Worried Taft-Breach To-
day Is Very Wide.
palladium Specially

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6.-Prestdent
Taft 10 talking with unusual frankness
to political callers these days about
his personal relations with Col. Roose-
velt The President believes he can de-
feat Roosevelt for the nomination. He
has a hope inspired by what secreta-
ries Meyer and Stimson OF his cabinet
and Senator Crane have told him. that
Roosevelt will yet declare himself out
OF the race. but the Roosevelt hackers
ON capital hill" feel otherwise. They
claim to have had assurances from the
Colonel before they started in to Or
ganise that II the Republicans of the
country desired Roosevelt and felt he
was the only man who could be elect
ed, he would not decline to run.
But Roosevelt is reported to have
said frankly he did not desire to be
. candidate. President Taft acknowl.
edges his political obligations to
Roosevelt. He says he tried to express
his appreciation Of his predecessor
political favor once. in a way that he
believed 1t would be appreciated. 1t
was when the Colonel was preparing
to sail for Africa.
An Unfortunate Note.
In the note which the president sent
by Major Archibald w. Rutt, his mill
tary aide, who served In a like capa-
city with Roosevelt, the president said
In substance: II owe more to Charles
p. TAFT and you than to any two other
men alive" Colonel Roosevelt read it
just before shipping for Africa but the
effect was far from satisfactory to Ma
jor Rutt. Roosevelts brow clouded
with anger so he puts money above
brains snapped Mr.. Taft's predeces.
sor by way Of showing his disproval Of
the fact that the president mentioned
c. p. Taft ahead of Roosevelt in his
notice.
In relating the incident yesterday
president Taft said II thought I was
paying him the greatest compliment
by putting him in a class with my
brother" II the note had stood alone
Roosevelt would not have been offend.
ed.
At the time he received 1t he was
displeased over other things He felt
Taft should have invited Loeb to the
cabinet. Loeb expected it. Roosevelt
consistently declined to ask Taft for
anything. He is reported to have said
that he felt the president did not need
TO be reminded of his obligations, both
TO Roosevelt and Loeb. When urged
TO name Loeb for the cabinet Taft told
people that he intended to make his
own cabinet and divorce his admins.
tration from every appearance of be-
ing under Roosevelts domination This
was the only explanation he ever gave
for not appointing Loeb. Further.
more. the president surrounded him.
self as soon as he was elected by a
band OF "reactionary Republicans. :"
headed by Knox and Crane. men who
had fought Roosevelt hardest in his ef-
forts to nominate and elect Taft.
Made Bad Break.
So that the note handed to Col.
Roosevelt by Major Butt on the eve of
hts departure for Africa was only one
link In a chain Of circumstances that
was weighing upon Col Roosevelt.
More recently the presidents oficial
advisers went out Of their way to at.
tack Roosevelt needlessly. on account
Of his approval as president of the
Tennessee Coal and Iron absorption
by the United States Steel corpora
ton. This was done in the petition
Med In the federal court at Trenton.
N. j.. by the attorney general and spe-
cial counsel. and ex-secretary Dickin-
nom appeared on the brief The presi-
dent explains this by saying that he
knew nothing of it. 1t Is said for him
that when he heard of it he sent for
Dickinson to come to Chicago. and re-
buked him for it. and that he con-
demned Wickersham SO unsparingly
for It that the attorney general took i'll
and 10 now recuperating. but 1t is
noted that the petition has not been
mended by striking out the offensive
language directed at Roosevelt. The
particularly inviting thing about the
steel trust petition is that the attack
on Roosevelt seemed studied. It was
not, necessary averment in the peti.
tion. Lawyers like Senator Root de-
1Ounced the petition a. q stump
nneech."
Day after day these delicate ques-
tions affecting the relations of the
Precedent to his predecessor ars being
thrashed out at the White House in
che oAAi1ee and ON "canitol him"
I
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