New-York tribune., 1912-02-28
ROOSEVELT CONFERS
WITH POLITICIANS
No National Leader for His
Campaign Obtained
as Yet.
DENIES ATTACKING TAFT
No Personal Issue, He Says
Position Clearly Defined IN
Columbus speeoh-Com-
ing Home To. day.

Boston. Feb. 27.-The political situation In
New England was canvaSsed at length To-
ds, bv Colonel Roosevelt and the men
who arc leading the Roosevelt movement
in the Northeastern states. Governor koD-
ert r. Bass Of New Hampshire Fred J.
Hale. Of Portland Me, son of the FORMER
United states Senator, and score OF
other men active I'm politics attended
conference az the home of Grafton d.
cushing. Speaker Of the Massachusetts
House After Colonel Roosevelt had re-
celved reports of the probable lineup oi
New England's eighty eight delegates 10
the Chicago convention, he put poUucS
aside for the time and went TO Cambridge
20 discuss literature with the learned men
of Harvard.
n developed to-day that the Roosevelt
movement is at present without a nauoha'
leader 10 take active personal charge
Those who have consulted Colonel Roose-
yelt since he has declared his readl~
ness 70 accept the nomination say that ne
has stated that he cannot take PERSONA
charge of the movement. Colonel Koose-
welt said to-day that it was ms P'eSe"'
Intention 10 return home and spend as
much Of his time as possible at oyster Bay
with occasional visits to his editorlal once
IN New York. ~
Colonel Roosevelt was asked as 10 ''e
Truth of q report that Senator DIXON oi
Montana, would he the man at the he'ii''
We repIied that Senator Dixon would oe a'-
oanteble TO him. and that 1t had been eN-
r4cted that the Senator would take chaIsF'
Illness in his family. however, had maze IT
NECESSARY, Colonel Roosevelt SAID lor u.e
Senator to abandon this plan for an lhueh-
MITE neriod. Several other names were sus-
sested 10 the ex-President, but he sald 'ha'
M decision had been reached, and that he
had no idea as to who would be selected
Hotly Denies Attacking Taft.
p.,orts nubIisbed to-day that he had
made an attack on President Taft brought
,ortb a heated denial from Colonel Roose-
vol. who declared that they were un-
.mivocaIlv false. He said that he had eN-
nressed no opinion on the administration
"a that rone had been asked of him. He
was angered by statements published TINS
rnorninr 10 the effect that he had said Presl-
dent taft was not progressive. He said
that in his political conferences yesterday,
,n which he was reported to have made the
statement, BTtSOeNl / at . hf'iiiS ''
heen mentioned. lie repeated his statement
that he had not taken his present position
for nersonal reasons, and did not propose
IN make the issue in any sense personal
one
Colonel Roosevelt was asked to explain
the position which he will maintain in the
campaign In reply he issued the follow
ing statement: --'..
could not more definitely state my posi-
iion on the great issues of the day than
stated il in my Columbus speech and again
ycstcrday before the MASSACHUSETTS Leg
f., what I there said on the subject OF pop
ulsr government 7 also call particular at
tention m what said at Columbus on the
Of The government toward BUSINESS so as
60 insure conditions that viii make for the
prosperity of the business world and or all
In M Ohio sreech dwelt with emphasis
upon the two great subjects of immediate
moment 10 our people, the need of having
real ana not merely nominal popular RUE,
and the need Of securing prosperity for the
business man, the wage Garner and the
farmer alike. As l then said, | most EN-
phstically believe that IL is necessary to
have an equitable division Of prosperity, but
that It behooves US to keep in mind that
we cannot divide the prosperity unless the
prosperity is there to divide, and that TO
secure the well being Of the business world
is ennphaticaly in the interest OF every citi-
zen OF the United States.
Followed by Camera Men.
Colonel Roosevelt's visit to Harvard to-
day was not entirely peaceful Since the
moment of his arrival in Boston last Sat
urday he has been followed by taxicabs
filled with reporters and photographers
wherever his pursuers were able to keep
track of his movements. The pursuit led
to-day to two clubs at Harvard. Once the
colonel walked up to a pursuing automo-
bic. opened the door and said that he did
not wish TO be followed as his visit to
Harvard was Of purey social nature. But
AAe taxicabs still pursued him.
Then the colonel became angry. AS he
sbghted from the motor car at the Hasty
Pudding Club the camera men drove up
and aimed their machines at him. The
colonel waved his arms in protest, but 1t
was useless. Again he went to the auto
mobile, ard in tones which showed his
anger demanded that the pursuit stop. He
was met with a polite but firm refusal.
{. The colonel turned sharply about and fed
into the clubhouse.
Yes" ne confessed later II was angry.
II isn't right. My picture mas been taken
several thousand times since ] came 10
Boston, and ] haven't even changed my
hat"
Colonel Roosevelt took luncheon with his
son Kermit and some Of his friends. talked
books. and came back TO Boston 10 spend
the night with Sturgis Bigelow. He re-
turned 10 Cambridge early In the evening,
long enough 10 take dinner with President
A Lawrence Lowell of Harvard. To-mor-
row he Is to attend the meeting or the
Harvard board OF overseers, take luncheon
with Arthur Hill, leader Of the RoOse-
welt movement here, and start for New
York at .. m.
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