New-York tribune., 1912-03-04
Note Credited to C,IoneI, Under
June 27, 1911, Date, Says
He Told Many He
Wouldn't Run.
RECIPIENT HIDES IDENTITY
Showed the Communication to
Others, by Request, He Says,
and May Yet Give Full
Text to Prove
Authenticity.

velt's denial of stories sent from Wash
ington that the Taft administration had
reason TO believe that he would not be
a candidate for the Republican nomina-
tion against the President. and his state-
ment at Oyster Bay yesterday that Sec
retary of the Navy Meyer and Secretary
of War Stimson couldn't have said that
he would not" be a candidate, caused 10
be made public here tonight a letter
written by Colonel Roosevelt on June 27.
1911, denying reports current at the time
that he would support Mr. Taft. The
letter ended, az follows:
have expressed myself perfectly free.
ly to large number OF men in this mat
ter, always to the same effect; telling
you, for instance, personally. and those
who were with you at lunch at my
house, and telling Clifford Pinchot, jim,
Garfield, and Congressman Madison, and
Billy Loeb and Secretary Meyer, and
Secretary Stimson, all alike, just exactly
what have said always that | would
not be candidate in 1912 myself, and
that ! had no intention of taking any
part in the nomination for or against
any candidate. Sincerely yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Those who have been intimate with
Colonel Roosevelt and his purposes are
by no means surprised by the announce
ment that he had written such a letter.
He has said as much to several Of them,
leading them to understand, if he did
not put II in so many words, that he had
no purpose TO be a candidate. In fact.
friends declare that he had no intention
of entering the race himself until he
read the bill filed by the gov ernment in
:he suit against the Steel Trust.
Resented an Intimation.
The intimation that he had been film
| hammed." contained in that bill. he re-
garded as an objectionable insult, re-
>senting 1t, If possible, even more bitterly
! than he would had his integrity been
| impugRed. Prior TO that he had given
at least broad intimations Of his purpose
10 support the ticket headed by Mr..
Taft. had discussed the difficulty of re-
electing a. President who was so little
OF a politician, etc, and had deprecated
every suggestion that he become a can
didate.
After that bill was published, 1t is
said, his anger knew no bounds, and
even when il was explained 10 him that
President Taft never saw or was con-
suited regarding the bill until it was
presented in court he insisted that In
such a case ignorance proved no excuse,
and the President should have known
what was in it.
Most Of those who talked with Colonel
Roosevelt regarding the coming cam
paign admit that he did use an occa-
sional qualifying phrase. as, for in
stance, the parenthetical remark that
mo man was big enough TO refuse TO
serve when drafted by the unanimous
action" of the national convention OF his
party. Nor are any of those whom no
led to believe that he would not be
candidate willing to quote his precise
words for publication. They merely as
sert that he gave them the impression
that under no circumstances would he
he a candidate. and that when he saw
that they had derived such impression
from his words he permitted them to go
avav without attempting to correct that
impression.
Mr.. Taft Reassured by Many.
II Is we'll known that members OF the
Cabinet who had talked with Colonei
Roosevelt and who supposed that they
on nioyed his entire confidence assured tne
President that he had nothing to fear
from Colonel Roosevelt, who, whiie ne
would espouse the cause of no candidate
IN advance of the convention. would not
himself be a candidate and would sup
rort the party nominee, whoever ne
might be.
II was largely on account of these as
surances that President Taft could not
believe that Colonel Roosevelt would be
candidate; for of course no one be-
Ieved that without any announcement ny
him he would be unanimously drafted
nv the national convention.
While the man who furnished the copy
~ this extract from Colonel Roosevelts
letter refuses TO permit the use OF his
name. he intimates that should the ex-
President deny its authenticity he VIII
make public the entire text OF the letter.
ra,uctant as he would be to adopt that
course.
Tn view Of the fact that Colonel Roose-
ve,, reouested the recipient OF the letter
"a show Il to several others, or 10 fur-
nish them with copies, the man believes
his identity will remain hidden, even
from Mr.. Roosevelt unless. OF course, ne
is forced to publish the entire text To
support his case. Possibly his Identity
would be concealed even then, Tor ne IN
Inmates that with the entire text MADE
public. no one could doubt It's autheh-
ticity. even If they did not know to whom
II was written.
stimson Will Not Quote Words.
Secretary stimson has been repeatedly
,rrnor,uned to tell Just what Colonel
Roosevelt said to him regarding ms un-
Willingness to accept the nomination es-
pecially since II has been ramored tha'
Mr. stimson was one of those who gave
the President the strongest assurances
that Colonel Roosevelt would not De
candidate.
Mr.. Stimson refuses. however. 70 pu'
himself in a position where he might DC
elected to the Ananias Club. He did NOT