The Washington times., 1912-04-24
TAFT LEAVES TODAY
FOR MASSACHUSETTS,
TO MAKE SPEECHES
Much Heralded Addresses
Will Be Made in Bay
State. .

Having most carefully worked up
the report that victory In Massa chusetts
will mean the end of former President
Roosevelt's chances In the campaign and
having held what was practically an all
night session OF the Cabinet to enshroud
the entire incident with an air of al
most painful Importance, President Taft
is leaving Washington this afternoon to
make his much-heralded speeches In
Boston, Worcester, and Springfield.
Probably never before has the adroit-
ness of the political press agent been
more strikingly exemplifed than In the
present case. Rigidly secludtng himself
In the innermost recesses OF his study
where he was supposed to be working
on the most dsmning sort Of charges
against Former President Roosevelt,
and canceling all the engagements he
had made with political leaders OF the
theless, been able, in some mysterious
way. to obtain the widest publicity OF
I the fact that he has certain acts of
MIR. Roosevelt to make public, and TO
but tell all he knew, the former Pres
ident would he discredited for life.
In the meanwhile the conscientious
political press agents of the President
have been pretending to have the hard
est sort of n time inducing him to Tor
get himself far enough to tell all he
knows
! his Massachusetts friends who have
been ca ling at the White House feel
! fairly certain they VIII carry MaSsa-
| chusetts. Some weeks ago, before llll-
| nois and Pennsylvania administered
| their unpar alleled rebukes to the reac-
| tionaries. it was absolutely certain that
| he would do so. Later the President
suffered some intense mlhgivngs on the
subject. and there was general panic
among his Massachusetts le"ders.
But today they are quite tly telling
! their most intimate friends they are
sure of carrying Massachusetts,, and
at the same time pretending they are
fraid they won't, in the quaint hope
| that IL Massachusetts does go for the
| President It will add to the dramatic
effect OF his victory. Harebralned as
this policy may be considered by many
persons, II is actually what some Of
| the desperate leaders are doing, driven,
as they have been. to adopt almost
any sort Of political subterfuge TO
bolster up the falling fight.
The first impression among those Who
! Heard of the Cabinet meeting which
was called to order late yesterday ana
continued until about 2:30 o'clock this
morning was that II had something TO
do with the Mexican situation. An IN
vestigation this morning among those
who were present entirely dispelled this
report. The Mexican situation Is UNI
questionably grave. and the state De-
partment and the President are tahlpS
advantage of every diplomatic side
| step i'm the calendar to keep from maxi
| ing some grave misstep which would
| be followed with the most serious con-
sequences to the country, but there was
no need for calling a special Cabinet
meeting. The President is as deter
mined as ever to prevent intervention
| and the members OF the Cabinet fully
coincide with him in this View.
The Cabinet meeting, therefore. was
given over entirely, according to an
authoritative statement this morning.
to a close scrutiny of the charges he
| Is to make against Mr.. Roosevelt. Each
and every Cabinet member, it Is said,
/ took turns at solemnly digesting the
| extraordinary" allegations therein
| contained and when they had finished
at 2:30 o'clock this morning the unani-
| nous sentiment was, it Is declared. that
no better or more striking speech mad
ever been compiled by the President.
| Considerable anxiety was simuitane-
ously expressed in various quarters to-
day lest the President make some
! eIeventh-hour changes and eliminate
some Of the dynamite" II he does
| this, all hands agree. he is lost"
| In the meanwhile, Mr.. Taft's friends
are being given encouragement and In
spiration by the report that Gen, Mel
! son A. Miles, who is said to have a
tremendous influence in Massachusetts.
| has entered the lists for Mr.. Taft, and
| is going to help him carry the State.