The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-04
Taft Wants Publicity

Chicago, June s--A letter from President l Taft to Chairman Harry $. New of tho 1 subcommittee on arrangements Tor tho republican national convention. suggesting
 that the meetings of the national eomn1it-
 tee at which contests are heard, be pub l lie, was received at the national commit-
 tee headquarters here today.
 The President suggests that Mir. New take up with the committee the matter Of l open hearings and that if the committee 1 finds 1t possible the deliberations over
 the contests, 2so of which have already beer prepared for submission, be carried on In open sessions.
 This in connection with the previous request of Colonel Roosevelt for public it' of the contest arguments, indicates that the doors will probably be thrown open. at least to newspaper men. when
 the committee takes up contested dele gates cases Friday morning l Few members of the national com mittee had reached Chicago tonight and of those here none would make h nrndsotfon as to the ncstan of the
 committee.
 The Presidents declaration for pub lfeity of hearings Is declared by his supporters here to indicate the Taft managers believe their contest cases
 are strongly prepared
 Taft Headquarters Opened
 Tat headquarters was opened today 1 by Joseph B. Keeling of Indiana. Up
 to a late hour tonight only two east
 ern representatives of the President
 had reached Chicago, John Ryan and A. A Early of the publicity bureau. MT. Healing wired Congressman Me
 Knley the Taft campaign manager.
 10 hurry to Chicago. He Is expected to reach the city tomorrow. l The Roosevelt and the Taft head 1 quarters have been established in the same hotel Alexander II. Revell head of the Illinois headquarters, who re- | turned this morning from Oyster Bay. gave out a statement tonight In which he said.
 We are assured absolutely that there will be a clear majority for Colonel Roosevelt on the first ballot" Edwin w. sims. acting head of the Chicago Roosevelt headquarters. made
 public a telegram received from Oscar w Hundlev. a Roosevelt leader. In Alabama. Mir. Hundley said the two
 delegates from the Third Alabama dis trict, instructed for Taft, had given out a written statement that they would support Roosevelt because they believed 90 per cent of their constit- uency favored his nomination.
 Talk of Southern Delegates
 The southern delegate situation was discussed by two members of the na- tlonal committee who reached Chicago
  from Florida, declared 1t was "a re- fIectlon on the integrity of Florida republicans" to hint that they would
 not stand by their instructions for
 President Taft.
 "Florida's 12 delegates are instructed
 for Taft" said Mir. chubb and they will vote for him through thick and thin
 Gen. Powell Clayton. committeeman for Arkansas, said southern commit teemen and delegates would organize before the convention to fight any pro- posal to reduce the representation of southern states.
 1 The attempt made four years ago to reduce representation caught the south ern delegates and committeeman un- prepared, he said, but If it was at tempted again II would be fought in, l the convention.
 Among the committeeman who arr rived today besides General Clayton and Mir Chubb were Cecil Lyon of Texas and sidney Beiher of the Dis triet of Columbia, both Roosevelt sup- porters