Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-20
Roosevelt Plans Strenuous
Campaign in Behalf of
Progressive Party.
ARRANGES CONFERENCES
WITH MANY LEADERS
Former President, Although Now
Feeling Better, Shows Traces of
South American Ordeals.

| OYSTER BAY. n. Y. May 20.-Twelve
hours after Theodore Roosevelt returned
from South America he was back today
! in the thick Of politics. He was up
early, and as soon as breakfast was over
| he was hard at work, picking up the
| threads where he dropped them seven
| months ago
| Col. Roosevelt, it was learned today.
| looks forward to one Of the hardest po-
litical campaigns of his career. Except
for the time occupied by his trip to
Spain for the wedding Of his son Kermit
he expects to devote to politics most OF
| his time until November. Already
tentative plan of action has been mapped
! out. Col Roosevelt has in mind one OF
the longest campaign trips he ever has
| made taking him from the Atlantic to
the Pacific and several shorter trips In
nearby states.
Work at Top Speed.
By 9 o'clock today he was in his Ii
brary, a great, quiet room on the ground
floor Of the old house on Sycamore Hill.
He paced the floor and dictated letters
and kilograms at top speed to the ste
nographer whom he had summoned from
N.
with messages from all parts Of the
world, inquiring as to his health and in
forming him of political conditions;
For the ten days before he sails Tor
Europe Col Roosevelt has mapped out
a program which will keep him busy.
His present desire is to get back IN
touch as soon as possible with the af-
fairs of the progressive party In all parts
of the country. and help TO star. tne
Before he left South America he planned
his work, arranging by cable for con-
ferences with leaders of the progressive
party. The first of these was sent for
today. George w. Perkins of New
York, chairman of the national execu-
tive committee, and o. X. Davis Of
Washington, secretary of the committee.
were expected at Sycamore Hill to give
Col. Roosevelt a report on the situation.
Will Confer With Leaders.
pointments with progressive leaders of
tant of these conferences will deal with
the situation in Pennsylvania, where
Col. Roosevelt expects to make hard
campaign this fall Within the next few
days the colonel will see William Draper
Lewis. dean of the University of Penn
syivania, who was nominated for gov
ernor at Yesterdays primaries. and Gift
1ord Plnchot, the candidate for United
States senator.
E. A. Van Ealkenburg publisher of
the Philadelphia North American and
William Finn of Pittsburgh, both of
whom were prominent in Col. Roosevelt's s
1872 campaign, also will attend this con-
ference
Walter Brown of Ohio, chairman of the
national organization work Of the pro-
gressive party, will come to Oyster Bay
to tell Of the outlook in his state
Will Meet Associates.
Col. Roosevelt, will go to his editorial
office in New York tomorrow morning
and will spend most of the day in meet
ing political associates. At that time he
will confer with the New York state
leaders.
The address which Col. Roosevelt is to
make before the National Geogra phic
Society in Washington has been set for
next Tuesday evening. 1t is in this ad-
dress that the colonel will make the first
formal announcement Of his discovery
of river in Brazil
The Wilson administrations attitude in
the controversy with Colombia over the
Panama canal was criticised today by
Col. Roosevelt. He objected strongly to
the payment of what he termed 'black-
mali to Colombia.
Calls Payment "Unthinkable,"
I'm submitting to this he said "it
is just as though some future President
of the United States should apologize to
successor of Huerta for the seizure of
Vera Cruz AS for the payment Of $685.
OOOOO to Colombia'-here the colonel
threw up his hands-'well, that is un-
thinkable.'
Col. Roosevelt expressed himself as
strongly opposed to the repeal of the law
for the exemption of American coastwise
ships from payment Of Panama canal
tolls. He said be thought 1t perfectly
right to arbitrate the question, If the
rights Of the country to grant exemption
were questioned. but declared that to
yield the point unequivocally without a
reason was indefensible. as he was con-
WINGED that the United States was within
its rights in freeing coastwise ships
from payment of tolls
When he goes to Washington next week
he said he will be ready to refute state
ments Of Henry Savage Landor of Eng
land and others who have expressed
doubt to the correctness Of his state
ment that he had discovered a great
| river in the wilds of South America
Tells of Finding River.
THE river is still there said the
colonel with laugh. 1T wasn't like
| climbing an unexplored mountain or going
to the north pole, for such expeditions
| leave no traces which are there a year
later But nobody is going to roll up that
i river and carry it off. Anybody can go
down there and see it for himself 1 will
| give him the address of the owner of
| rubber plantation who will furnish river
| men for the trip. The lower third of the
! river is easily navigable. and any one who
doubts the existence of that river may 60
down and see for himself
! The colonel went to explain why he
made the trip to South America. II want
ed to do something more he said. II
was getting to the age where 1 felt that
| if was to do anything requiring unusual
| physical exertion I must do 1t now. In
fact.' I was just a little over the age. but
l put 1t through
Col. Roosevelt said that it was pretty