Omaha daily bee., 1914-05-21
ROOSEVELT BACK IN GAME
Colonel Plans Political Tour Of the
Entire Country.
CR1T1C1zEs COLOMBIA TREATY
lie Calls Proposed Payment Of
Twenty-Five millions BIsckmsH
-Opposcs Repeal Of Free
Tolls Law.

Tolls Law.
OYSTER BAY, n. Y, May 2O.-Twelve
hours after Theodore Roosevelt returned
tro4p South America he was back today
Ia the thick Of politics. lie 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.
4 Colonel Roosevelt, II was learned today
looks forward to one Of the hardest
political campaigns Of his career Ex-
cept for the time occupied by his trip to
Spain for the wedding OF his son. Ker-
init. he expects 10 devote TO politics most
OF his time until November Already a
tentative plan Of action has been mapped
out Colonel Roosevelt has in mind one
Of the longest campaign trips ne ever
has made taking him from the Atlantic
to the Pacific and several shorter trips in
nearby states.
BY Q o'clock today he was In his library.
He paced the floor and dictated letters
and kilograms at top speed TO the stenog-
rapher whom he had summoned from
New York.
Numerous Conferences Planned
For tho ten days before he sails for
Europe Colonel Roosevelt has mapped
out program which will keep him busy
| His present desire is 10 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 start the ma
chinery for the coming campaign. Be
| fore he left South America he planned
his work, arranging by cable for con-
ferences with leaders Of the progressive
. g.
today. George W. Perkins Of New York
chairman OF the national executive com
mittee and O. X Davis OF Washington,
secretary of the committee. were eN
pected at saRamore Hin to give Colonel
Roosevelt n report on the situation
/ Colonel Roosevelt will go to his edi-
torial office In New York tomorrow
morning and will spend most of the day
in meeting political associates
The address which Colonel Roosevelt
is to make sefore the National
Geographic society in Washington has
been set for next Tuesday evening. It
is In this address that the colonel win
make the first formal announcement of
his discovery of river In Brazil
objects 10 Colombia Deal.
The Wilson Administrations attitude in
the controversy with Colombia over the
Panama canal was criticised today by
to the payment OF what he termed black
mail" 70 Colombia.
In submitting 10 this" he said, 1T Is
just as though some future president of
the United States should apologize t
the successor of Huerta for the seizure
Of Vera Cruz. AS for the payment of
f25.oOO,OOO to Colombia" the colone.
threw up his hands-"well that is un
thinkable."
| Colonel Roosevelt expressed himself ks
strongly opposed to the repeal Of the law
for the exemption OF American coastwise
ships from payment OF Panama tolls He
said he thought It perfectly right to arb.
trate the question II the rights OF the
country to grant exemption were ques D..
toned. but declared that to yield the poiut
unequivocably without arbitration was
indefenslble, as he was convinced the
United states was within It's rights IN
freeing coastwise ships from payment II
tolls
When he goes to Washington next
week, he said he will be ready to refute
statements OF Henry Savage Landor Of
England and others who have expressed
doubt as to the correctness OF his stata-
ment that he had discovered a great river
In the wilds OF South America.
The river Is still there" said the
colonel with laugh. 1T was not like
climbing an unexplored mountain or GO
ing to the North pole, for such expeditions
leave no traces which are there year
later. But nobody is going to roll ~
NIs
can go down there and see It for him.
self l Will give him the address OF the
owner Of a rubber plantation who will
furnish river men for the trip"
The colonel went on to explain why I'd
made the trip 20 South America.
Il wanted TO do something more" n.
said. II was getting TO the age where
felt II was to do anything reuuIrlnl
unusual physical exertion l must do !,
now. In fact. / was Just little over the
age. hut l put II through"
Monkeys for Food.
Colonel Roosevelt said II was pretty
hard going for few weeks. Rations rar
short and they got down to eating mon
keys which. the colonel declared. could
hardly be considered a delicacy. How
ever he said. at about that time he wa,
hardly well enough to eat anything.
The colonel protested that he felt A,
well as evers
, That is he said, I'm going TO b,
as we'll as 1 ever was"
He said that the return TO a norther.
climate had caused him to have chins
but that they were not serious, and tha,
/ he was feeling entirely III.
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BANKERS ne S0IITuMEcT