Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-02
Reports of That Kind CIassed
as Idle Fancies at Confer
ence in Chicago.
LEADERS IN THIRTY-TWO
STATES IN ATTENDANCE
Result to Be Announced at Close Of
Session-No Message From
Col. Roosevelt.

| CHICAGO, December 2.-There wal
| no outward hint of lack of enthusiasm
for the progressive party manifested
today by leaders from thirty-two states
who met in conference with the mem.
bers of the executive committee Of tht
organization.
Reports that disbandment of the
party was a possibility were charac'
terized as idle fancies, and that there
was likelihood Of amalgamation of the
progressives with either the republican
or democratic party was equally ridi-
culed.
George W. Perkins of New York
presided at the conference, which frs,
listened to state chairmen, who told o1
political conditions. After these talks
committee to go into session and take
what action was thought necessary.
Speaking for the executive com
mittee, o. K. Davis, secretary, answer
ed a question concerning the possibil-
| ity of a message from Col. Roosevelt
by saying:
No Message Expected From Teddy.
"Col. Roosevelt never has been a
member of the executive committee
he never has been asked to attend a
meeting of the committee; he never
has sent a message to the committee
and he is not expected to send one
now"
The following members of the execu-
tive body were present when the con-
ference began:
George w. Perkins, New York; Will
liam Finn: Pennsylvania: Walter F.
Brown, Ohio, and Jane Adams and
Medill Mccormick. Illinois.
Among the more prominent leaders
in attendance were E. A Van Valken-
burg. Philadelphia; Senator Moses E.
Clapp, Minnesota: Hugh T. Halbert, st.
Paul; Clifford Pinchot, Pennsylvania;
Charles NJ. Thomson, Chicago; Ray
mond Robins. Chica go; Charles Z. Bur-
panh. Massa chusetts; William Allen
White. Emporla, Kan: Victor Murdock.
Kansas; James r. Garfield, Ohio. and
Frank H. Funk of Illinois. Three
women, among them Mrs. Clifford Pin
chot, accompanied their husbands and
were admitted to the conference.
As the various reports from the
states represented were made there
were repeated bursts of applause.
Statement to Be Made at Close.
Mr.. Davis said statement r.
garding the future program of the
party would be issued at the close OF
the conference.
Until the views of the various COM
mitteemen are presented and consider
ed" he said. cit will be impossible to
state exactly what the nature of the
action will be-
The impression prevailed among the
early arrivals. 1t was reported, that the
conference would not attempt to form.
ulate policy for the presidential elec-
tion of 1916.
Gov. Hiram johnson Of California. vice
presidential candidate in 1912, was not
present. California. however, was rep.
resented by four delegates, reported tc
be prepared to launch a boom for Gov
Johnson for President in 1916.
The general belief apparently was
that the party organization would be
continued for another year, when final
decision on the 1916 presidential cam
paign and the part to be taken in it
by the progressive party would be
made.
Among the subjects likely to be taken
up was the question of transferring the
national headquarters of the progress
sive party from New York to Chicago