Evening star., 1915-04-06
Plan Afoot Among Republicans
to Submit List to Him to
Win His Support.
AIM TO GUARD AGAINST
A RECURRENCE OF 1912
Senator Weeks and Justice Hughes
Now Most Prominently Mentioned.
How Root Figures

1
early period in advance of the ma
! tional campaign is current in repub-
| lican presidential politics. The big men
| in the party are busying themselves
unwontedly in the preliminaries Of can
didate making and would-be Warwicks
are numerous as spring poets.
| Much of the talk centers about Col.
Roosevelt and his prospective attitude
| toward the old party. The publication
| in The Star some ten days ago of the
report current at that time Of the
coloners present frame of mind. which
was described as being friendly toward
any reasonably conservative and not
radically reactionary candidate. barring
WiIlim II. Taft to be named by the
republican national convention, has
been followed by several interchanges
between the colonel and friends in
Washington.
Thus far nothing has been developed
to controVert the accuracy of the state
ment reported in that publication. Col.
Roosevelt is said to find acceptable to
him nearly all of the men whose names
recently have been mentioned in con-
nection with the presidential nomina-
tion.
1t is learned from one OF the leaders
in the old wing of the party that plan
is in contemplation which is expected
still further to win the colonel to the
party in effort to defeat the democrats.
Plan Is to Submit Names.
This proposition is to have submitted
to the colonel in a way which will
make the proceedings authoritative
and. it might be said. off1cial-the names
of candidates and if he pronounces alb
solutely against one or more of them,
declining to support them, to discour-
age further effort in behalf of such
candidate or candidates.
While this suggestion is thought like
ly to meet with violent opposition from
known to be in contemplation by other
republicans of prominence who are de-
sirous of guarding against recur-
renee of 1912, and who. notwithstand-
ing the disintegration of the bull moose
party, still believe that Roosevelt's per-
sonality has a strong following in the
country.
This does not mean, 1t is said. by
any means that Col. Roosevelt will be
asked to provide the republican party
with a candidate for President. In
deed, any attempt upon his part to die
tate the nominee would meet with
storm of opposition.
1t is simply proposal, 1t is said. to
guard against putting up man whose
candidacy would drive the colonel of
the reservation at time when there is
so much good timber available from
which a candidate can be selected who
could be supported by Roosevelt.
AS 1t is understood by we'll informed
politicians here, Col. Roosevelt would
not oppose. after nomination by the
convention. Weeks, Hughes, Herrick,
Mann. Root. Knox, Borah, Cummins or
Fairbanks. Among those he naturally
H. T.
it. 1t is said.
For Strong National Defense.
The statement is made by those in
the coloners confidence that he is as
deeply interested in the question Of
platform and policy as in the candidacy.
Col. Roosevelt Is declared to be es-
pecially and most ardently in favor
OF a strong and militant policy of
national defense. Of an effective naval
establishment and the upbuilding of
the army.
The two men who are being most
talked about in Influential republican
circles at this time are Senator Weeks
of Massachusetts, and Justice Hughes
of the Supreme Court.
| Senator Weeks is admitted to be
| high up in the list Of favorites and
growing stronger every day In fact,
! stated heretofore In Inc star, ms
hackers are concerning themselves
now in trying to hold back his boom
] from premature exploitation.
| Justice Hughes is said to be in rath-
| er a peculiar position. He deprecates
| talk about his possible nomination, and
yet his name is constantly to the fore.
Some of his friends are afraid that il
the boommakers keep on roping at him
in an effort to throw and brand him
he will stampede plumb Off the range.
They are advising now that the best
| way to handle him is to play the cards
| low for a while; let the favorite sons
| have their day in the convention, and,
| If there ie deadlock. push Hughes to
the front with energy. No one doubts
that if he were nominated in this
\ fashion he would don his judicial err
! mine in jify and don the tall white
hat of the candidate.
Talk of Root Explained.
| The talk about former Senator Root
as New York's favorite son Is explain
ed thus: that Whitman Is regarded as
not yet ripe nor likely to develop suf-
fciently in the intervening time, and
that moreover the party leaders in New
York are not enthusiastic for him. In
this situation 1t is said to be desirable
that New York be framed up for some
conservative and preparations made to
get delegation that can be held in
tact.
Mr. Roots Is declared to be a good