The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-12-26
6. OF. REACT|ONAR|ES
TRYING OUT 7. R.
Gary Dinner Believed TO Have Been
Planned As "a Part OF Plan to Test
strenuous One.
McH.ARG SAYS WILL RUN
Declares In Talking Over Situation.
Roosevelt Only Names Prospective
Candidates Who. Arc Entirely Tn
available

New York. Dec 25.-A man high
in the councils of the Republican
party. who does not try to conceal his
preference for Elihu Root as the
party's candidate for the presidency
next year. made the interesting sug-
gestion today that If a group Of Dem
ocrats had arranged the much-talkef
of Gary dinner to ColoneI Roosevelt
last Friday night they could not have
done more for President Wilson In
his opinion, the Democrats will make
a great deal Of political capital out OF
1T.
He Is authorit for the statement
that friends of his in Washington In
formed hin today that the Presi-
dents political managers in Washing
ton are willing to make any kind OF a
russ over the dinner in order to keep
1t IN the forefront as topic of po-
Httcal discussion. They are willing to
show all sorts Of anxiety If speculation
will only continue as to the meaning
OF that gathering In the end these
friends of the President will be in "A
position to point to the Gary dinner
as evidence OF the fact that the men
who backed the reactionary element
in the Republican party in 1912 are
still potent. and that Mr.. Roosevelt is
willing to be their friend again
In this connection II will be pointed
out that August Belm ont while be-
Ing Democrat. Is not considered one
of the Presidents friends In 1919
Mr. Wilson instructed William r. Nc
Combs to have nothing to do with that
element Of the party represented by
Mr.. Belmont and above all things TO
L On ya "a trrx1 t.,A-
contributions from that quarter. Rich.
ard V. Lindahury will also he pointed
to as counsel for the Steel Corpora
ton, the suit against which was con.
tsnued by Mr.. wilson's Attornev-Gen-
eral Explanations DO not come so
easy when Jacob Fl. Schis and A Bar
ION Hepburn are mentioned Both are
Democrats
Thought II Would BE Quiet Affair
Now that tire dinner is the subject
Of ealr1er thought and discussion, the
prevailing idea seems 70 be that the
one sure thing about that dinner was
that those who arranged II took II for
granted that nothing would be pub
llshed about II. Nearly every one OF
the rer who were there who had been
asked about II has tried his best to
learn how the news leaked out The
opinion has been expressed that had
Colonel Roosevelt thought that hi.
presence there was 70 be 80 soon
known he would have declined the in
vitation
Discussion ~ the dinner and SIS per-
sible effects politically brought ~ tire
name of Nyron r Herrick former am
hassa dor to France, when Mfr Her
rick returned To this country n nresi-
dsntial boom for him was already TN
DER way Then he WAS the guest Of
Judge Car at a luncheon. and the
boom began 20 .uhside, Ry the time
Mr. lf~rrielt reached his ohio stamp
Ing ground II had eoiiapeed Many OF
the men who attended that luncheon
were present at the dinner to Colonel
Roosevelt last Friday night
McHarx Thinks r. n. VIII Rum
ornsbT AcHara. who gathered un
delegates for Colonel Roosevelt In 1919
and made the fight for them before the
Republican National COMMITTEES said
todaT that he believed Colonel Poose-
vslt to be an eager. active candidate
Cor tfe presidential nomination on the
Republican ticket He pointed out
that tho colonel had mentioned ax pos
sthilities Justice Hughes. 2 C. Knox
and Governor Hadley. an analysis of
any one OF whom shows his unavail-
ability for the nomination The con-
clusou to be drawn from this accord
ing to Mr., McHarg Is that Mr. Roose-
Welt is willing TO become the candi-
date
Colonel Roosevelt is saving nothing.
Accordingly, the speech which he will
deliver at Progressive rally in phtla
delphia on January es Is looked for
ward to as an event of likely interest
The colonel Is TO make another speech
on February II at a Lincoln ceiebra-
ton in Chicago. Two days later he
expects to leave for the West Indies
where he Will spend from two weeks
to a month II is said that he does
not expect to attend the meeting OK
the National Progressive Committee in
Chicago on January IL.