The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-20
SHAWFS ACTIVITIES FAVOR ROOSEVELT
 IS THE STATEMENT
Former Secretary of Treas ury Conferred With Both Factions of the Re
 publican Party

Leslie M. Shaw, former Secretary of the Treasury, under Theodore Roosevel. is working in the interest of the presi-
 dential candidacy of the strenuous colonel from Sagamore Hill This is the report which was current in local politi- cal circles yesterday. and the eirc'lm- stances surrounding the visit of the for mer Roosevelt leader, gave no small credence to the report
 Furthermore. the coming of MT. Shaw and his activities in the republican po- litical affairs of Alabama. has given
 added credence to the belief which has been current since the recent Gary din ner that "big business was once more about to take the colonel under it's pro- tecting wing. MT. Shaw is a standpatter of the most pronounced school, 8 Roose-
 welt man, and at the same time is con-
 sidered about as close to the big inter-
 ests of the Wall street type as any man who has been in public life in recent
 years.
 While in the city MT. Shaw conferred
 with the leading republicans, both of the
 progressive and the standpat factions. He
 was the guest of J. c. Thompson, recog-
 nized Roosevelt leader in the state, and he discussed the political situation with quite a number of the regulars who were bitterly opposed to the colonel in the last presidential campaign. MT. Shaw is said to have endeavored to persuade | the regulars, who are in complete control | of the republican party in the state, that
 Roosevelt was the choice of the national organization and the interests upo whose support the republicans must rely
 for support if they are to hope for vic 1 tory.
 | k- ] them that the past was to be forgotten,
 Roosevelt was to be named. and the reg ulars were to continue in the saddle. De- spite the strong opposition which exists among the leading republicans of Ala bama against sending a Roosevelt dele
 gation to the national convention, 1t Is
 understood that they might consider such a proposition if the colonel looked like the winner and their faction of the party would be recognized in case the colonel should be elected. That MT. Shaw at tempted to convince them that this was l the situation as it exists today. and that the regulars had nothing to fear should 1 the colonel be elected, was rumored here yesterday in republican circles.
 1 Mir Shaw is a standpatter and even admits it. Likewise, he was for years one of the strongest supporters of Roose- | welt, and served for four years in his cabinet. However. to men well verseL on national politics, the fact that he is a sta ndpatter and a supporter of Roose- welt at the same time. does not appear
 at all inconsistent In fact, most demo- crats have never been able to distinguish
 much difference between the colonel and | Uncle Joe Cannon, so far as the ulti- mate results were concerned
 | While here MT. Shaw was asked tC
 discuss the presidential situation for pub. | ltcation, but he absolutely refused. In re
 ply to the query of a newspaper man as
 to the kind of a republican he was, hs
 replied: T am good republican, But you know, MT. shaw" said th' reporter, i've democrats do not think l there is any such thing as good re l publican" At this remark the forme
 cabinet officer merely smiled.
 | 'I will tell you what mean by 2
 good republican," he explained. T ire l quently say that l believe there are onlN
 two of us good republicans in the coun | try-and I am getting a little afraid 1 about Uncle Joe Cannon"
 l "Who did you support for President II i the race between Roosevelt, Wilson ant | Taft?" he was asked
 1 q did not vote in that race, replied MT | Shaw. And he would not go further int
 a discussion of the politics of the coun l try-that Is, so far as republicans wer' | concerned
 | It Is known that MT. Shaw had hi | political eyes and ears open while here and his address, in which he sowed thu
 seed of democratic discord and attempted to create sentiment in the Birmingham district in favor of the republicans ant against Underwood and the democratic party, was not considered as an accident It is declared in local political circles b. | men who are well versed on the doing O | the republicans that his visit was the be ginning of a careful effort which is ts be made to capture the Alabama repub lican delegation for the colonel. and in cidentaly do little work for the repub lican party in the iron and steel distric l of the south by trying to build up