Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-04-09
CONFERENCE IS HELD
With THE COLONEL
George Won L. Meyer Comes
Out Squarely for Former
President-Weeks' Cam
paign Manager Is Present
at the Conference.
BY Perry Arnold,

IL
Oyster Bay, L. L, April S.-Senatol
John w. Weeks, Massachusetts Repub-
lican aspirant for presidential honors
may be ready to step aside in favor
of Roosevelt That was the construc-
tion placed by Roosevelt adherents to-
night on the fact that Charles G
Washburn, generally known as Weeks
campaign manager, with George Won
l.. Meyer, former secretary of the
navy, and known heretofore as Weeks
booster. had lengthy conference with
Colonel Roosevelt today. At it's con-
clusion Meyer came out openly for
Roosevelt as the Republican candidate.
1T is my belief" Meyer said, with
world conditions as they exist today,
that Mr. Roosevelt will be the psychol-
ogical candidate and that public senti-
ment is rolling up In that direction.
His experience in the past, his extens-
i've knowledge of affairs and of men,
not only in this country, but abroad,
makes him the most available man.
"As to Massachusetts, am not in
sympathy with the Gardner Gushing
movement. AS has been shown by Mr..
Roosevelt's statement. it was started
and their activities have created a fac
tional contest that might jeopardize the
Republican candidates reelection as
governor and even complicate or en-
barrass Senator Lodges reelection,
which is of vital Importance to the
state and even to the nation"
Evades Direct Answer.
rs Senator Weeks preparing to with.
draw in favor OF Colonel Roosevelt?"
Washburn was asked.
Il have not been in Washington.late-
ly. and most Of the news comes from
there" the former Massachusetts, rep
resentative countered. Il have nothing
to add to the Trinidad statement" the
colonel stated. TN that statement
said that disapproved Of any factional
night In either my district. Massachu-
sets or elsewhere. and that any such
faction fight was being without my
and would continue with
out my acquiescence.
Il have stood and now stand on that
statement in Massachusetts, as well q
In all other states. While In Boston
do not see any man interested in
either side In the primary contest"
Famous Dinner 10 Recalled.
The famous Root-Bacon dinner was
held March 81. 1t gave foundation for
The belief among Roosevelt followers
hat Root, who presided, at Chicago.
,our years ago and was among those
charged by Roosevelt with the theft
u the Republican nomination"-had
fealty to his former chief To
Weeks aspirations for a Massachu-
'etts delegation at Chicago, next June. |
seriously menaced by q recent state. |
nent from the four candidates ror ueie-
announcing their sup
bort of Roosevelt the meeting of the |
Weeks forces with the colonel took on |
he aspect of another "healing" moye-
nent between the Bull Mooser and the
republicans.
The colonel paused in his conference
ate today long enough to make answer
o questions raised in several editorials
egarding what position he would have
aiken II he were now president.
1t Is impossible for me to answer
questions in editorials" he
aid. IF | did it in one case, should
ave to do 1t in hundreds of cases. A
orreet judgment can be formed by
aking what I actually did during the
even and half years I was president,
nd II any man has forgotten how
andled international matters during
hat time. let him turn to Mr.. Hard's
rticle on the subject in the current
umber of the Metropolitan magazine:
nd If any man has forgotten what my
ttitude as president was on the sub
sct of Preparedness" let him turn to
harles g. Washburn's recently pub
shed biography of r,e, pages s5 to
D9. and particularly to the quotations ]
'om my message to congress, given |
n pages 106 to 10s" 6
Passages Are Cited. i
The passages cited by the colonel ,
lowed these cardinal beliefs: "a &
anton or useless war, or a war or {
lere aggression is to be condemned as t
peculiarly atrocious crime against 8
one of the coloners I
,eeches. In
One of the prime dangers OF civil I
alton has always been it's tendency
} cause the loss Of virile fighting vir- v
tContiuued on Pags Two)