Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-05-23
Breakfasts With Daughter,
Testifies in Riggs Bank
Case, Takes Train.
LATEST STATEMENT
MADE AT OYSTER BAY
Tells Committee Headed by Former
Secretary Meyer He Is for Thor
ough-Going Americanism.

A familiar looking black SLOUGH
hat tossed carelessly over the
knob of the hall seat in Repre-
sentative Nicholas Longworth's
house this morning was mute
witness of the presence of dis
tinguished parsonage. No one
could mistake that war bonnet
it meant that at. R." was within.
Then out from the breakfast room
came Col. Roosevelt to greet his caller,
looking fine and ft-not At as a fiddle
that term is copyrighted by Uncle Joe
Cannon-but fit as a whole orchestra,
whether tuned for harmony or discord
renal lining to be seen.
He is the same colonel, with the same
engaging smile. hearty handshake and
that knack of his of making the person
addressed feel that for the time being,
anyhow, he is the chief object of the
coloners interest.
Refuses to Talk Politics.
NO politics, please" said the colonel.
holding up a deprecating hand. Il have
sworn off on this trip, which Is merely
to visit the family-my daughter and
Nick and then go into court to TESTIFY
in the Riggs case. 1 hope to be of
again at IL o'clock, and do not want to
say a word about politics"
However, it falls out that it is not
necessary for the colonel to give an In
teryiew on politics here. since he ex-
pressed his views at length in formal
way at Oyster Bay yesterday. when ne
was called upon by former Secretary OF
the Navy Meyer and twenty-five mem
bers of a new committee organized to
forward his nomination for the presl-
dency by the regular republicans.
According to Associated Press, Mr..
Meyer told Col. Roosevelt that one of
the purposes of the committee was 10
laid the republican party IN gong oe1
fore the country reunited and In full
strength with a candidate who Is lis
tened to and trusted by the great mass
of the people A group of oyster Bay
progressives were visitors at the Roose-
Welt home and witnessed the notihca-
ton.
The Oyster Bay Statement.
Col. RooseveIt's reply to the delega-
ton follows:
II am naturally very deeply touched
and pleased by your action. l accept 1t
absolutely in the spirit which you have
taken it, You are for me because you
regard me as representing and embody-
for
oughgoing Americanism and thorough
going preparedness Your devotion IS
to the cause and to the man only in so
far as he for the time being embodies
the cause. This is precisely the atti-
tude / took in my Trinidad statement.
l now hold, and shall continue to hold.
this a great time of crisis in our coun-
try's history. because it is great crisis
in the history of the world. II we are
unprepared; if we are split and sun
dered by .rivalries of creed. Of section
and national origin: II our country
action is to be conditioned by helpless
ness without and the hyphenate within.
the career of the United States as a
great factor in the world civilization is
at end.
There is no use of being for half meas
ures of Americanism and preparedness
Still less is it of any use for any public
eral terms as in favor of Americanism
and preparedness unless his whole course
Of action In public life has made 1t evi-
dent, and now makes 1t evident. that he
means Just exactly what he says. I'm
less, il he Is in Office or has been in
office, his career has been such as in full
est measure to warrant the belief that
he is a man of deeds and not of words in
this matter, and unless in every crisis,
whether he be in or out of Office, he
frankly and fully takes position on the
concrete facts which are up for decision
and applies the abstract statement di-
rectly to these concrete facts.
general Professions Worthless"
General professions are utterly
worthless unless, in the first place, the
man making them is ready to imme-
diately apply them to every concrete
case as 1t actually arises, and unless.
in the second place. when he has the
opportunity he at once turns his words
into deeds.
II am fighting for these principles.
They are the principles you are or
ganizing to support. and with all my
heart 1 welcome such support. accept
ing it as given primarily to the prin-
ctpIes and only secondarily for myself.
"Any man at this time OF crisis who
is not aggressively. openly and spe-
cifically for these principles IL against
them, and every patriotic man should