Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-01-25
STATE LABOR LEADER
SAYS REPUBLICANS WILL
NOT NAME ROOSEVELT
Maurer Tells President of Po-
litical Attitude of Working
men - Socialists Oppose
Preparedness Policy
wills ON INTERESTED
Bv a star Correspondent

WASHINGTON. Jan. 25-James II.
| Maurcr, president of the State Federation
of Labor, who saw President Wilson
along with Representative London and
other Socialists, today predicted that the
| Republican party could not nominate Taft
or Roosevelt.
at seems that the union of the Wares
and Brumbaugh with the Penrose people
| would make Pennsylvania pretty solidly
| Republican," he replied. but right now
| more interest is attaching to the national
situation. | think the utmost care will
have to be used by the Republicans in
picking their nominee or they will run
into the same trouble they encountered
in 1912.
For instance, do not believe that they
could nominate Roosevelt and elect him
There are too many people right around
Reading that I know of who would vote
against Roosevelt because they hold him
responsible for putting Wilson in the
White House in 1912. on the other hand
there are too many strong Roosevelt men
to permit the nomination of man like
Taft. The nomination will have to be
made most carefully"
Did you advise the President about
that he was asked.
Good Lord, no." he laughed. "T hardly
had time to tell him what | thought about
preparedness, after Hilquit and London
finished talking peace"
Mr.. Maurer told the President that the
Socialists were opposed to the entire pre-
paredness program and that the workers
were opposed TO increasing the army and
navy.
Mr.. Maurer saw the President at 10
% oClock, with Morris EIilQuit, of New
York, and Representative Meyer London,
the only Socialist member of the House.
The three represented the recent confer
ence in Chicago, and were appointed to
urge Il conference of tn neutral nations
in the interests of peace. They had con-
Cluded their argument when Mr.. Maurer
opened the preparedness discussion with
the President So interested did Presi-
dent Wilson become in the arguments
against preparedness advanced by Mr..
Maurer, that the time allotted for the
conference, which had been scheduled to
end at 1915 sharp, stretched for nearly 10
minutes, while Democratic Floor Leader
Claude Kitchen, of the House, and other
important congressman and Senators
cooled their heels in Mr.. Tur-Iulty's office
waiting for engagements.
Mr., Maurer told the President that the
opposition of the industrial workers
throughout the country did not limit
itself to the private profits made out of
the manufacture of munitions and the
building of ships. He admitted that If
the Government would build all its ships
and operate its own arms plants, that the
opposition of the Socialists in particular
and of workers in general would be
lessened, but he said they were opposed
to the whole armament idea.
~ told him my views and what l be-
lieved to be the sentiment of the work.
ers throughout Pennsylvania and the
country" said Mr.. Maurer. land he lis
tened attentatively. l certainly got the
impression that he was impressed by the
force of them, though, of course, it is diff
ficut to tell about that"
1t was learned at the White House aft
erward that the reason President Wilson
was so anxious to hear the arguments of
the Socialists against preparedness at
first hand, as he did from Mr. Maurer,
was because he hoped to meet them in the
speeches he will make on his present
tour.