New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-01
He Starts Home Con-
fident West Wants
Preparedness.
JUST "BULLY!"
is HIS VERDICT
New York Fooled, Roose,
velt Declares, in Think
ing West Apathetic.
IF,om . s,.r ccrt,,rond.nt ., N, r-,hnr,

lFrom stsr Correspondent u The rribu1.
Chicago, April 30.-This isn't such
hostile country after all. With all its
hyphens and all its doubt about the
need of preparedness as spoken darkly
Of in the East, the Middle West is
ready 20 join Theodore Roosevelt on
the firing line.
Colonel Roosevelt started back for
New York this evening, R much hap
pier and much more confident man
than he was on his arrival yesterday
morning. Then he almost believed the
stories which have been circulated so
freely in the East that the Middle
West is too far removed from the sea
board and threat OF invasion TO je
really interested in the project Of arm
ing the nation, and that the hyphenates
hold such power that a fighting pro-
ally Of the Colonel's type might as
well stay beyond its borders
Now the Colonel knows better. He
knows, because he still is hearing the
cheers which greeted his ak before
the Illinois Bar Association last night,
that tbs Middle West has some en-.
couraging ideas about preparedness.
And something else perhaps II was his
interview this morning with Father
Vattman, who used to be an army chap
lain and now is leading a simple but
not altogether unobserving life in viii
mette lcssened his worry about the
hyphens.
Proved by Actions and Words.
There are two authorities on which
70 base all this. The first the Colonol's
actions and the second the Colonol's
words.
In the first place, there was 10 have
been sizzling statement given out for
publication to-day, the Colonel not
being entirely unaware OF the fact that
newspapers are usually generous with
space and position on Monday morn
ings. The statement was to have been
an ampliication of the Trinidad cable,
set forth, or shct forth, in a style
likely 10 shock a lackadaiscal Middle
West into an outburst of patriotism. Il
was to be strong medicine, without
sugar coating.
So sure had the Colonel been that his
reception would not be overwarm that
he had prepared the morning after"
statement before starting West. On the
way here his secretary. John McGrath,
told New York newspaper men who sc-
companied the party that il would be
forthcoming.
But after getting that rousing wei
come from the lawyers of the Bar As
sociation and receiving the cheers Of
the "We want Teddy" crowds in tho
streets the Colonel did some rapid
thinking. He decided, as McGrath later
said. that he did not want TO spoil the
effect.
Colonel Is Jublant
"The Colonel is jubilant over the
way his speech took and the way the
newspapers handled it," said McGrath.
"He doesn't want TO throw in any per-
sonal note now. He wants the good ef-
feet to go on, for he thinks more o.
preparedness and the country's welfare
than anything else.
"This speech, the Colonel thinks, will
accomplish something. He won't do
anything. therefore, that might give
rise TO prejudice"
And then. afterwsrd, the Colonel had
his own say. with one of his favorite
descriptive bully"-ever crop
ping up.
81 can't tell you how this visit
pleases me-" the Colonel said. at has
been bully. Everything is all right
again. Chicago is all right-bully.
Think of what happened last night
at the banquet! Wasn't it great I
wonder il you've ever seen such an
audience? Remember how they were
lifted out of their chairs by the mere
mention Of that universal service pro-
posal? can tell you it delighted me
clear down TO the bottom of my boots.
They were bully folks.
"And let me say that they've been
fooling me down in New York. They
told me the entire Middle West was
Continued on page 4. column :