Evening star., 1916-05-06
BOOM FOR ROOT
HAS HIS SANCTION
Former Secretary of State and
U. S. Senator an Active
Presidential Candidate.
"WHAT is BEHIND IT?"
QUERY OF POLITICIANS
Suggest It May Be Designed to
Stop" Roosevelt or Hold Back
Stampede to Justice Hughes.

Elihu Root Of New York, former Sec
retary OF State and former United
States senator, is an active candidate
| alton. The following authoritative
statement from a source close to Mr..
Root is given to The Star:
Il. Mr.. Root is positively. actively
and authorizedly candidate. The
movement now under way in his be-
half has his full sanction.
"2. 1t is national in scope and in
tent. and has no reference to New
York local or factional conditions.
"3 1t is based on the feeling that
he would meet the big issues of the
next four years, industrial and inter-
national. as no other man could 1t
is responsive to the sentiment that
these four years are to see questions,
both foreign and domestic. of tremen-
dous importance, and that in the op1n-
ion of his friends he is the best equip
ped man to meet them. Mr.. Roosevelt
called him the ablest living American. .
-. It is a republican candidacy, but
not d reactionary one. IT Hseames4hnt t
he best represents republican thought
on economic subjects and on his record
as Secretary of State is especially quail
flied to adjust our tariff and trade re-
lations which wills follow the world
war.
"Facing-Forward" Platform.
"5. A facing forward platform is as
sured, of genuine progressiveism. but
it also is assumed that the pendulum
has swung back to fundamental re-
publican principles. The candidacy is
not antagonistic to favorite sons or
other candidates. The definite state
ment that Mr.. Root is a candidate is
expected to enable delegates who favor
him to declare their preference at the
| outset. with the certainty that they
will not be in the air at Chicago.
The Root headquarters have been
opened at the Hotel Manhattan in New
York city, in charge of former fsepre-
sentative John Dwight of New York. 1t
is said that H. L. Stimson, former Secre-
tary of War: Nicholas Murray Butler.
Job Hedges and William Barnes. jr., are
among the executive managers of the
campaign.
II is claimed that of the eighty seven
uninstructed delegates from New York.
forty-four now can be counted upon for
Mr. Root and that six more are In sight.
| 1t Is asserted that Roosevelt will have
but twelve. The Root managers say their
candidate will have a following in many
states Of the west and south on the first
| ballot at Chicago.
Politicians at the Capitol have been
puzzling over the reported Root candi-
| dacy for several days, and following au-
| thentic announcement of the Root boom
| II is expected they will give it close
scrutiny.
Object Held Problematical.
In view of the generally recognized
fact that his candidacy is absolutely
| repugnant il not intolerable to the pro-
gressive wing of the party. and sure to
| Be bitterly fought, the query has been
| What is behind it?" Some have sug-
eested that it is designed to stop"
Roosevelt. others that 1t is to hold back
stampede to Justice Hughes and
! others that it is merely to assemble the
New York delegation under one banner,
there to rest at arms until something
definite looms up.
n the claims of the Root managers
as to the number of delegates predis-
| posed in his favor Is correct 1t means
state. while Gov Whitman is trying
| to get a solid delegation for Mr.. JUS