The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-05-31
NO PRECEDENT FOR PRESENT SITUATION
 IN AMERICAN HISTORY
The Justice Has Secured Without Effort Strongest Position in Convention. To Live" Reports Out
By HUGH. w. ROBERTS.

Washington, May 3o.-(SpeciaI)
 Charles E. Hughes, without having
 spoken word, has completely dis
 placed Colonel Roosevelt as a subject of popular speculation-this despite the fact that the colonel is the most pro- life tal6er on the American continent. The success of Hughes is traceabIe, of course, to the doubt which exists as to his probable action-or the prob able action of his spokesman-in the Chicago convention. There is no neces- sity, on the other hand, that one specu- | late regarding Roosevelt He is an avowed candidate and is moving heav- en and earth in an attempt to acquire the republican nomination for third term as President.
 But Hughes" is on every tongue and thoughts of Hughes in every mind It is possible that the hirsute justice is laughing dans sa barbe. THE ANOMALOUS SITUATION In all American history there is no precedent for the present situation. l In the first place it is matter of general admission that Justice Hughes.
 
 strongest of all strong positions in the republican convention. And yet no man knows whether the 1 justice will countenance>his own nom- 1 ination or whether he wfN, seriously Ego out after that honor | In this connection there are two re-
 ports-both live" The first Is that 1 Governor Whitman of New York has been informed that Hughes will acA cept the nomination of the retublfraa party if the progressive party will c9ny ] cur in that nomination-that GoveriAd | Whitman has been authorized so to [ state on the floor of the convention. The second report is that the justice l has notified his lieutenants not to press | his vantage; that he has so spoken be- ] cause of his firm belief that Roosevelt would prevent the progressives indorsing the action of the republicans. l There seems to be no question but that the justice will not surrender his present position to accept any other variety | save a unanimous nomination at the hands of all anti-democrats HUGHES IS STRONGEST | And there is no doubt but that Hughes | is the strongest of the 13 or more avowed i candidates.
 In the first place, without effort, he has developed prodigious strength. In the
 two states where against his expressed wishes his name was presented to the
 voters, he scored conclusive triumphs-
 over Cummins and Burton in Oregon,
 and over Roosevelt in Vermont.
 And in the second place, the odds
 against him, originally posted at to 5,
 have become even more oppressive. The l best that the east now offers is to 5. ! The figures posted in New York and Washington today follow: 1 Against Hughes, to ,. l Against Roosevelt, to ?. | Against Root, to 1. | Against Fairbanks, 15 to 1. | Against Burton. 20 to 1.
 THE GERMAN VOTE l The German vote. and it is declared
 that the German vote is tangible quan- | tity-is said to be an anti-Wilson vote.
 this traceable to the allegation that the
 President has been emphatically pro-ally l in his relation to the European war. | While there is doubt that the German vote as a whole is anti-Wison, there is l said to be no doubt but that it is anti l Roosevelt and anti-Root. 1 German editors in Chicago have all
 ready served notice on the lieutenants of
 the above named candidates that the | republicans can expect nothing from i them if either Roosevelt or Root is nom
 mated. The editors have declared that any other of the 13 will be acceptable. In this connection it would be in-
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