The Washington herald., 1916-05-22
HUGHES GAINS
INPOPULARITY
Newspapers Reports Indicate
Roosevelt as Running
Strong Second.
T. R. LOSES 2S DELEGATES
Canvass of Situation Gives 452 AL
ready Named Who Really Favor
Nomination of Justice.

| Sentiment for Justice Hughes for the
| Republican Presidential nomination is
increasing rapidly, according to reports
received by the New York Herald. The
Herald sums up the situation as follows:
Justice Hughes has long lead on the
| field in the race for the Republican
nomination for President and has made
substantial gains during last week.
Theodore Roosevelt continues second
as the real choice of the elected dele
gates. but it is a long way from the
nomination.
This is the information which The
Herald has obtained from its cor
respondents throughout the country.
There Is little indication that the re-
ported combination of "favorite son"
candidates against the two leaders has
had the result expected by the Old
| Guard.
Reports to The Herald indicate that
the support for Justice Hughes has in
creased by forty-nine delegates during
the week in addition to those elected or
| indicated by primary results during that
time. It is likely that Mr.. Roosevelt has
lost twenty-eight delegates which The
, Herald heretofore has classified for him.
This is the exact number which he ap-
parently gained among the new dele
gates elected
Based entirely upon the assumption
that Justice Hughes will not refuse the
nomination and upon calculations Of what
will happen when the "favorite son"
candidates will be eliminated, The
Herald's canvass of the situation gives
J 462 delegates already elected who really
! favor the nomination of Justice Hughes.
! This is only forty-one votes from the
1913 necessary to nominate, with forty-six
delegates yet to be selected. The eight
Vermont delegates will not be selected
| htlf no mil in
dication that they will be for Justice
| Hughes has been considered in making
/ the estimate Of his real strength.
The gain for Justice Hughes over The
! Herald's earlier estimate has come mostly
through rearrangement OF its figures for
Minnesota and Missouri. The Herald's
original information was that all OF
Minnesota's twenty-four delegates were
likely to be for Roosevelt. The con-
sensus now is that only eight can be
counted upon for him and that sixteen
are likely to be for Justice Hughes If
the latter does not forbid the use of his
name.
Missouri Veers to Hughes.
| In Missouri the entire delegation OF
Ithirty-six, always classified as anti
Roosevelt, is now said to have veered
toward Justice Hughes. There are votes
! of German descent in Missouri. They are
said to favor the nomination OF the JUS
tice almost without exception.
The Herald also has revised its estimate
of the Hughes strength in the New York
delegation. and now places 1t at at least
! fifty on the final ballot in Justice Hughes
name is still among the entries at that
time. The outside estimate of the Roose-
welt strength in this State has been ten
or twelve. 1t Is likely that not even this
will be shown unless Mr.. Roosevelt
is likely to be nominated. II there Is
not this indication, 1t now seems probable
that those disposed to be friendly to Mr..
Roosevelt will occupy front seats in the
Hughes band wagon.
Supporters of Elihu Root have repeated
their assertion that there will be forty
five Root votes from New York State. II
! this is true there is every indication that
this will be first-ballot strength only
There is said to be no disposition on the
part of either Gov. Whitman or Fred.
erick c. Tanner, chairman of the State
committee. to insist upon a rigid divisioIf
OF the delegation until 1t will count for
something. Many OF the delegates are
expected to cast complimentary vote for
Mr. Root to show their personal good
will and then to vote for Justice Hughes
to show their support of the State organ
ization and their opposition to William
| Barnes.