New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-02
Change in Favor of Colo
mel Started by Wilson's
Winter Tour.
PREPAREDNESS PLEA
TURNS DEMOCRATS
Delegates Still Held in Line by
Leaders, Despite Pressure
from Voters.

tTrom . star Correspondent ~ IN. Tribune y
Kansas City, June Roosevelt has
the voters of the Middle West with
him as Of old, and would make a
stronger race there than any other
man the Republicans could name. A
loss among rabid pro-Germans has
been more than Offset by gains from
former Democrats tired OF the Wilson
policies, particularly in Mexico. The
pacifst vote has shrunk within the
confines of the Democratic party, and
is largely composed Of the old Bryan
men.
But Roosevelt has not got the dele
gates from these states. They were
picked to stand just the kind OF fire
they are now getting from their
neighbors, and very few Of them are
showing any signs of weakening
Many would like to swing to the Colo
mel, but will not unless word comes
from the leaders And these leaders
are the "od guard" type-the men
who were beaten by Roosevelt in the
primaries four years ago, and have
not been able TO regain control OF the
Republican party.
The Roosevelt sweep has mostly come
since the primaries and conventions
The difference between sentiment here
now and last January is tremendous,
and the change has all been in favor
Of the Colonel.
Wilson Caused Change.
The turn really began last winter
with the tour OF President Wilson
through this part Of the country. HIS
fervent pleas for preparedness sank in
deeply and have been working ever
since. This the pacifst leaders admit.
Ex-senator Bristow declared in a
speech the other day that, while Kan
sas had been sane last winter, the
preparedness hysteria" had now spread
so that he feared more than ma
jority Of the states followed it.
The growth of the preparedness SEN
timent has helped Roosevelt and not
Wilson, for two reasons. First, it has
been more in the Republican than in
the Democratic party and many of the
Colonel's old followers here, who had
turned from him in the early days Of
his fight for preparedness, came back
l.
Roosevelt was right.
Second, they have not liked the Pres
ident's shifting attitude. They haze
not forgotten that Roosevelt was fight
ing for preparedness a full year before
Wilson, and the feel that the President
should have been the first to see such
a need as he later voiced and the first
TO call on the country. Nor have they
liked his weakening since his speeches
here.
There we're thousands who heard him
say that we should have "incompara-
bly,, the biggest navy in the world" and
they do not like the change to "incom-
parably the most adequate" Neither
90 they understand how. after his
pleas for the volunteer army on his
Western trip, he could surrender to
Chairman Hay. force Garrison out Of
the Cabinet and permit Congress TO
pass without protest a measure which
provides what Wilson declared made
Quate making a dependable Federal
force out Of "forty-eight little armies"
I. RS Speeches Helped.
/. did not need Roosevelts trip out
here TO produce this sentiment, though
already there are many indications that
his speeches have helped him greatly.
! The gain is shown in the more active
work of his followers and their in
crease in enthusiasm.
A fair measure of the change since
winter may be found In the attitude
of the minor politicians-those who are
now figuring on the town and county
tickets, and want the strongest possible
| leader for the purely practical help he
will give them. Last winter these men
were all for Hughes, partly because
orders had come from higher up TO
use Hughes's name TO beat Roosevelt.
and partly because they honestly be
/ licved nc would be stronger candi-
date than T. r. 1t has been largely
on the strength of this sentiment that
the Hughes men have counted their
chickens, for they believed that the
pressure from the county organizations
all over the country would swing the
delegates to Hughes in the end.
But in this section at least and this
was supposed to be the centre of the
Hughes strength the little leaders
have changed. They now want Roose-
welt. and are telling the delegates so.
Various favorite sons, in direct con-
trast TO Roosevelt. have delegates here.