Omaha daily bee., 1916-03-10
ROOSEVELT AT CALL
OF HIS COUNTRY
Former President Says Crisis Con-
fronts Nation and Strong Man
is Needed.
GREAT TASK FOR CONVENTION

NEW YORK, March 9.-Colonel
Theodore Roosevelt, who Is now at
Trinidad, British West Indies, in
statement given out today. through
the New York Evening Nail. en-
phatically declines to be a candidate
in the primaries OF Massachusetts, or
OF any other state.
Il will not enter into any fight
for the nomination" the colonel
says. "and'I will not permit any fac
tional fight to be made in my be-
Lalf Indeed, l will go further and
say that il would be a mistake to
nominate me, unless the country has
iii it's mood something OF the heroic;
unless II feels not only like devot-
ing itself TO ideals, but TO the pur-
pose measurnbly 20 realize these
ideals in America.
This Is one OF q ose rare times which
come only at long intervals in ma
TONS history when the action determines
tfe life OF the generation that follow,
such times were those from i77s to 1873
in the days Of Washington. ana from 1858
to 1866, In the days Of Lincoln.
Great Task for Conventions.
1T is for us OF today TO grappe with
the tremendous national and interna-
u1nal problems of our own hour in the
spiiit and with the ability shown by those
Who upheld the hands OF Washington and
Lincoln.
Whether we do or do not accomplish
this feat will largely depend upon the
action taken at the republican and pro-
gressive national conventions next June
Nothing IL to be hoped from the present
administration. All that they offer
us is n choice between degrees Of hypoc-
risy and degrees OF infamy. But disgust
with the unmanly failure of the present
administration, believe does not and
know ought not 10 mean that the Amer
lean people will vote in spirit Of mere
protest. They ought not to, and be-
Iieve they viii not be content merely 70
change the present administration for one
equally timld. equally vacillating. equally
lacking in vision. In moral integrity and
In high resolve.
Must Define Policies.
"wo must clarity and define our
policies. We must show that our belief
IN our governmental ideals is so real that
we wish to make them count in the
world at large and TO make the mecca
sary sacrifice in order that they shall
count surely. We OF this great republic
have contribution 10 make 20 the
cause OF humanity and we cannot make II
unless we first show that we can secure
prosperity and fair dealing among OAR
own men and women.
II believe that in n crisis so grave II IL
impossible too greatly TO magnify the
needs OF the country or too strongly 60
dwell on the necessity OF minimizing and
subordinating the desires OF individuals.
The delegates who go to Chicago will
have IL in their power TO determine the
character OF the administration which
IL to do or leave undone the mighty tasks
OF the next four years. That administra-
ton can do an incalculabie amont to
make or mar our countrys future.
strong Men Are Needed.
The men chosen to decide such n
question ought not TO be politicians Of
average type and pRrochial outlook. stu
less should they be politicians controlled
by sinister influences from within or
without. They should be the very best
men that can DO found in our country,
whose one great mission should be 20
declare In unequivocaI terms for a pro-
gram OF clean cut. straight out national
Americanism, in deeds not less than in
words and In internal and international
matters alike and 10 choose az a candl-
date a man who will not merely stand
for such a problem before election, but
Will resolutely and In good faith put Il
through II elected. $3.50
Delegates should he UnpIedEed.
June Is a long way off. Many things
may occur between now and then. It Is
utterly impossible TO say now with any
degree OF certainty who should DO nomi-
mated at Chicago. The crying. the vital
need now Is that the men who next June
assemble at Chicago for the forty-eight
states and mingle the views of the
entire country shall act with the sane
and lofty devotion to the interest OF our
nation as a whole. which was shown by
the original continental congress. They
should approach their task unhampered
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