Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-02-10
Why Colonel Roosevelt Did
Not Insist on Having Presi-
dental Nomination in 1916
Told By DR.. Wedge.

A crowd that filled the high school
auditorium paid tribute to the great
est American of his age in the words
of DR.. A. p. Wedge, chief speaker at
the Roosevelt memorial exercises held
under the auspices of the county coun-
ell of defense Sunday afternoon.
The crowd reflected some of the
many sides of the former presidents
versatile character. There were in
the auditorium democrats as well as
republiCans--both standpat and pro-
gressve-small boys, in whose eyes
he was a hero hardly second to Lin
coin, and at least one of the rough
riders. If there were other members
of the historic regiment in the audi
ence, they failed to respond to the
invitation of Charles f. Wade, chair
man of the city commission, who pre-
sided at the exercises, asking them to
have seats on the stage. The crowd
applauded vigorously as the lone
rough rider responded.
DR.. Wedges address was enlivened
~ personal "reminiscences, although
he said he did not pose as an intimate
friend of Colonel Roosevelt, whom he
met first as a cub reporter. He told
of the colonel'S last letter to him,
written a short time before his death
The colonel wrote only in answer to
his letters, the speaker said. He con-
fessed however, that he wrote Colonel
Roosevelt as often as he had legitl-
mate excuse.
The last letter explained why Col
onel Roosevelt did not throw hiS old
time strenuosity into the fight for the
presidential nomination at the last
republican convention. The speaker
said he believed this had never beeh
made public before.
Colonel Roosevelt wrote, he said
that he had been censured for not
insisting upon being the party's nomi-
nee instead of Charles +. Hughes
He said he had not because he was
physically unable to sand the strain
He added that he was sick and that
his health had not been as vigorous
as ii was in the days when he was al
the White House, since his African
trip.
DIR. Wedge met Colonel Roosevelt
shortly after he had been made po-
| lice commissioner of New York, go
| ing to his office to interview him fol-
! a newspaper.
Young man. do you know why
have taken this placer the speaker
quoted him as having said. because
there's hurly-burly in it. There's a lot
of hellishness in New York and I'm
going to turn hell loose against that
hellishness.'
AS he was going Colonel Roosevelt
called him back and advised him that
if he ever expected to get anywhere
rs a reporter, he should divide his
brain into two compartments, crowd
ing each division with information on
one subject. When one compartment
was opened all the others should be
closed, This was Colonel Roosevelts
system, the speaker said, and eX-
planned his ability to switch from one
subject TO another and to concentrate
his whole ability on one matter at a
time. As a boy, he said, Roosevelt
had a faulty memory and undertook
to correct the fault. His adoption of
the system of brain compartments was
the result.
You perhaps have observed him
come to a sudden stop in speaking u
continued Mr.. Wedge. He was UNI
locking some compartment. When he
had unlocked it, the information
stored there rushed into words in an
impulsiVe stream