Evening star., 1927-10-03
PRESIDENT TALKS
TO v. NJ. BUTLER
Former Senator Maintains
Strict Silence on Chiefs
.'Choose" Statement.

President Coolidge conferred this
morning with former Senator William
NJ. Butler Of Massachusetts, chairman
Of the Republican national committee
who has come to Washington for a
series Of informal meetings with party
leaders, for the first time since the
President announced out in the Black
Hills that he did not choose to be a
candidate to succeed himself.
Senator Butler gave no indication
when he talked later with newspaper
men that the President took the oc
casion of their meetinf to elaborate
upon his brief statement or to indulge
in any other condolences regarding his
attitude.
Silent on Decision. -,
The Senator made it quite plain
that he did not care to discuss the
Presidents decision, and 1t was the
that he evidently went away from
the President with the impression OF
all others who have discussed the
matter with him recently, that ths
latter is content to stand on his u
word announcement and can see nc
necessity for amplification. Senator
Butler did not even intimate that
the subject of the Presidents decision
to eliminate himself from considera
ton for denomination was discussed
during his call at the White House.
Immediately following the publica.
tion two months ago of Mr.. Cooiidge's IS
announcement Senator Butler was
quoted as saying that he felt sure the
President would accept the nomina.
ton il it came to him, despite his de.
cision not to be a candidate. Whether
or not Mr.. Butler was of that same
sonal friend at the White House this
morning he would not say. He was
unwilling to talk about the President s
affairs and had no lesire to comment
upon the possible chances Of any OF
those who have been prominently
mentioned in connection with the Re
publican nomination since the Presi'
dent has withdrawn himself.
Senator Butler is an intimate per-
sonal friend of the President as well
as a political adviser, and when he ar
rived at Union Station this morning
he went at once to the White House,
arriving in time to join the President
at a breakfast featured with the Gus.
tomary hot cakes and sausage.
Senator Buffers primary object in
coming to Washington at this time
was not only to have a long talk with
the President, but to confer with
members of the national committee
and others high in the party's coun.
ellis regarding matters Of importance
pertaining to the party welfare. His
meeting with committee members at
the Willard Hotel almost Immediately
following his White House call was
the first one of importance in recent
months from the standpoint Of Repub.
lican politics in it's national phase.
Some of the old wheel-horses of the
party were on hand to voice opinions
and give their political observations.
among these being Charles D. Hilles
Of New York, vice chairman of the
committee, Committeeman David Null.
vane Of Kansas, Joseph Healing Of
Indiana, former Senator Ernst of
Kentucky and Roy West of Illinois,
secretary of the committee.
Something Mysterious" Hinted.
1.-THE work of the Republican party
must go on" Senator Butler said in
response to inquiries as to the eason
Of the meeting OF political chieftains.
He insisted that the meetings he Is
to hold here during the next two or
three days should not be classed as
conferences. inasmuch as he has come
to Washington merely for the purpose
of giving attention to his duties as
national chairman and to talk with
certain men prominent In the party 8
affairs who happen to be in this part
Of the country while he is here.
Some of the advance information
regarding the meetings Senator Butler
is to conduct here has been to the ef-
feet that something mysterious Is un-
der way in the Republican manage.
ment and also that these meetings
may go as far as picking the party
candidate for the 1928 presidential
nomination or at least narrowing 1t
down to a selected few.
It was indicated that the meeting
Of this small group OF leaders this
morning did not touch upon the ques.
ton Of the next Republican conven-
ton city. This is the duty Of the ma
tional committee, which has SO mem
bers, which will meet here next De-
cember, at which time the date and
place for the convention will be de-
termined Mr.. Butler said today that
he had received Q number of com.
munications from cities which would
be glad to have the honor OF being
chosen. These include Detroit, Kan.
sas City, Chicago, San Francisco and
Omaha.
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