Evening star., 1928-06-13
DENY PRESIDENT
PHONED c. O.P. mo-
Friends Say Sanders Knew
Position on New Term With
out Special Word.
BY =. RUSSELL YOUNG.

The swing to Herbert Hoover was
not due to the receipt by party leaders
in Kansas City of anything more def
mite from President Coolidge that he
already made known regarding his per-
sonal wishes In the matter OF another
term.
Mr. Coolidge today was represented
as not having taken part In any long
distance telephone talks at midnight
Monday with Everett Sanders, his Sec
retary: or any other Republican chief
tians as he was reported doing In press
dispatches from the convention city.
The White House. however. ignored
the reports that Mr. Coolidge's en-
nhatic mo" over the phone was what
turned the tide to his Secretary of
Commerce, and declined to discuss
them. The President and his associates
here appeared TO be perfectly content
tn let. reports. travel without any on
cial denial.
Effect on H0ever Race.
1t is admitted by the Presidents
friends that by voluntarily renouncing
another term and by his constant In
sistence that his name not be used IN
that connection and not be placed be-
fore the convention he readily can be
credited with paving the way for Sec
retary Hoover, but as for making any
announcements by long distance teIe-
phone Monday night having anything
TO do with the Hoover avalanche Is out
OF the question. 6f
In explanation OF their refuting the
long distance telephone reports, the
Presidents friends went on 70 say that
every Republican leader represented as
having been in that locked hotel room
in Kansas City when the final word
was received needed nothing more def
mite from the President that what they
already knew. Virtually every man re-
ported 10 have been in that hotel room
during this dramatic moment was said
by the Presidents friends to have talked
with him only a few days ago and could
not possibly have gone TO the conven-
ton with any doubts In their minds
say about changing his mind.
Sanders Knew His Position.
Everett Sanders, who Is reported to
have been the one who dragged the
President out Of his bed at that late
hour to ask him II there was any pos
sible chance OF his thinking differently
about the nomination, above all others
should have had the answer without
telephoning. He was In consultation
with the President as late as Saturday
noon, and from his long association
with the latter II In not conceivable
that he could have left for the conven-
ton with any doubt In his mind or
that anything he heard or saw after
reaching Kansas City could have raised
any.
It Is pointed out that the report of
this telephone conversation cannot help
but give the impression that the Presi-
dent waited until that moment to make
up his mind definitely about running
again: that the President has played
deep game OF politics by refusing to
be definite until the time had arrived
when he saw that Secretary Hoover
or some one else had corrailed virtually
enough votes TO 90 over whether or
not he would consent to accept the
nomination.
Moreover. IL was said In the Presl-
dents behalf that he thinks IL Is
strange that II has taken these politi-
cal and personal friends from August
last year, the day he made his Il
do not choose" statement. TO midnight
Monday night, a period OF nearly q
year, 20 learn finally that he was
honest and sincere In the matter and
that he would not accept another term.