Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-01
Mr.. Taftm I lis Shirt Sleeves
Informal SideLghts From a Reporters Notebook.
Taft's Break With Roosevelt
BY WILLIAM HoSTER.

camps to which they were assigned;
they were also very human. A spirit of
rivalry had sprung up between the
groups know that the Taft group
resented the fact that our man wasn't
getting the same amount of front-page
stuff and headlines as Roosevelt.
CALLING dispatch from the Roosevelt
gang" had quite recently reminded us
Of that.
In that frame of mind we approached
the New Haven conference. I have a
distinct impression now that when We
sat down that night to write our dis
patches we had comparatively little in
the way Of real news. know that Mr.
Taft made no statement, for when !
sought him in his car he said:
There is nothing at all that I can
say about the meeting"
No one else made any formal state
ment. But there was something in the
air" Roosevelt had come to Taft.
Something was awry between them. It
Is barely possible O hint was dropped
by some one close to the President. But
there was rivalry between the groups
OF correspondents, and probably a bit
Of professional pride was involved.
I don't recall the tone or substance
OF the dispatches published in the
newspapers the next morning, but 1t
was at about this time that the CORE
spondents with Taft jointly dispatched
message to the Roosevelt gang, p"
which, in addition to fraternal greet
ings, contained gloating note over the
fact that the Taft correspondents were
at last coming into their own on the
front page.
Met Again Casually.
The campaign Of 1912 passed into his
tory, and / was out of contact with Mr..
Taft until the Spring of 1918, when
versation which ensued, however, he
made q characteristic statement with
regard to Col. Roosevelt-the man who
had a few months before accomplished
his defeat--which is illustrative of Mr..
Taft's whole life. ..-.,.
casually mentioned that had seen
Roosevelt the day before, saying that
I had been asked If 1t would be con-
venient for me to testify In q suit for
libel the colonel had instituted against
q Michigan newspaper publisher who
had publicly charged the colonel with
being q drunkard. incidentally, the suit
ended in Roosevelt's vindication. Mr..
Taft's face grew stern, and with sharp
emphasis he exclaimed:
That thing Is infamousl I have
Travelled, eaten and slept with Theodore
Roosevelt for 20 years, and never in
that time have seen him under the
influence of liquor. nor have I ever
seen him drink enough to make any
man drunk. don't see how a news
paper dares make such charges"
In New York the next day I had an
appointment with the colonel, at which
I told him Of my conversation with Mr..
Taft. He listened impassively, and
when had concluded said:
THAT was mighty generous Of him"
Colonel" ventured, IT am con-
WINGED that Mr.. Taft would willingly
repeat that statement publicly and even
offer to go to 1spheming and testify in
your behalf If the suggestion were made
to MIN. will do it with your permis-
sion."
Rejected Suggestion.
NO." he replied, after a considerable
pause, II think you'd better not. It
would be misunderstood. don't feel
have any right to make such a request
Of Mr.. Taft. to have any one else make
it for me or to suggest 1t TO him in any
way"
There are two other phases Of this
dramatic chapter of political history
which are Of interest as leading I'D to
the mems own explanations Of their
break. I asked Col. Roosevelt one day
what the considerations were that
prompted him to sell Mr.. Taft as his
successor.
Taft and Root were both considered
In connection with the nomination" he
said. 81 believe it was Root himself
who pointed out that the American peo-
pie would never again elect as President
a man whose name was not associated
with some great national issue. Taft,
he observed, had made a tremendous
appeal to the public imagination through
his administration of the Philippines,
and later, az Secretary Of War, had be-
come identified in the public mind with
the Panama Canal.
Moreover, it was agreed that Taft,
more than any other man, had been
identified intimately with the policies
of my administration. felt the same
way about 1t. Besides, Mr.. Taft was
splendidly equipped for the presidential
Office by long and varied experience.
All things considered, regarded him as
the ideal man for the place"
Forced TO Make Fight.
And then, as regarding the colonels
statement the night of his election In
1904, that he would never again be q
candidate for the off1ce, he said:
when I made that statement, Of
course, I meant just what ! said. ]
would not have sought another nomina-
ton had the fight not been forced upon
me under such circumstances that
would have been false to lifelong prin-
ciples and to the friends who had bat
tied with me for them had refused
to accept the challenge.
my intention was to retire perma-
nently from Office at the end OF the
term for which had been elected. But
could not, and events proved 1t, COM
NIT myself to @ course which would dis
regard all human possibilities. My atti-
tude in 1912 was that while I preferred
to remain in retirement, yet the people
had a right to conscript me for service
II they wanted me, which was precisely
what they did. II had wanted third
term" he concluded, II could have had
it without any difficulty by simply nod
ding my head"
(copyriRht, 1885. by North American News.
paper Alliance)
(The next article, 1.-TWO Versions OF
Roosevelt Rift" will appear next
Sunday0
nUIAnA EIIMEDkI DITEC