Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-08-29
FAMED RIVALS MET
First Presidential Campaigners to Be Brought
Into Contact on Tour Were Wilson
and Taft in 1912.

IN THE course Of the evening It de-
veloped that Gov Woodrow VIII
son was going to stop at the hotel for
the night and so some commotion fol-
lowed. The Governor was campaign
ing in the Bay State. and after his last
speech for the day had elected to rest
/ in Boston. OF course, with President
Taft and Gov. Wilson in the same
town. under the same roof, it was in
conceivable that the twain should not
meet, and what with newspaper enter
prise, it came about as a very natural
event.
President Taft could have departed
long before the arrival of the Cover
nor. but he graciously elected to stay
to meet him, and meantime rested in
suite in the hotel. 1t was the ex-
pectation that the two men would
meet in public, and the newspaper
men and the photographers were all
agog over the prospect. Far into the
evening Gov. Wilson arrived. and he
said he would be pleased to pay his
respects to the President.
But Gov. Wilson bided his time in
stead of rushing the matter. He went
to his own suite and spruced up for
the occasion. The heavy days work
had taken toll of his personal COM
fort and then Mr.. Wilson was always
meticulous about dress. Presently he
| appeared in the beautiful lobby of the
hotel attired in evening dress, coattails
and all. and he seemed very casual
about 1t, as If just strolling about to
while away the time. but hoping to
meet some one he knew. AS If by pre-
arrangement, there weS placed before
him on a table what looked like
Manhattan cocktail, which he in
dulged standing. 1t was in the pre-
prohibition era. Nobody thought it
strange, but imagine candidate for
the presidency being so audacious to-
day! An obvious explanation was
that Mr.. Wilson was tired and felt
the need of some stimulating refresh
ment to enable him to meet the Pres
ident on an equal footing in gracious
ness and now of wit
Gov. Wilson then proceeded to the
Presidents suite, escorted, of course.
Prior to that it had been announced
that the meeting would be completely
private. The newspaper men de-
INJURED, but the President would have
it so. It was hoped that at least the
photographers would be permitted to
photograph the two men shaking
hands, but there was a decisive no.
The meeting lasted about Is minutes,
and 1t was given out that the two
men had exchanged pleasantries. with
the President especially inquisitive
about how Candidate Wilson was
standing the strain of campaigning.
It was not far from midnight when
the President departed.
IF THE two eminently distinguished
men, being under the same roof.
had not met and had ignored each
other, that would have been sensa-
tional news indeed. The newspapers
next morning treated the event as
casual, too But while Taft and VIII
son were meeting, another puissant
candidate was touring the country
none other than Theodore Roosevelt,
who was running on the Bull Moose
ticket and saying things about his
rivals that would have made any
meeting between them very embar.
raising all around. It would have
been q contretemps, but, Of course.
the colonel would have avoided 1t at
all costs.
So far as recollection goes, the TAFT.
(Conknued on Page BAD