CHICAGO, June 10, 1916 (UP) - Progressive convention hall - Daylight Saturday saw the Roosevelt boom shot so full of holes that even his best friends could not recognize it.
What has been apparent for several days to those who are informed of the movements behind the scenes became clear to everybody.
That the old guard in control of the republican convention had outmaneuvered the Roosevelt republicans and the progressives at every point.
Whatever chances Roosevelt may have had for the republican nomination went glimmering when the progressive convention, at its Thursday's session, acting under orders from George W. Perkins, the national chairman, showed the white feather by appointing a committee of conciliation to deal with a similar committee from the republican convention.
Had the progressives at their first session given the republicans the alternative, either of accepting him or going to certain defeat with three tickets in the field, there might have been a chance for Roosevelt.
That is what Gov. Hiram Johnson of California and the other sincere progressive leaders wanted to do.
That is what 90 per cent of the delegates to the progressive convention wanted to do.
But George Perkins, whose bank roll has kept the progressive party alive for the past four years, vetoed this plan and insisted on the conciliation program.
Lined up with Perkins were Walter Brown, Garford and all of the practical politicians among the leaders.
Lined up with Johnson were the men to whom the progressive movement from the first has meant something more than a mere game of politics.
But Perkins controlled the purse strings and, what was equally important, he probably had Roosevelt's instructions not to put him in a position of having to run on a third ticket.
The appointment of the progressive conciliation committee was the negative answer to the question:
"Will Roosevelt run against the regular republican nominee?"
That cooked Teddy's goose.
What the Roosevelt leaders had been trying to do for the past two days is to find a way to square themselves and Roosevelt with the progressive delegates who have been under delusion that there was a good chance to force Roosevelt's nomination by the republicans, and if that failed that Roosevelt would run on a third ticket.
As indicated in these dispatches yesterday, there isn't a chance in a thousand that Roosevelt will run on a third ticket against Hughes or any other republican candidate who is not totally depraved.
Whether or not the progressive convention nominates Roosevelt Saturday will not effect the situation ultimately.
Up to that time the republican leaders had the fear of God in their hearts.
With the threats of Roosevelt's nomination by the progressive facing them they were worried.
If Roosevelt is nominated, he will find a perfectly good way to turn down the nomination, either at once or in the near future.
