Topic 47
 THE NEW YORK FIGHT OF 1918

HAD Colonel Roosevelt so chosen, he would have ended his days in the Executive Mansion in Albany.  In the fall of 1918 leaders of a powerful faction in the party used every possible argument and influence to induce him to stand against Charles S.  Whitman for the Republican nomination.

They believed, and privately the Whitman leaders agreed with them, that they could stampede the convention for "T.  R." if he would only say the word.  On the other hand, Whitman's lieutenants used every bit of influence they could command to induce him to declare for their man.  They were as unsuccessful as the anti-Whitmanites.

" I shall support whoever is nominated," was the best either side could get from him.

"I will not," he declared to me as to others, "be used by Whitman, and I will not allow Whitman's foes to use me as a club on him or to drag any of their chestnuts out of the fire.  I shall not interfere in the New York fight or be a candidate for Governor.

" It is a fight within the party for the members of the party to settle between themselves.  They and the party will be the better off for settling it.  I do not know that I could settle it, but if I did, it would leave soreness and ill feeling and put me in a position I will not take — that of a State boss.

"I have no delusions about Whitman.  Neither have I any delusions as to Mr.  Barnes and some others who are fighting him.  There is no call for me to interfere, and I shall not interfere.

"Believe me, I realize that it is not love for Roosevelt that prompts Whitman's party to praise me.  I am too old a bird to be deceived on this point.  They talk of me for Governor, not because they want me, but because they want to kill off Whitman.

"They won't use me as a blackjack."

The effort to induce Colonel Roosevelt to run for Governor was not the only attempt made to use him in New York politics in the last years of his life.  An earlier move was in the form of a bill making him food controller of the State.  The day this move became public, Colonel Roosevelt called me to his office to say he would not for a moment consider it.

"I shall," said he, "have something to say later in the day.  Be at the Union League at five.  If you wish, bring one or two of the boys along."

The late N.  A.  Jennings was the only man of those close to the Colonel I could reach.  When we arrived he had a statement ready.

"I have," said he, "tried to be fair to Whitman by emphasizing the fact that the Governor should be free to make appointments.  I have been Governor and I know what that means.

"Furthermore, I am not the man for the place.  I know my limitations.  And if I were, I would not allow myself to be switched on to a side track at this time.  The main thing is to get troops over, to speed up the work, to wake up the country.  Food is important, it is extremely important, but there are men who can do this work better than I can and I am going to let some one of them do it.

" I am very much out of patience with those cheerful souls who keep crying, 'Food will win the war.' The war will be won by the men with guns in their hands.

"I have said all this, though not in those words, in this statement.  I don't believe you can read my writing, so I'll read it to you.

"You will see," he declared, as he finished reading, "that the real value of this move is that it gives me the opportunity to once more hammer on the need of full, absolute, and complete preparedness."