most diligently. The platform of Americanism, preparedness, the tariff, and the alleged failure of the Democrats seems pretty well settled upon. Just how hard the Republicans will defend their platform after it is constructed depends upon their candidate. There is a wide difference of view about that here, I find. As one of the leaders said to me to-day: "The great argument of the Wilson Democracy is going to be that the country has been kept out of war, and that is going to have a big effect and will be the most difficult thing we shall have to meet. Now if we go anywhere near the other extreme on this matter of preparedness, the voters will think we are for war, and they will beat us. No, sir, we will soft-pedal this preparedness stuff long before election day. The tariff will cut more figure than some folks think." So you can see, gentle reader, how little a platform means and how much a great leader means to a party and to the country.

I do not see much sign of a stampede in the Republican Convention or of liberalism

kicking up very much of a row. The psychology of the world and of the country is against that. Whatever is done will be done after pretty cautious deliberation on the part of leaders and delegates. Even Hiram Johnson, in the Progressive Convention, will be handicapped by the fact that the crest of the liberal wave in California has passed out into the Pacific. The nomination of Roosevelt will be a miracle, the nomination of Hughes a remarkable phenomenon-not an unlikely one, though. The natural and proper reticence of Hughes becomes a very considerable though by no means insuperable obstacle as the last moment approaches. And with Roosevelt the very sacrificial quality of his recent gigantic struggles for a better order and the common weal contributes to his unavailability in the eyes of many sincere delegates. To their minds, it is another case of the battered and splattered pioneer. But of course miracles have happened and remarkable phenomena have been observed in mundane affairs. Chicago, June 5, 1916.

A cold, driving rainstorm supplied a chill opening for the Republican and Progressive Conventions to-day. The weather prediction was, Unsettled." That prediction was evidently meant for the political situation. So far nothing has been settled. As the Conventions open no one seriously discusses any candidates but Roosevelt and Hughes.

The Auditorium Hotel is the center of the Progressives, the Congress 'Hotel the center of the Republicans. It is at these two hotels that the delegates gather. But these are the pawns and pieces. The players are at the Blackstone; it is there that the game is being played. Four years ago it was a battle between two forces in the one convention; now there are two conventions, and it is more like a game of chess between the two.

The bitterness of 1912 seems to be disappearing. Republican leaders are consulting with Progressive leaders and Progressive leaders are working to agree with Republican leaders. Since the forces have been here it looks as if the Old Guard leaders had lost some of their authority. They can still hold their men out against Roosevelt, but they are not sure of being able to lead them

to another. They are anxious. They do not want Hughes, but they do not know that they can keep their delegates from nominating him if they prevent them from nominating Roosevelt. They look with respect at the Progressives and want to win them, but they do not want to pay the price. The Progressive organization here is a very real thing.

The Progressives themselves are divided into two wings. One wing would like to nominate Mr. Roosevelt before the Convention opens and go home; the other wants to prevent anything like the appearance of trying to force a candidate on the Republicans, but wants to give the Republicans a chance to come of their own accord to Mr. Roosevelt's nomination as the only logical act. So far, the Progressive delegates are acquiescing in the more deliberate policy-the policy of co-operation without sacrifice of principle.

The only alternative that seems possible is Justice Hughes. His speech before the young ladies' seminary about the flag has weakened him. It has hurt him with practically all the Progressives and with many (Continued on page following illustrations)