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Show LENRDOT 15 TfflG HCTIVEjm Will Aid Gardner in Fight on Mann ; Roosevelt at Bottom of Movement "WASHINGTON, Dec. Ablation for a conference of house Republicans to outline a. definite plan of constructive action durinsr congress to replace the present policy of merely opposing Democratic Demo-cratic proposals began tuclay to take definite defi-nite form. I'pon his return from Cincinnati, -where he announced his opposition to Republican Repub-lican Leader Mann for speaker of the next' house and his support of Representative Represen-tative Lenroot of Wisconsin for the place, Representative Gardner of Massachusetts said he would immediately seek to have a conference called for the purpose of "formula tins policies" for the future, lie made It clear that his effort to obtain a conference should be entirely disassociated disasso-ciated from his opposition to Mr. Mann, which, he says, is based solely on his conviction that Mr. Mann stands for "Prussia and Prussianlsm" in international interna-tional affairs. Until Mr. Mann indorsed President Wilson's recent peace message, Gardner said, he favored him. "I shall endeavor to have a conference called to formulate policies and discuss them, rather than personalities," said the Massachusetts representative. -,I am tired to death of waiting- for a lot of big wigs in the Republican party to prepare a platform plat-form for us that means nothing. The Republican party more nearly represents the people than any other, and it is high time that we were planning for urging the adoption of many progressive ideas which already have been incorporated into laws in other countries." Representative Ienroot evidenced keen Interest in the conference proposal and said he favored a similar plan. He declined de-clined to discuss the speakership situation. situa-tion. Coincident with the return of Mr. Gardner Gard-ner it became known that he recently conferred with Colonel Roosevelt on the house situation. Other than saying- that a conference had been held, however, Mr. Gardner declined to discuss the meeting. Representative S'ehall of Montana, one of the two Progressives elected to t lie next house, also is in receipt of an invitation to call on Colonel Roosevelt. In political circles the colonel's activity is interpreted interpret-ed as indicating that he intends to take more than a passing interest in the or-gr-mizaiion of the house. Representative Gardner's announcement of his intention to agitate for a conference confer-ence met a cordial response among many of the rank and file Republicans who are anxious to prevent the present ranking minority members of, several committees who are classified as irreconcilable standpatters stand-patters from getting chairmanships unless un-less they make declarations of progressive progres-sive principles. |