Excerpts from Gutzon’s detailed report to General Wood give one coherent account of the convention, many details of which are still the subject of controversy after more than thirty years. The sculptor shows himself to have been an able observer, though puzzled; and he seems to have overlooked one fairly evident feature--that Roosevelt in the midst of turmoil was serenely waiting for a miracle, well aware of his importance and convinced that in the failure of others he might well grow stronger. He certainly would have liked to be nominated ... and who can say that he overestimated his chances? In the beginning of his report to Major General Wood the sculptor said: I had been in Chicago hardly twenty-four hours when I found out that the Progressives would not have anything to do with Republicans. They were playing a foolish game of waiting to be called on. They had even turned down the proposition of entering the convention on equal terms for the first few ballots and adjourning at will. Apparently they were afraid to run the risk, although they were boasting that they had as high as 400 votes. Where they could get half that number nobody knew but themselves. On the subject of the Progressives’ failure to join Republicans in presenting favorite sons in the early balloting, the sculptor wired Colonel Roosevelt on Thursday, June 8: ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL INDIANANS JUST SAID THAT IF YOU DECLARED NOW PUBLICLY FOR ANY CANDIDATE, THE REST MIGHT AS WELL GO HOME. HE ADDED THAT THIS POSITION CAN’T LAST. HAVE SEEN LEADERS OF OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, INDIANA, ILLINOIS, NEBRASKA, CALIFORNIA, MASSACHUSETTS; ALSO HITCHCOCK, WHOM I KNEW PERSONALLY. BAD EFFECT CREATED BY PROGRESSIVES NOT DARING TO WORK ON FIRST BALLOTS WITH FAVORITE SONS. PROGRESSIVES PASSIVE TOWARD HUGHES. OLD GUARD SAY THAT UNDER NO CONSIDERATION WILL THEY ACCEPT HUGHES UNLESS FORCED. Before this message he had sent two to the colonel on Wednesday, June 7: The first message read: FAVORITE SONS SUCCEEDED IN PASSING RULE TO GIVE A MAN AS MUCH TIME AS DESIRED FOR NOMINATING SPEECHES. NUMBER OF FIVE-MINUTE SPEECHES UNLIMITED. THIS GIVES US TIME TO ARRANGE FORCES BEHIND WOOD IF YOU WANT HIM. And the second read: CRISIS REACHED. IF ANYTHING BUT PULLING DOWN TEMPLE ON OUR HEADS IS TO BE DONE WE MUST DO IT NOW. IMMEASURABLE CONSEQUENCES TO OUR COUNTRY AND VAST INEVITABLE ADJUSTMENTS FACING AMERICA HANG IN THE BALANCE. THEY WAIT FOR YOU. DELAY MEANS SUICIDE. But there was no response from the big man in Oyster Bay. On Wednesday and Thursday Gutzon received two telegrams from General Wood on Governor’s Island. Both were hopeful. The first one read: NO INDICATION ANY CHANGE IN ATTITUDE OF COLONEL. REMAIN IN TOUCH HERE FOR FEW DAYS. And later: SAW THE CHIEF YESTERDAY. POLICY AND ATTITUDE UNCHANGED.