Evening star., 1898-09-21
M'COOK DECLIN ES
Unwilling to Serve Oh the War In
quiry Commission.
WOODBURY. CT VERMONT ACCEPTS
Senator PIatt Wiling to Get a
New Yorker.
CALL OF ROUGH RIDERS
WOODBURY. CT VERMONT ACCEPTS
CALL OF ROUGH RIDERS

President Mckinley this morning received
the declinaticn of Gen. Anson G.. McCook to
serve on the war investigating commission.
The declination was unexpected as it was
fully thought yesterday that General Nc
Cook would become a member. Ey-Repre-
sentative Whiting of Massachusetts also
declined yesterday afternoon, furnishing
another surprise The President immedi-
ately wired Ex-Governor Woodbury. of Yer
mont an invitation to serve on the COM
mission, and telegraphe dispatches from
Burlington say that he has accepted. The
dispatches are partially confirmed at the
White House. He is expected to come to
Washington Friday. He is the eighth man
who has agreed to serve.
senator PIntt's Call.
Senator Platt of New York called at the
White House this morning, and it was ru-
mored that he did SO to object to the ap-
pOintment of General McCuok. This was
said on good authority to be incorrect. The
President told the senator that General Nc
Cook had declined, and said that he wanted
to get good New York man because much
OF the complaint during the war had come
from New York. The senator said he
would return to New York today and
thought he could get the kind of a man the
President wants. With this understanding
the President and senator parted. The
New York man to be named will make up
the nine members desired by the President.
Senator Platt is understood to have
talked over the political situation in New
York with the President. telling him of the
strides Colonel Roosevelt is making toward
the republican nomination for governor.
The senator is also thought to have asked
the President to make some suggestions as
to the issues of the campaign.
EX-Representative OLInwaiIe of Ohio
Was another visitor at the White House
and there was a suggestion that he had
probably been invited to serve on the war
investigating commission. This is said not
to have been done. MIR. OUthwaite is not
likely to receive such an invitation unless
one of the four democrats now on the com
mission declines.
Mustering Out General Officers.
The President is now considering the sub
ject of mastering out large number of
general and staff officers of the volunteer
army IIoDortionate to the 100000 yolun-
teers mustered out. The lists of officers in
the volunteer service have been prepared
and carefully gone over by the President
and War Department officials 1t is said
that no influence is being eXCrted by the
officers to be retained in the service and
that the mastering out will be done with
due regard to the best interests of the ser
vice. Many officers. both general and staff.
have resigned. which tends to simplify the
mastering out. as there is 10 desire to re-
tain officers who do not care to serve
longer. The general officers include eight
cen major generals and seventy brigadcr
generals and il is estimated that the num-
ber will be reduced One-haIf.
The President is also considering the mat
ter of six or seven promotions that are to
be made for gallant and efficient services
in the Santiago and Porto Rican cam
paigns. These promotions Will be an
nounced in a few days. 1t is probable,
however. that they Will be honorary, and
the officers receiving them will be mustered
out very soon after the promotions are
made.
1t is probable that in mastering out gem
eral and staff officers some of the regular
army officers who have been promoted in
the volunteer service will be mustered In
as volunteer and returned to their resi-
ment. and former rank. 1t is understood.
however, that most OF those to be mustered
out viii be from the number appointed
from civil life. as the regular army officers
viii be needed in the garrison duty yet to
be done by the troops.
The Presidents Western Trip.
Representatives Ferris of Indiana, Os-
borne of Wyoming and c. W. Stone of
Pennsylvania were among the Presidents
callers today.
Mr.. Ferris has extended the President an
invitation to visit Indiana when he goes
west in October. 1t has about been decid-
ed that the President VIII not leave here
until the second week in October. He will
then go direct to Omaha. From there h.
VIII go TO Chicago. to be present at the big
jubilee on the 18th of October. He has re-
ceived invitations TO take in Minneapolis
and St Paul. but is yet unable 20 say what
he will do.
The President will soon have to begin
work on his annual message 10 Congress
He may not get to make any headWay ur-
til his return from the west, but his desire
to get To work on the message will prevent
his remaining in the west as long as he
would desire
Representative Osborne has secured the
promise Of a pardon for constituent
Mr.. Stone wants to have the 10Th Penn
sylvania Regiment recalled from Porto
Rico on account Of large amount of sick
ness among the members. The President is
giving the request consideration.
Want to Leave the Service.
Requests for mastering out of individual
soldiers are reaching the White House in
large numbers. Ordinarily they are for
warded TO the War Department. which
deals with them. but there are many cases
which appeal to the President directly. On
these recommendations are made to the
War Department. Many men who left DO
stt.Ons Of trust and responsibility write To
the President that they will lose their
places II they do not get back to work
Their employers write to the same effect
Families which suffering from the an
sence OF a father or son frequently write
stories which receive attention. The cases
are likely to receive favorable attention ~
they are from regiments which are to leave
the service. 1t is difficult however. to Sc
cure a release II the regiment is slated to
remain in service.
Visited by Rough Riders.
President Mckinley today received n dele
cation OF visiting Rough Riders and enter
tained them with a story Of war times
The delegation was accompanied by Dele
gate Ferguson Of New Mexico. and con-
sisted of the following. a number of whom
were wounded in the fights around San
hago; Captain VIM. H. II. LlewelIyn Can
tain F. Muller, Captain NJ. Luna. Cautain
r c. Day. Lieutenant W. E. DAME. Lieu
tenant j. III. Carr, Lieutenant Thomas II
Rynning, Lieutenant E. 5. Keyes Lieuten-
ant Coleman. DIR. Masse Corporal LIeweI-
lyn, Corporal Fries. Corporal Dean Troop
ers Knox Cotton, Garden. KeithIy and
Woog of this city. New Mexico furnished
m he