Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-09-08
SECRETARY DAY OUT
He Will Not Resume the Functions
Of Secretary Of State.
JUSTICE WHITE DECLINES TO SERVE
The President Has rendered the Vacant
Place on the Peace Commission to Sem
ator Gray, OF Delaware, Who Will
Probably Accept 1t.

Washington, Sept 7.-Secretary Day
probably will not resume the discharge
Of the functions OF secretary Of state
and 1t may be assumed that his con-
nection with the department, save in
the capacity Of peace commissioner,
terminated when he left Washington
for Ohio recently. Upon his return to
Washington it is expected that he will
come to the state department for the
purpose Of bidding farewell to the en-
ployes.
There Is no longer q reasonable
doubt that Justice White has decided
to decline the appointment of peace
commissioner, and that he refrains
from making public announcement Of
his purpose at the request Of the
president 1t is estimated that very
early announcement may be looked
for, as there is reason to believe that
the president already has made ten
der Of the commissionership and is
now awaiting an acceptance before
making public that fact. Arrange
ments for the departure Of the com.
mission on the nth inst from New
York are being pushed. Acting Secre-
tary Moore, with the assistance of Mr.
Macarthur, is giving a great deal Of
time to the collection of documents
and charts needed by the American
commissioners in their work, and the
subjects likely to arise in connection
with the final peace negotiations are
receiving the closest study at the hands
Of these gentlemen. Especially is this
true Of the Philippines, which promise
to be the bone of contention before
the commission, and consequently act
ing Secretary Moore is devoting the
best share Of his attention to that
phase Of the subject. To establish
clear understanding of the scope of
the commissions power it is stated
upon authority that this body is not
in any sense judicial, but purely diplo-
matte. The procedure will not be of
character where numerical voting
strength will determine any PROPOSE
ton, but the commissioners on each
side are expected to act as separate
units and, should differences arise, they
must be settled by the ordinary course
of diplomatic negotiation.
1t may be said positively now that
Mr., Justice White, of the United
States supreme court, has finally de-
clined the tender Of a membership in
the Spanish American peace commits
sion. The president has been aware
for several days of the decision Of JUS
tice White but for various reasons did
not make it public. As matter Of
fact, no official announcement was
ever made Of his selection as a MEM
Der OF the commission, although 1t
was semi-officially understood that the
tender Of place on the commission
had been made him.
In the same way 1t is now under |
stood that the vacant place on the
commission has been offered to Sena-
tor George Gray, of Delaware, one Of
the leading democratic members Of the
.oratn aud N ,,ar,b ar ~ tho rrinoritv
on the foreign relations committee.
Senator Gray had a long conference
partly to the work of the
Canadian commission. While the SEN
ator has not definitely indicated his
acceptance of the peace commissioner
ship, 1t is regarded as not unlikely
that he will be the fifth member Of the