Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-09-07
WILL NOT RESUME HIS DUTIES AT
STATE DEPARTMENT.
JUSTICE WHITE HAS DECLINED
WILL NOT SERVE AS ONE OF THE
PEACE COMMISSIONERS.
President Has Already rendered the
Place to Another and Is Await
ing m nAcceptance-StateD De-
partment Hard at Work
on Peace Matters.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6.-Secretary Day
probably will not resume the discharge OF
the functions of secretary of state, and it
may be assumed that his connection with
the department, save in the capacity of Il
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 a 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 a
very early announcement may be looked
for. as there is reason to believe that the
president already has made tender of the
commissionership and is now awaiting an
acceptance before making public that fact
Arrangements for the departure of the.
commission on the 18th inst from New
York are being pushed. Acting Secretary
Moore. with the assistance Of Mr.. Nc
Arthur, 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
of these gentlemen. Especially is this true
OF the Philippines. which promise to be the
bone of contention before the commission.
and consequently acting 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 il is
stated upon authority that this body is not
in any sense judicial. but purely diplomatic.
The procedure will not be of a character
where numerical voting strength will de-
termine any proposition, but the commits
sioners 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 su-
preme court, had finally declined the ten
der of a membership in the Spanish-Amer-
lean peace commission. The president has
been aware for several days or the decision
of Justice White but for various reasons
did not make it public. As a matter of
fact, no official announcement was ever
made of his selection as a member of the
commission, although it was semi-officially
understood that the tender OF a place on
the commission had been made him.
In the same way 1t Is now understood
that the vacant place on the commission
las been offered to Senator George Gray. of
Delaware, one of the leading Democratic
members of the senate and a member OF
the minority on the foreign relations COM
mittee. Senator Gray had long confer
ence with the president to-day, the con-
ference relating partly TO the work of the
Canadian commission, of which Senator
Gray is a member, and partly to the peace
commission. While the senator has not
definitely indicated his acceptance of the
not unlikely that he will finally be the fifth
member OF the commission