The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-04-25
WHITE HOUSE WAR CHAMBER.
Secretary Porter's Room Occupied
by Inc PRECEDENT.


"war chamber has been established
at the White House. Saturday and Mon
day a force of workmen, including cleo
tricians, were employed, Transforming
the room formerly occupied by Private
Secretary Porter. The room faces south.
and 1t is contiguous to the President
business Office and the Cabinet room.
War Maps of Cuba, the West Indies
and the entire Eastern and Western
Hemispheres have been arranged upon
the walls for the convenience of the
President. Three sets of Geographic in
struments have been placed in the room
for the transmission. of information to
him direct from all points of the globe
While the war is on. a new set OF rules
will be in force at the Executive Man
sion. The war chamber" will be locked
from the insiden so,;:that the doorway
through which visiting statesmen nave
hitherto passed en- route to the Presi-
dents room is blocked until further or
ders.
Arthur Simmons, the sable messenger
who guards Private Secretary Porter
door. is TO be moved down to the Presi-
dents door, on which a lock for a pass
key has been placed. Capt. Loeffier VIII
continue as outside guardian to the Cabi-
net room as of old. A spring lock VIII
| also be placed upon the Cabinet door, so
that Senator'S Representatives. and 9TH
er privileged callers, who have previously
had free access TO these rooms, will have
to be announced or wait until the latch
! is lifted before they are allowed to reach
| the President.
The reason given for this new rule of
! practice and for the precautions which
| SAVIOR of exclusiveness is that the Presi-
/ dent desires every reasonable facility for
! obtaining information from the front.
| The Cabinet room, his private office and
the war chamber" form a consecutive
/ suite.
1t is not always convenient for the
! President TO cross the corridor to visit
| the executive telegraph ONCE As mat
ter of convenience to the President and
| the members of the Cabinet. Private Sec
re.ary Porter vacated his office and NOV
! ed over to the room formerly used as the
| telegraph office.
| Now the President will have free and
| unobstructed access TO the operators OF
! the Executive Mansion. and, should a
! question arise during a Cabinet meeting,
! or at any time. to the rooms running
! along the southern front OF lIle Hldil6Oli.
/ The restrictions temporarily placed on
official visitors will relieve the President
| and his callers from embarrassment AT
! times when il may be necessary for the
| President To deny himself to even his
! best friends Hitherto 1t has been the
| practice for senators and represen atives
| to walk right into the President room
without knocking. The new arrangement
may prove little irritating al first. but
! il is believed that reasonable men Will
! appreciate the necessity for the change.
under existing circumstances.
The President passed a rather unevent-
! full day Yesterday. No sensational de-
/ velopments found their way to the Exec
/ utiye Mansion although the President re-
| ceived visits from several members Of
/ the Cabinet and o,her Administration
| officials.
His first official caller in the morning
! was Secretary Alger. The Secretary OF
! War called to talk with the President
| about the confusion that appears To eX-
list in the various States relative To the
call for troops. issued yesterday. As was
( feared in some of the Sta,es the Ma
/ tiOnal Guardsmen are disposed 10 resent
the terms uuler which they are required
to enter the regular service. They do
not wish to have their militia Organiza-
tons swept entirely away. as is supposed
to be contemplated W the Presluent q
call for volunteers. 1t is Il very trouble
some problem, and il will probably oc-
CASTOR the President and Secretary Al
ger much discomfort before il is adjust
ed 10 the satisfaction of all concerned.
The President and Secretary AIger also
discussed the question of the appoint
ments under the new military bill The
number of applications for appointment
To the general and the staff officers IS
OverpoweTing. The President and the
Secretary OF War have requests from all
! parts of the country for volunteer com
| missions. Financial social. political and
all kinds Of influence are being brought
by applicants to secure appointments i'm
| the volunteer service.
Before any conclusion was reached
/ concerning the selection of the general
. officers. Miss Alger called and persuaded
| the President and her father to put aside
| the affairs of state and accompany her
| to church. Gen. Hastings and Webb
/ Hayes, the White House guests also at
( tended church with pne Presidential
party.
Early in the afternoon Attorney Cen
eral Griggs called and passed an hour
with the President Capt. Crowninsheld
| of the Navy, who Is the senior officer OF
the Navy War Board. spent the morning
at the Navy Department but before re-
! turning HOIHe- StOpleu III ana reported
| to the President such information as had
/ been received at the department. Capt.
! Crowninshield declined to confirm or
deny any of the rumors in circulation
relative to a conflict between the Ameri-
/ can fleet and the Spanish forces on the
coast of Cuba.
Later in the day Senators Davis Of
Minnesota and Hale of Maine were with
| the President for a short time. Judge
| No. leo, ,,1la brio oil ~ Il,
! the President and his guests went for a
drive.