The times., 1899-07-09
ROOSEVELT CALLED HERE
He Is Consulted by Mr.. Mckinley
About Volunteer Officers.
A Denial That His Visit Has Any
thing to Do With Mr.. AlGer's Re-
tirement = He Would Rather Be
Governor of New York Than Sec
rotary of Nyar-On the Philippines.

Governor Roosevelt arrived in Wash
ington yesterday afternoon at 4 o'clock,
and will be the guest of President Nc
Kinley at the White House today and
perhaps until Monday. He came in re-
sponse to a telegraphic summons from
the President, and was met at the Pennsyl-
vania station by Acting Secretary Cortel-
you He was driven Immediately 10 the
White House. He talked with Mr.. Nc
Kinley in the Cabinet room for quarter
of an hour and then left the White House
while the President and Mrs. Mckinley
went for a drive.
The purpose of the President in sum
moning the Governor, as Mr.. Roosevelt
himself said, was to have talk with him
regarding the organization of the ten new
regiments of volunteers about TO be re-
cruited, and particularly with reference to
the appointment of the principal officers
for these regiments. After dinner last
night the President and Governor Roose-
welt had long conference in regard to
the coming appointments, it being the de-
sire of Mr.. Mckinley TO carry out con-
sistently the announced policy of the
Administration to appoint the officers
solely on their merits. After his first in
terview with the President in the after
noon Colonel Roosevelt said:
Now that the President has asked my
advice in regard to these appointments,
have no hesitation in expressing to him
my opinion that the officers for the new
regiments of volunteers should be chosen
strictly from the list of those who served
in the Spanish-American war, and so far
as possible from those who served with
special distinction and from first TO last
demonstrated their capacity for taking
care of and commanding their troops. If a
sufficient number of these veterans are
available it would seem particularly wise
in the interests OF justice and efficiency to
appoint them to commissions in the new
volunteers / shall take occasion, OF
course. to recommend number of my old
comrades in arms in the Rough Riders
Regiment, for they deserve places, and
some of them want them. But l have no
favorites except as they may deserve con-
sideration on account of their services
during the recent war"
The President was asked yesterday to
appoint Colonel Ward, late of the 202d
New YORK volunteers 10 a cOlonelcy In
the new volunteer regiments, and it was
understood that this officer is among those
who will be favorably recommended by
Governor Roosevelt. As soon as Colonel
Roosevelt saw the President it was made
clear to him that Mr.. Mckinley wished to
consider candidates for commission on the
merit basis only, and that he had sent for
the Governor first because he believed the
latters judgment in military matters TO
be excellent. and secondly because he is a
veteran volunteer officer himself, who
would be governed by no motive OF politics
in discussing the candidates for appoint
ment.
Within the last week great many can
didates for appointment have been pre-
sented by Senators and members of Con-
gress. and the number of these recommen-
dations is not limited by the number Of
Congressman who have called at the White
House within that time, for q deluge of
letters relating to the proposed appoint
ments have been received from distin-
guished men in every part of the country
The President has caused it to be made
known very plainly, however, that the
same rules which governed appointments
for the Spanish American war will not