Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1899-07-21
Announcement Regarded a.
Premature Even by Those
Anticipating 1t.
PINGREE INCIDENT BLAMED
Renewal Of Former Relations
Impossible After the Pub
licity Given 1t.
The Secretary Refuses to Dis
Cuss the Reasons for His
Retirement.

ger has rendered to the president his
resignation of the war portfolio. The
resignation will become effective Aug.
/, though it was rendered "at the pleas
ure of the president"
Gossip has already begun as to his
successor but is entirely speculative for,
Notwithstanding the reports that Mr..
Alger would not long continue at the
head of the war department, his actual
resignation came suddenly and unex-
pectedly. That it would come by the
end Of the year was generally believed,
but so little was it expected at this
time that some of the cabinet officers,
when the news first became public,
were inclined to regard the announce
ment as premature, the announcement
that it was actually in hand coming to
them in the nature of surprise.
Formal
Acceptance of tho II Resignation
had not been made by the president up
to a late hour, but will be in a letter to
be written within the next day or two.
No official statement as to the cause of
the resignation was procurable either
from the president nor from Secretary
Alger, neither of whom would talk on
the subject. For the present nothing
will bo made known officially concern
ing the severance of the official rela-
tions between the president and his war
minister, but later on the official CORE
spondence closing the latter's career as
chief of the war department doubt
lessly will be given to the press. For
some time Secretary Alger's resignation
has been regarded as almost foregone
conclusion in view of his announcement
that he had concluded TO enter into
competition for the vacancy in the
United States senate to be caused by
the expiration of the term Of Senator
Mcmillan, a
Supporter Of tho Ad mi istrntion,
and that he had enlisted in his active
support Governor Pingree, who had re-
peatedly made free criticis of what
was supposed to be the POI. of the
president towards tho Filipinos. There
have been many explanations and deni-
ais of the facts in that case, but in the
end the impression was conveyed that
the result of the Michigan visit of the
secretary had been to change the rela-
tions between the president and himself
to such a degree as to make restora-
tion Of their former status impossible
as part Of the same official family unde-
sirable. The secretary had just re-
turned from conference with Vice
President Hobart at Normanhurst and
on arrival at his office his first act was
to write his formal letter of resignation
and personally carry it to the White
House. His call on this occasion was
brief and when he returned to the war
department he
Closed tho Door to Callers
who were in waiting and had long
conference with Adjntant General Cor
bin. To the newspaper men who sought
to secure some expression from him the
secretary was courteous but firm. On
the one side General Corbin and on the
other Mr.. Victor Mason, his private Sec
retary, by his authority. as they said,
made the announcement that Secretary
Alger had submitted his resignation to
the president to take effect at the pleas
ure of the president. At his residence
later the secretary was equally uncom-
municative and positively declined to
assign any reason for the action he had
taken. With him were Major Hopkins
and Major Wilson. but beyond news
paper men, few OF whom secured access
to himself, the secretary saw no one.
Mr.. Meiklejohn, the assistant secre-
tary or war, will assume charge Of the
war department until the president
shall name permanent secretary.