Evening star., 1899-04-04
M'KEAN TO RETIRE
The Peace Jubilee Misunderstanding
Reaching a Crisis.
COMMITTEE has CONSIDERED IT
Understanding That There VIII Be
a Change in Management.
CAUSES OF THE TROUBLE

The resignation of Director General w.
S. Mexican as secretary and a member of
the executive committee having in charge
| the proposed national peace jubilee to be
held in May next continued to be the sub
ject Of animated discussion today. The
question of accepting the resignation was
considered late yesterday afternoon by the
committee to which il was referred, COM
posed of w. S. Knox, chairman; Chaplin
Brown, Leo Simmons, Mitchell Dyrenforth
| and ]. w. Somerville. The committee will
report tomorrow night at a meeting of the
general committee, which will convene at
headquarters, No. lila F street. at 8
o'clock. 1t was thought certain today that
Mr.. Mckean's resignation would be recon-
mended for acceptance, and it was believed
that the head of a well-known legal firm
| would be rendered the place of vice chair
man. and that he would assume all the
duties heretofore in the hands of Mr.. Nc
kean.
Mr. Mexican was at work as usual at
Headquarters today, although he was plain
ly depressed over the turn affairs have
taken. He declined to have anything to say
on the subject under consideration. Chair
man w. S. Knox, Mr. Frank K. Raymond,
Mr.. Leo Simmons and other gentlemen
prominent in the promotion of the jubilee
and active in its behalf also declined to
talk before official action on the matter was
taken in the general committee meeting.
They expressed confidence in the success
of the jubilee, and evidently did not regard
the present misunderstanding, while regret
ting it, as being able to have any effect
upon the attainment of such success.
Source of the Trouble.
Already those who know something of the
inside workings of the executive commit
tee, as stated above, are speaking of
successor for Mr.. Mexican both as general
director and as secretary to the executive
committee. By the same people it is said
| that the differences which have brought
about the breach have been matters of
slow but continuous growth, and that the
trouble has become especially acute only
during the past week. Mr.. Mexican, 1t is
said, has complained that he was being
hampered and tied down in his work, while
| on the other side an illustration of the al
legged hampering is given in the difference
of opinion which arose very recently whep
Mr.. Mexican is said to have asked Mr..
Knox to sign orders involving the expendi-
ture of considerable sums of money and
Mr.. Knox refused to do SO without seeing
a written contract with specifications as
to what was to be done with the appropria-
tons
To some extent the differences have re-
volved about this point-that is, members
of the committee holding that before any
expenditures could be allowed contracts in
writing should be submitted, and the ex-
ecutive committee should pass on these
contracts and then vote the exact amount
| needed MIR. Mexican. on the other hand. so
1t is claimed, holding the view that the ex-
ecutive committee should vote general APP
propriations for the expenses needed. Those
who havA opposed Mr.. Mexican in this mat
ter dlSclaim any charges of injudiciouS use
of funds. but say that as now the time for
voting large appropriations has come, thor
ough business methods should prevail The
charge Is also made that a proposition was
| on foot to provide salary of from 500 to
$500 a month for Mr.. Mexican, and that
was objected to by members of the COM
mittee who say that the salary of 800
month paid Mr.. Mexican as secretary of the
Business Mems Association was all that il
had been understood would be asked for
that gentleman.
Another source of friction is said to have
arisen from the almost total assumption of
power by the director general, who, be-
sides attending the meetings of and ar
| ranging the plans of about all the sub
committees, has claimed the prerogative of
speaking for the chairmen at executive
meetings when the chairrnen themselves
We're absent. number of subcommittee
have expressed considerable feeling when
the members have attended meetings and
found that all arrangements coming under
their committee had been fixed up by Mr..
Mexican, and, in some cases. even given
out for publication.
Finance Committee Meeting.
The meeting of the finance committee
held last night and presided over by Vice
1udlTlndil A. w. heliey, WHO dflUOullceu
Chairman Allison Majors absence from
the city, was an interesting one. 1t was de-
cided to hold two meetings weekly here
after, and to replace members who did not
show interest in their work with those
more energetic. The few subscription books
reported out of the one hundred and ten in
circulation showed additional contributions
of 81 ,4l5 follows:
A. H. Wells $40; Rev. Alexander Mackay-
Smith. $50; A. T. Brittcn, SIS; Washington
Brewing Company, 500; w. S. Donovan.
s25 Howard House, $50: McInnis Bros. $2o;
r. p. Andrews & Co, s25; M ]. Mulhaney.
s25 A. NJ. Beekman. S25; Louis Bush, $25;
| George r. May, 50; ". w. Marmaduke. s.;
| Hotel Gordon, 500; Z. II. Thomas, So;
Crown Lunch. IS; B. ]. Marshall, $40; Huy-
ler's, SO; p. S. Warren $40; House & Herr
mann 800; A F. JOrss 50: Mrs A Riley
$40; Burke & Chase, Grand Opera House,
800; Heurich Brewing Company S3oo; E.
Heidenheimer, $40; E. S. Randall $50; w.
B. Moses & Sons, $50: Browning & Baine,
| $50: The Houghton Company. $40: James
| Moore, s.; National Capital Ice Company,
| So; r. T. Mazinger s25: Thomas R. Riley,
| $40; F. II. Finley & Son, $40; j. j. Spauld-
| So; Forberg & Murray, $40; NJ G. McCor-
| mick. s25; Andrew J. Joyce Company, $40.
| Total. s1.415. Added to the amount pre-
viously subscribed sl6,547, the aggregate is
now ST., ,962
| 1t was decided to send letters to members
| urging them to report at the meeting next
Friday night, to which time the committee
| adjourned.
Permission was received from the authori-
| ties of the Interior and Treasury depart
| ments to solicit contributions therein and
| Secretary E. A. Moseley of the interstate
commerce commission accepted member
| ship on the finance committee.
Chief Clerk w. H. Bayley of the pension
| office was present. and promised substantial
returns from that bureau.
| MODIFIES VERDICT