Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-10
The New Secretary of War Again
on Duty.
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS NOW PENDING
Gossip as to the Possible Re-
moyaI of General Otis.
MANY CALLERS TODAY

Secretary Root returned to Washington
last night after an absence of several days,
during which he visited President Mckinley
at Lake Champlain. 1t was understood
that the object of Mr.. Roots call upon the
President was to discuss plans for mobiliz-
ing the new army of the Philippines. 1t
was expected that he would also refer to
the advisability of retaining Gen. Otis in
command at Manila.
Mr. Roots return to the city, therefore
was looked forward to with interest by bu-
reau officials of the War Department The
Secretary did not appear during the early
part of the day. however, as he was en-
gagged upon the important and laborious
task of house hunting. He left his hotel
early in the morning and proceeded to the
northwest section of the city to inspect a
number of houses which had been offered
to him as quarters for his family during
their stay in Washington.
Questions to BE Taken Up.
1t is probable that the Secretary will to-
morrow take up a number of important
questions now pending in the department
and which demand his attention. 1t is
understood that he will, at an early day,
pass upon the status of the inspector gen.
erals department. 1t will be remembered
that Secretary Alger issued order which
deprived the major general commanding
the army of any jurisdiction over the in
spectOr generals branch, and placed it un-
der the direction of the Secretary of War.
Gen. Miles friends say that he will ask
Secretary Root to give the major general
commanding the army authority over the
inspector general. 1t is claimed that it
would be an anomaly to place the ranking
officer of the army in a position where he
could not order an inspection of an army
post if he thought it desirable. Gen Miles
friends believe that the new Secretary pro-
poses to remove the friction which has eX-
listed in some quarters of the War Depart
ment and to do all that is possible to pro-
mote the harmonious cooperation of all
branches of the service in the great work
which is ahead of the War Department in
the next few months.
Gossip About Gen. Otis.
Renewed impetus was given TO the gossip
about the possible removal of Gen. Otis by
the report that Secretary Root while in
New York saw Gen. Merritt and had a
conversation of an hour with him. The
presumption was that they discussed the
possibility of making a change in the Phil
ippines, and it was even said that Gen.
Merritt expressed his Willingness to return
to the Philippines if called upon
In other quarters, however, it was claim
ed that Secretary Root did not talk about
the Supplanting of Gen. Otis, and that
he has declined up to this time to admit
that 1t was even yet under consideration.
most natural thing in the world for the
Secretary of War TO meet the commander
of the Department of the East while in
New York and that they would find enough
to talk about relating to Gen. Merritt's
own command, without discussing the sit
uatiOn in the Philippines. 1t has been i'm
possible up to this time TO get Well-inforn-
ed officials of the War Department to ad-
init that Gen. Otis may be recalled.
What Gen. Corbin says
The only man connected with the mill
tary establishment whom Secretary Root
saw this morning was Adjutant General
COrbin. who took breakfast with him at
the hotel If Secretary Root had in mind
any change of command in the Philip
pines he did not communicate it to Cen
COrbin. The latter is still positive that
there will be change in the command
OF the troops in the Philippines, and that
the conduct of affairs by Gen. Otis is salts
factory.
a number of callers We're at the DEPART
ment during the forenoon awaiting the
return of the Secretary to his desk, among
them being Senator Platt, Archbishop
Chappelle, Senor Quesada and several Gu
bans and Porto Ricans. Messrs Ricardo
ArnautC and Augustine Cervantes, editor
and assistant editor of the Havana Recon-
centrado, recently suppressed by Gen. Lud-
low. are in this city to lay their grievances
before the Secretary of War. They claim
that Gen Ludlow's action was arbitrary
and desire