Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-20
Many Suggested as Successor to Sec
retary Alger.
REORGANIZING The CABIN EF
The Postmaster General and At
torney General Mentioned.
DIFFICULT SELECTION

The most absorbing and generally dis
| cussed topic today the choice of
successor to Secretary Alger for the War
portfolio The possibilities mentioned were
almost as numerous the entire field of
cabinet candidates when the Mckinley ad-
ministration first came into office. Nearly
| all of the cabinet members outside of the
| War Department were free enough to dis
| cuss the situation, with the proviso that
| they should not be quoted by name, but
| they all pleaded entire ignorance as to the
final choice. 1t was said by one cabinet
| member that while of course, other things
| being approximately equal, the geographic
distribution of the office would cut de-
| cfded figure in the decision, the. ques-
| ton was one of so much Importance to the
| President that he would be forced to make
| the personal qualifications of the candidate
| the very first consideration.
Nearly Every General Suggested.
| Nearly every general who has figured in
the recent war has been mentioned as a
possible candidate, but there are certain
considerations which, it is pointed out,
eliminate nearly every of these from
serious consideration. One of the hrst
names in the popular gossip is that of Gov.
Roosevelt of New York. Those who are in
close touch with Gov Roosevelt, and who
know the political course that he has map
ped out for himself in New York, say tnat
| il would be an absolute imposslbllfty for
him to sacrifice his ultimate ambition to
accept a hod-over term in a cabinet whose
chief might might not be reelected IL
| is also suggested, and this apples 10 Io''
| Roosevelt as we'll to several other can
lidates that with the present tangled con-
dition of affairs in the War Department
any man with political aspirations taxes
his political life in his hand in assuming
| the War portfolio Regarding Gov Roose-
veIt however, his friends say that he is a
man with such rigid ideas as to his pubiic
| Obligations that he would be apt to sacrl-
fee any personal plans that he had made
| in order to accept place where his IN
tense personal energy and executive ab1l-
ty might be Of assistance to the President
Gen Leonard Wood, now military gov
ernor of Santiago has also been mentioned,
but 1t is said by those who know the cir
| cumstances under which he recently de
cined 7attering business offer in WASH
| ington that he has other things in prospect
which would prevent his resigning his posi-
| ton in the military establishment to take
| a short-lived political appointment.
| Gen. Francis V. Green, who was through
| the Philippine campaign last year, and Gen.
| Harrison Gray Otis. who also saw service
| in the islands. have both been mentioned,
but the chief Importance attached 10 elther
If these suggestions is that the appoint
| nent of Gen. Otis would give the Pacific
| coast recognition in the cabinet, a thing
hat has never happened before except IN
| the case of Attorney General Mckenna.
| Gen. James H. Wilson. now military gov
| ernor of Matanzas has been spoken of He
| is conceded to be man of superior eXecu-
| tive ability His administration in Cuba
| has been. according to army officers re-
| Gently returned from there. the smOothest
| and most satisfactory of any province ex-
| cept, possibly, that of Santiago. and 1t is
| said that We're the position in the cabinet to
| be offered him General Wilson probably
| would seriously consider it. His great rec
\ ord IN the civil war is considered a strong
| element in favor of his selection.
| Assistant Secretary MeiI1Ieiohn.
| The name Of Assistant Secretary of War
| Neiklejohn has been mentioned, with special
! stress laid on the fact that this would seem
| a polite move. The assistant secretary is
| thoroughly familiar with the workings of
! the War Department, knows the general
| policy and wishes Of the President as we'll
| any one outside the cabinet and is said
| to be the man to carry them out. He is
| from Nebraska and came nearer than is
| generally known to being senator from that
| state in the last change of that office. 1t
| is pointed out that granting his admins
| tration in the War Department was sue
! cess he would be almost sure of the sena-
| ;0rship in the next election, and that this
| would strengthen the republican party in
| Bryan's own state.
| Whether ultimately made Secretary or
| not, it is generally conceded that Mr.. Mel
| kiejohn will act for some time to come. and
! il is not thought the President will be in
| any haste to make q final selection
| Senator Thurston was at the White House
| this afternoon TO advocate the promotion
| of Mr.. Meiklejohn. but it is positively known
| that this will not be done. Mr.. Meiklejohn
| IS not geogra phically located for a success
| ful candidate.
New York Claims the Place.
| The man uppermost in the Presidents
| mind is Gen. Horace Porter, the present
| ambassador TO France. New York claims
| place in the cabinet The vacancy made
| by Secretary Bliss resignation filled
| by a Missouri man. Besides General Por-
| ter. other New York men whose names have
1 been mentioned are Governor Roosevelt,
| Gen. Francis " Greene and Elihu Root
| the eminent lawyer. General Greene is the
! consulting engineer of the Barber Asphalt
| Paving Company. He colonel of the
| list New York Regiment at the outbreak
| of the Spanish war. He was later made
| n brigadier general and sent to Manila. For
his services there he was promoted to major
! general
| 1t is generally agreed that General Por-
| ter would be a strong and excellent man
| for Secretary of War if he would accept the
| position. He is enthusiastic military
| man, loves the service and Is a man of
| great ability. The financial consideration
| could not enter into his calculation, but 1t
| is not thought likely that he would wish to
give up his present post for the more trying
| one at home. 1t is also recalled that Cen
| eral Porter one of the two prominent
| candidates for Secretary of War at the be-
| ginning of the present administration.
| Mr.. Elihu Root is known to be a lawyer
| of more than usual ability, and has been
| spoken OF Dy a NUMBER OF persons Dut the
| acceptance of the secretaryship would en-
| tail considerable financial sacrifice on his
| part.
| In connection with General Porter it has
| been suggested that should the latter ac-
| cept the war portfolio there might be
possibility of Mr.. Root succeeding to the
embassy in Paris. He was mentioned as
second choice to Mr.. Choate for the court
of ST. James, and it is understood that he
would like the Paris mission But it is also
suggested that New York has already
-hraa ct "a Ylf nTgr,ny
London, Paris and Berlin, that it would
hardly be policy for President Mckinley
to bring home a New York man for Secre-
tary of War and send fresh one to France
| as amba ssador