The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-07-20
CEN. ALGER'S
RESIGNATION
Will Become Effective In Less
Than Two Weeks.
Suddenness of His Action Gre
ates Surprise.
A TIP FROM HOBART.
Visit to the Vice President Pre-
cipitated Action.
Gossip Regarding a Successor
INDUCED In.
A TIP FROM HOBART.

Washington, July 20-The resignation
Of Secretary of War Alger offered to
the president late yesterday AFTERNOON
will become effective August l, though
it was rendered "at the pleasure of the
president"
Gossip has begun already 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 resi- nat1On came suddenly and
unexpectedly. That it would come by
the end of the year was generally be-
lieved, but so little was it expected at
this time that some of the cabinet Off
GERS, 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 a surprise.
Formal acceptance of the resignation
has not been made by the president,
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 eth
er from the president or from Secretary
Alger, neither of whom would talk on
the subject. For the present, nothing
will be made known officially concern
ing the severance of the official rela-
tons between the president and his war
minister, but later on the official cor
reSpOndence closing the latter'S career
as chief of the war department doubt
less will be given to the press.
The belief had prevailed in Wash
ingtOn for some time that Secretary AL
ger would resign from the cabinet, but
the date generally set for it was toward
the close of the year, after he had sub
mitted his annual report, in which he
intended to sum up what had been ac-
cOmpliShed during his brief but event
full direction of the war department.
7 It's tender then had been regarded as
almost foregone conclusion, in view
of NIr. Ayers announcement about a
month ago 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 strong support
er of the administration, and that he
| had enlisted in his active support Gov
ernOr Pingree, to whom had been at
| tributed free criticisms of the policy
I that was supposed to be cherished by
! the president toward the Filipinos.
| There have been many explanations
| and denials of the facts in the case, but
! in the end the impression was conveyed
! that the result of the Michigan visit of
| the secretary had been to change the
! relations between the president and
himself to such a degree as to make a
! restoration of their former status i'm
| possible and to render the connection
| of the two part of the same official
| family undesirable At one time since
! then there was ground for the belief
| that a rupture might be avoided, but
| this belief ceased to be held when the
news spread that Vice President HO-
bart and Secretary Alger were in con-
ference at Normanhurst.
1t was largely due to this conference
that Secretary Alger decided to leave
the cabinet at this time. At this con-
ference there was present besides Sec
rotary Alger, his military aide and
close personal and political friend and
advisor, Major Hopkins, and perhaps
, some other persons or person who also
felt a deep interest in the future of the
secretary.
There has been no disclosure of what
passed by the seaside, but it is signif-
icant that the return of the secretary
to Washington was followed by prompt
action.
Secretary Alger wrote out his formal
letter of resignation and personally
carried it over to the White House. His
call on this occasion was brief, and
when he returned to the war depart
ment he closed the door of his office to
most of the many callers who were in
waiting and had a long conference with
Adjutant General Corbin To the
newspaper men who sought to secure
some expression from him, the secre-
tary was courteous but firm. On the
one side General COrbin and on the
other Mr. Victor Mason, his private
secretary, by his authority. as they
said, made the announcement that Sec
rotary Alger had submitted his resig-
nation to the president to take effect
at the pleasure of the president.
At his residence in the evening the
secretary was equally uncommunica-
tive and positively declined to assign
any reason for the action he had taken.
He had called during the afternoon
upon Secretary Hay at the state de-
partment and with him at home were
Major Hopkins and Mr.. Mason, but
beyond many newspaper men. few of
whom secured access to him, the secre-
tary saw no one. His plans for the
future have already been defined.
Mr. MeiklejOhn, the assistant secre-
tary of war, is at present supposed to
be in Wisconsin, whittier he went two
weeks ago to make a personal inspec-
ton of the Fox river improvements, a
scheme which has given the engineer
ing bureau endless trouble and which
now requires some positive recommen-