Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-16
AT THE WHITE HOUSE
Secretaries Hay and Root Confer
With the President.
CHINESE SITUATION DISCUSSED
Postmaster General Smith Shows
Draft of a Platform.
MANY SATURDAY CALLERS

Secretaries Hay and Root arrived hur-
r!edly at the White House shortly after l
| o'clock this afternoon and were closeted
| with the President for half an hour. Sec
| retary Hay said upon leaving that no Of
| fetal adviees had been received from China.
| The President had been conferred with
| over the situation. Secretary Root had
| nothing to add to this. but 1t Is believed
| the question of additional forces in China
was touched upon and that the necessity
for utilizing part of the army well as
| the marines in case of further complica-
| tions was discussed.
| In some quarters 1t is thought that should
occasion require the policy Of supplanting
| volunteers in the Philippines by regulars
| would be discontinued and the latter sent
to China If the reports Of the troubles in
| Pekin are corroborated 1t is among the pos
sibilities that the 9th Cavalry may sail for
| China instead of Manila. for which point 1t
| was expected to embark next week.
| Secretaries Hay and Root left the White
| House at ] :55 pm. They said they had
| ceived no official confirmation of the burn
| ing of the legations in Pekin. They were
| getting together all the data possible. they
| stated, and would do whatever the situa-
| ton seemed to require. Both gentlemen re-
| fused to make a further statement
| The Republican Platform.
Shortly before noon Postmaster General
Smith arrived at the White House for a
| consultation with the President before leav-
| ing for Philadelphia. The draft of the plat
| form prepared by him was submitted to
Mr. Mckinley. The conference lasted al
| most three-quarters of an hour. AS the
Postmaster General was descending the
White House stairs a copy of the docu-
Post.
master General missed 1t before he reached
the bottom of the stairs and. retracing his
steps with a newspaper man with whom
he was talking, the latter picked 1t up and
handed 1t to him. II would like to publish
the platform this afternoon said he, as
he gave it to the Postmaster General The
latter smiled and repliad good-naturedly:
You had better wait a few days"
Mr.. Smith said the President was greatly
concerned over the grave news which came
from China through the press dispatches.
| firmation and the President still entertains
hope that the reports may be exaggerated.
| Mr.. Smith left for Philadelphia at 12:45.
Considering the China Situation.
While the members Of the administration
are reluctant to believe the dispatches to
newspapers from Shanghai this morning,
giving what purported to be accounts Of
the burning of the legations in Pekin. the
assassination of the German ambassador
and the Inauguration of a reign of terror
generally, they are not blind to the fact
that such state Of affairs is not only pos
sihle but highly probable. In the absence
of any official verification Of the statements
there will be- of course, no official action
further than that already taken. but the
necessities that may arise are being con-
sidered and the requirements that may fol-
low studied. If the worst comes to the
worst the United States will have the ad-
vantage of possessing base OF supplies in
the Philippines, and friends Of the admin
istration today were bitter in their denun-
citation of the advocates in this country
whose words and agitation have encour-
aged the Filipinos in their insurrectory
met ethods and prevented a settlement that
would have made ere this the Philippines
a safer base for supplies in case of a crisis,
than they are at present.
There will be no hesitancy on the part OF
this country, however, to meet any emer-
gency that may arise. There will be no
change, either, in the policy which the
Union will pursue in regard 10 China. This
will be, as it has been, to secure our fair
share of the Chinese trade and to protect
the lives and property of American cit-
zens in the empire. whether missionaries
engaged in business pursuits, to the
fullest extent.
A Busy Day.
1t was a busy Saturday morning for the
President, and his hand and smile were
kept almost as steadily in play at pub
lie reception similar occasion. The cali
ers were largely delegates to the conven-
ton which will renominate the President at
Philadelphia next week, and while there
were serious problems bothering their
minds as to the running mate to be chosen
for Mr.. Mckinley, they were al enthusias-
tic regarding the leader of the team.
Senator Cullom was one Of the earliest
to bring friends with him who were conven-
ton bound and had stopped en- route to
pay their respects to the executive. He in
troduced John C. Ames of Chicago, c. B.
Hitch. former chairman Of the Illinois CEN
trail committee; F. E. Coin, collector of
internal revenue, and R. E. Hegley, a
delegate from one of the country districts.
Representative Rodenberg was also with
When Senator Cullom was interrogated
regarding the vice presidency he declared
that the honor should be conferred on some
man in whom the country had complete
confidence and who was well known to the
people at large.
Because a man wants the vice presi-
dency." he said. 'is no reason why he
should get 1t. The nomination should go
to a man qualified in every respect to be-
come President. and to fill that high Of
flee satisfactorily at a minutes notice, IL
necessary" He declined to discuss the Dol
liver boom.
Some Delegates Call.
Following Senator Cullom's party was
Mr.. Herman Binger, commissioner of the
general land office. who brought with him
Wallace McCammert Of Portland, Rufus 8.
Moore and H. E. Ankenny. all Oregon dele
gates to Philadelphia Mr.. Aukenny is a
brother of the senatorial aspirant in the
state of Washington.
President Mckinley gave the Oregonians
a cordial greeting, and expressed his graft
hcation at the handsome showing made by
the republicans at tho recent election.
Queries to tho visitors developed that
while they had not finally made up their
minds on the question, they were inclined
to support Bartlett Tripp for the vice presi-
Dental nomination.
Representative Bebcock called with lady
and gentleman, and Representative Boertng
of Kentucky with several ladies'. Both said
their visits were purely social. Senator Car
ter of Montana brought F. Forbes and Ty-
ier Wharton. who Will also participate in
solving the vice presidential equation. Sem
ator Carter, when asked the probable re-
suit, said he didn't know, He relieved him.
self Of further questions however. by in
timating that Allison might be the man.
Representative Curtis Of Kansas intro
duced T. r, Burton OF Abilene who is