Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-23
The President May Not Be Able to
Visit Chicago.
,HINA AFFAIR MAY KEEP him HERE
Situation May Need His Constant
Attention.
FEW CALLERS RECEIVED

Secretary Cortelyou this afternoon adj
vised Mr. William H. Harper, executive
director of the thirty-fourth national en-
campment of the Grand Army of the Re-
public, that, while the President had in
tended leaving Washington tomorrow, FRI
day, reaching Chicago Saturday afternoon,
to participate in the exercises of the en-
canpment, the condition of public busi-
ness here of immediate Importance will de-
lay his departure from Washington and
may possibly prevent him from visiting
Chicago at this time.
If the President finds that he can leave
here SO as to be present at some of the
exercises he will do so, and Mr.. Harper
and others having them in charge will be
promptly notified.
Due to Chinese situation.
The postponement is wholly due to the
Chinese situation. and has been looked for
since the conference at the White House
yesterday.
By going to Chicago the President would
be greatly incapacitated in attending to
public business. The program for the
week contemplated his almost constant
participation in public exercises, from a
review of parades to banquets and visits.
There would be little time to give TO chi
nese or other questions. Here or at Cam
ton he can consider these questions in pri-
vate and without molestatfon.
A Great Disappointment.
The probable inability of the President to
attend the Grand Army encampment at
Chicago is a great disappointment to him.
For many months past he has been look
ing forward with pleasurable antfcipauons
to this opportunity to meet his old TRENDS
and army associates. and 1T is only that his
public duties imperatively demand his pres
ence In Washington at this critical time
that he has decided to cancel his Chicago
engagement. Nevertheless he has strong
hopes that the tension in Chinese aHairs
may relax within the next two or three
days sufficiently to warrant his leaving the
city for a short time, In which event ne
will notify the Chicago committee or MS
coming even If he can arrive only in time
to participate in the closing exercises of the
encampment The President fully realizes
that another crisis is rapidly approaching
in China, and that momentous questions
which may involve the life or death of the
empire may at any time be presented for
solution. Under these conditions the Pres
ident deems 1t to be his duty to remain at
the seat OF government until the crisis, for
the present, at least, has passed.
Few Callers Received.
President Mckinley was too busy on inn
portant matters today to give much atten-
ton to the numerous callers at the White
House. He saw few people and remained
at his desk all day going over government
al papers, largely connected with the Chi
nese situation. Representative Boreing OF
Kentucky, Representative Flynn of Okla
homa, Representative Hawley of Texas and
James NJ. Beck, the new assistant attorney
general, were the only callers received up
to late hour. Mr.. Beck has just returned
from a trip to Europe, and has entered
upon his duties at the Department of JUS
tice
Representative Hawley has returned to
the United States from a long visit to Gu
ha and told the President of what he had
seen and heard among the people of the is
land. The President and Mr.. Hawley were
in conference some time.
AS there were no important dispatches
from China to be answered, the President
did not have any conferences with State
Department other department officials.