The evening times., 1900-01-29
NHIrG house VISITORS
Throngs Congratulate the Frrsi-
dent on His Birthday.
Messages and Presents Received
From European Rulers and PersO-
nal Friends-Members of the Cabi-
net Call mt the Executive Mansion.
Speculation ON the Angio-BOer War

| President Mckinley is today receiving
| the congratulations of his friends upon
| the fifty seventh anniversary of his bisth.
| No special preparations had been made 10
| celebrate the event. and the President is
attending to his official duties as us ual.
! Still there is warmth in the greetings of
| visitors and felicitous references to his
health and happiness entirely wanting cn
other days
The President began to be reminded Ct
the anniversary of his birth several days
ago. He received delegation from Cali
fornia. through which he was invited to
participate in the banquet of the Bohemi-
ans OF America. Since then reminders OF
one sort and another have been constantly
appearing in the shape of letters fro. Off
cials and friends in foreign countries and
messages from European rulers, sent b.
forehand TO ensure delivery at the proper
time.
AT breakfast this morning Mr. Mckinley
was warmly greeted by Mr.. and Mrs.
George A. Morse. who are guests at the
White House When he arrived at his
desk notes. letters. kilograms, and memen-
toes were found in scores, having been ar
ranged for his inspection by the secreta-
ries. The President looked them over Eur-
riedly and was made to feel a little of the
pleasure which is occasionally intermin-
gled with the endless labors OF his posi-
ton
Among the first to call and offer their
congratulations was Mr.. E. A Hitchcock
Sacraf of he Inf IL
ed during the day by Secretaries Root,
Gage, and Hay, and Attorney General
Griggs. Senators Lodge, Shoup. Perkins.
and Elkins each called with friends and
each felicitated Mr.. Mckinley in the most
cordial way. Representative DOlliyer,
Hamilton. jenkins and Ferris also called,
and later in the day the White House lobby
was full OF the Presidents friends in
Washington. waiting to extend their greet
ings to him. After II o'clock President
McKinley's room had much the appearance
of general reception. During the day
Admiral Dewey, General Miles. and other
military and naval officers called
In the afternoon the President received
an official call from the Secretary OF State.
II is understood that the Anglo BOer war
was under discussion. The recent defeat
of General Butler. which. il appears, was
known at European capitals last Thursday.
mas revived various schemes for inteTyen-
ing automatically TO stop the struggle,
and what appears to be the useless waste
OF life.
This Government is in close touch not
only with England, but with other gov
ernments on the Continent. and it is inti-
mated that Secretary Hay went to the
White House with a budget of dispatches
containing one or more from every capital
in Europe. These were examined with
great deliberation by the President, and
his Secretary, the interview being pro-
tracted nearly an hour.
The President was bonn at Nile-. Ohio.
January 20, 1913, and hence is fifty-seven
years old. He enlisted in the Union army
as a private June H. 1861. and served
throughout the Civil War with distinction
being mustered out of service in 1860 with
the rank of major. Mr.. Mckinley then
studied law. was admitted to the bar in
1867 and began practice in Canton. Ohio
He was elected TO Congress in 1876 and was
for number of years Chairman of the
Ways and Means Committee of the House
of Representatives. In that capacity he
was author OF the famous tariff law.
Mr. Mckinley was Governor OF Ohio in
1898 and 1894. He was elected President
OF the United States In November 1896,
and inaugurated March 4 1897