The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-11-05
WASHINGTON LETTER
Especial Correspondence.l

W. Wv y sS$sRPsAASc ~ SAA6 nI6 ull4
form while on duty at the war depart
ment ts being gradually followed by
other army officers on duty at that de
paFtment, Colonel Lusk and Major
Abbott Of the engineer department ap
peared at their offices In uniform, and
Colonel Mackenzie, principal assistant
to the chief of engineers, has indicat ted
his Intention to follow suit in a few
days, There Is no order on the subject,
and the army officers are exercising
their own discretion in the matter. 1t
Ia understood, however, that several OF
them have been influenced by a report
that the secretary of war has expressed
the opinion that the wearing of uni
forms by officers on duty in the war de
partment Is in entire accord with the
FITNESS of things" In all the other ar
mics of the world the officers are re-
4Hired to wear their uniforms when on
duty, regardless of whether such duty
In In the field or elsewhere.
The Walsh Mansion.
Work will be begun at once on the
excavations for the magnificent new
Washington residence of Mr.. Thomas
y, Walsh of Colorado ut Twenty-tirst
street and Massachusetts avenue. \
permit was granted several weeks ago
for the excavation, The plans. as filed
with the application to build, are elab-
crate In the extreme, and the residence
when finished will in all probability be
the finest in the Capital City.
| Tho horSo will ha of oy%oo,;,o a.o
portions and three stories in height.
The front will be of white marble.
The magnificent entrance to the front
on Massachusetts avenue, Building In
speotop Brady says, will be the most
artistic and massive of any In Wash
iRgton, 1t is expected that the beauti-
full structure will be completed by this
time next year, which would Indicate
that q large force Is to be engaged ON
the work from now on,
The Presidents Message.
The president, it Is understood. is GO
Ing to deal vigorously with reciprocity
matters and also with ship subsidies.
He Is giving most thoughtful attention
to the matter OF reciprocity and has
discussed this with a number of his
callers with q view to sounding their
opinions,
1t Ia learned that the president is also
going to recommend that there be no
backward movement in the recent
growth of the navy, The president will
ask congress to provide literally for
the navy, This will be one of the fea-
lures of the presidents message. He is
thoroughly acquainted with the situa-
Hop IN the navy department and will
leave nothing unsaid to fairly put be-
fore congress the need of continued
substantial growth in the navy.
Conditions in the Philippines, the
lsthmlan canal, the situation in Cuba,
immigration and international arbitra-
ton will be among the other matters
that will form the message,
Probable Cabinet Changes.
The various stories in circulation re.
garding the probable retirement of Sec
rotary Root from the cabinet because
alleged continued i'll health are Wig
denied by cabinet members
who know what the facts are. It Is ex-
pected that unless the unexpected hap
FNf'N NNNASNtAJ AAooI VIII GEOGRAPHICALLY
continue as one of the presidents fore
most and ahlest advisers.
1t Is stated that every member of the
pahinet accepted in good faith the inyi-
fation OF the president to remain with
aim, and there arc not likely to be
changes for some months. Those likely
70 Leave the cabinet first are Secreta.
lies Hay and Long, both for substan.
lally the same reasons, that public life .
las no glitter for them and that they
aaa each contemplated resignation .
prior to the assassination of .
president Mckinley. When Secretary ..
Hay retires, he will probably be sue .
'eeded BY Secretary Root or by Sena- :
or Lodge. :
Whlte H9Vse Stationery. u
President Roosevelt has decided that !.
rs oofheial residence shall be called the !:
White House. Heretofore the station :
~ on which the president conducts /
rs correspondence has had a neatly |,
mhossed "Executiye Mansion" at the :
op Of the page. When the question of !
the new letter heads which D
re to take the place of the mourning /
.tatlonery was discussed with the :
resident, he told Secretary Cortelyou :
bat hereafter "White House" would /
e used instead of "Executive Man /
President Roosevelt believes :
nat the former name is more distinc- y
I've than the latter. So far as he can 4
earn, there is not another public build {
lg in the United States called the :
shite House, While the residences of p
II the governors of the states are call 4
Y executive mansions; hence the 4
hange. 2
Mrs. Rooseveit's Secretary, n
MIS-. Roosevelt has appointed Miss q
'elle Hagner to be her secretary. Miss <
is a Washington girl. Her ia
ler is q leading physician of the ma