New-York tribune., 1901-03-14
SANGER'S CHANGES GOOD.
NEW-YORK SENATOR'S EXPECTED TO
WITHDRAW DIRECTIONS.

MEssRs PLATr AND DEPEw TO CONFER
WITH SECRETARY ROOT TO-DAY RE-
GARDING THE APPOINTMENT.
LBY TELEGRAPH TO The TR1BUSEl
washington. March ia conference will be
held Tomorrow between Senators Platt and De
pew and Secretary Root at which the appoint
ment of Colonel William Cary Sanger. of New
York, as Assistant Secretary of War will be the
chief topic of discussion. 1t is now freely pre-
dicted in we'll informed circles that the two
New-York Senators will withdraw their objec-
tions to Colonel Sanger, thus removing the only
obstacle in the way of his selection for this i'm
portant post. 1t is generally agreed. of course,
that the incumbent. George D. Meiklejohn will
soon tender his resignation as Assistant Secre-
tary of War. whether or not he is successful in
his contest for the Senate now going on in the
deadlocked legislature of Nebraska, al Lincoln.
In point Of fact, it is broadly intimated that
the President now has in his hands Mr. Meikle-
1ohns resignation so that on this score Colonel
SanGer's friends have nothing to fear The pre-
sumption. therefore, is that as soon as Senators
Platt and Depew announce the revocation of
their recently avowed intention to oppose the
confirmation of Colonel Sanger's appointment
in the Senate the President will make the ap-
brought about in day a week month
nobody in a position TO speak authoritatvely
seems to know.
Colonel Sanger is the guest of relatives IN
Washington. and it is understood that he is al
ready making himself familiar with the duties
of Assistant Secretary of War by studying GER
tain papers and other detail matters turned
over to him by Secretary Root He carefully
avoids meeting talking to newspaper men
and not since the probability of his appointment
was first made known by The Tribune has any
body been able to get an expression of opinion
from him for publication.
MR.. PLATT DECLINES To TALK.
Senator Plat arrived in Washington this
afternoon at o'clock from New-York He
went direct to his apartments at the Arlington
Hotel, and has denied himself to all callers 1t
is known that he came here at the request of the
President TO discuss the Sanger appointment.
and it is assumed that he does not care TO ex-
press himself further the subject until he
has conferred with the President, the Secretary
of War and his colleague. Mr.. Depew
The last interview Mr.. Platt authorized on the
Sanger appointment was published In The Trib-
une a week ago At that time Mr. Platt reiter-
ated in emphatic terms his fixed determination
to oppose Colonel Sanger's confirmation If the
appointment was made. Close friends of the
inclined to view the matter differently, and that
he has about decided to yield 10 the pressure in
Colonel Sanger's favor that was brought to
bear on him after his return to New York from
Washington.
SENATOR DEPEW'S ATTITUDE.
Senator Depew to-day frankly discussed his
present attitude toward the Sanger appoint
ment The newspapers" said Mr.. Depew TO a
Tribune representative. "have made two errors
in exploiting this case. The first is the repre-
sentaton by the press that there is a serious
divergence Of opinion or intention between the
Secretary OF War and the two Nev-York Sem
there is conference on the subject there can
be no occasion or opportunity for controversy
For example. neither Mr.. PIatt nor myself has
Yet beeen formally notified OF the Secretary's
wish To appoint Colonel Sanger. The first news
We had Of it obtained from The Tribune
The other error Is in the tact Endorsement by the
press OF the theory that the Assistant Secretary
If War is an officer close TO the head of that
great department. thdt the secretary should re-
gard the position one whose incumbent
cupies such intimate personal relations 10 him
that the Secretary's judgment alone should con-
troll the appointment. This view of the relations
Of the two positions is SO erroneous that elan
crate explanation should be considered neces-
sary. The Assistant Secretary of War is not the
private secretary to the head of the department.
His duties and functions defined by law and
they are quite as important to the government
are those OF the Secretary himself This is
particularly true under present conditions when
the War Department is disbursing about $780,
900 a year. and the Assistant Secretary Is
charged with the responsibility of making con-
tracts for the expenditure of very large part
Of this amount Don't understand me TO mean
that Colonel Sanger is not Capable-eminently
so-of discharging the duties of the office cred
itably to himself, his sponsors and the country
The only talk l have had on the subject with
anybody connected with the administration was
with Secretary Root yesterday morning All
reports that | have discussed ii with the Presi-
dent or other administration officials are err
roneous. Mr. Root and | good friends of
long standing. and our talk yesterday was per-
fectly friendly I reminded him, however that
the selection of the Assistant Secretary was not
a matter wholly of personal concern to himself
and that it was a part of the constitutional
duties of Senators TO exercise a supervisory care
Of these selections. But we had nothing like a
quarrel. and l don't think shall quarrel I
feel hopeful, therefore. that if controversy does
arise over the Sanger appointment it will be
amicahly adjudiCated
Senator Depew denies his reported intention
soon to go South from Washington for rest
He is staying here for a rest, he says, and ex-
poets to return TO New-York in a few days.
STPTEFPS SAY THEY WILL NOT PETTPC