The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-12-21
THE SUB-TREASURY
ATLANTA TRYING TO BLOCK SA-
NANNAH's GAME.
THE DOG IN THE MANGER ACT
WILL BE NOTHING FOR EITHER IF
FIGHT CONTINUES.


! State-SenatOr Gibson, just Elect
ed From Montana. Finds an ola
College Friend in Senator Frye.
Washington, Dec 20.-Savannah has
fair prospect of securing a sub
treasury if Atlanta will keep hands
off. If the latter city insists upon
| playing the dog in the manager" act,
the result win be that the Southern
cities from Baltimore t. New Orleans
! will be compelled TO pay the present
rates of exchange to New York. At
the very beginning Of the session Rep
lesentative Lester introduced a bill
| providing for the establishment of a
United tes sub-treasury in the city
Of Savannah. Col. Lester has intro
duced similar bills in previous Con-
crosses, but heretofore Savannah has
! been met with a counter proposition
| from Charleston, and as both cities IN
sisted on pressing their respective
claims, the Treasury Department de-
olined to decide in favor of either city.
So Congress- grew Indifferent and al
lowed both propositions to languish and
die.
Now Charleston realizes that she
| cannot get everything she wants, and
| needs. at the hands of Congress, and
| having pulled off an exceedingly ricn
| plum in the form of a great naval sta
| ton, is content to waive all claim TO
the ub-treasury in favor of Savannah.
After Col. Lester introduced his bill
| in the House and got it under way,
Senator Clay introduced a similar bill
| in the Senate, so as to help along the
movement in favor of Savannah
at both ends of the Capitol A combs
nation of Representative Lester and
Senator Clay is hard to beat, when it
| comes to securing legislation, for both
men are on influential committees and
they are personally popular and expe.
lienced in official Washington.
After Savannah was we'll underway
IN this matter, Atlanta comes aloha
with rival claim for the sub treasury
and Representative Livingston and the
two Georgia senators are being urged
to fight for Atlanta to the death. even
II Savannah has to be sacrificed
There is no disputing Atlanta's right
TO lay claim to the sub treasury, but
as practical business community the
commercial interests in that city should
know that it is utterly impossible for
both Savannah and Atlanta to win in
the pending fight Atlanta secured the
Military Prison with the aid of the
other Southern States and while her
enterprise is appreciated and to be
commended, there is such thing as
playing hog"
Inquiry at the Treasury Department
shows that there is no intention of the
Secretary of the Treasury to become
involved IN a controversy between At
lanta and Savannah over the sub
| treasury proposition. If Savannah
should come forward with sufficient
| reasons to justify the establishment OF
such an institution there. 1t might be
granted, but there is not the Slight
est possibility for either Savannah or
Atlanta to succeed under present con
ditons.
Not Chief of Kitchen Cabinet.
Senator Lodge, with display of
considerable feeling, resents being des-
ignated as Chief of President Roose-
velt's Kitchen Cabinet" The term has
been applied to him by several news
paper writer's because of the close per-
sonal relations existing between the
President and the junior senator from
Massachusetts. The term Kitchen
Cabinet" came into prominence DUR
ing Grants administration, when it
was alleged that some of his public
acts were largely influenced by a few
personal friends. who had the run of
the White House at all times. Those
who know President Roosevelt init
mately are aware that he does not re-
quire Kitchen Cabinet" TO assist
his administration. 1t is true that
Senator Lodge and the President are
such good friends that when together
they address each other as Theodore"
and Cabot" respectively. Senator
Lodge has occasionally used the Presl-
dents private carriage in going to and
from the White House. with Mrs
Lodge, by reason of the intimate re-
lations between the two families. The
friendship between the President ana
Senator Lodge is stronger and more
sincere than that which would qualify
one for membership in a Kitchen Cab
met" according to the general ac-
ceptation of the offensive term.
Secretary Root Diplomat.
Secretary Root, in addition to MAX
ing q very acceptable head of the War
Department, is rapidly developing
diplomatic tendencies which may
eventually land him in the position of
Secretary of State, in event of the vol
untary retirement of Secretary Hay
who is regarded as one of the ablest
occupants of that Office since the foun-
dalton of this government. But to re-
turn to Secretary Root as diplomat.
A few days ago he received a letter.
written in red ink from a school boy
in a distant state indica ting that the
subject of "Who is the greater soldier,
Gen. Wesley Merritt or Lieut.. Gen. Nell
son A. Miles?" was soon to be debated
at his school.
The youth wrote that the terms laid
down by his teacher required those
participating in the discussion to learn
as much as possible about both gener-
ais from sources other than books. The
boy added that he presumed to write
to the Secretary of War to get some
facts to sustain the Merritt side of the
debate.
The communication reached Secre-
tary Root through a member OF Con-
gress of considerable prominence, and
IL would have been indicate to have
by some of the War Department Off
Gals. A happy thought occurred to
him, so he referred the boyish request
to Adult. Gen. Corbin. The latter off,
cal also caught the humor OF the sit
uation and proposed to send 1t to Gen.
Miles for recommendation and report.
Not wishing to increase the known
friction between the commanding gen
eral and the adjutant general Secre-
tary Root waved aside the various
suggestions made as to the disposition
of the boys request and took the sub
ject under serious consideration. The
result of his deliberations took the
form OF an official letter TO the Speaker
OF the House OF Representatives, to
this effect: Respectfully referred TO
Congress for such action as may be