The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-15
President Has a High Regard for His
Friends Executive Ability and
May Appoint Him.
Mr.. SPOONER AT OYSTER BAY
SENATOR URGED TO INVESTIGATE
PANAMA COMPANY's TITLE.
VIII Visit Paris if He Undertakes the
Work-Ring Lost by the Presi-
dent on Rock Creek.

OYSTER BAY. July H.-The President
has invited Gen. Leonard Wood to visit him
at Sycamore Hill early in August. Gen
eral Wood is one of Mr.. Roosevelt's closest
friends and the President entertains high
regard for his executive ability. On ac-
count of that fact General Wood is men
toned as a probable member of the
Isthmian Canal Commission to have gen.
eral charge of the canal construction. 1t
is understood tonight to be not unlikely
that he may be appointed as the head of
the commission.
The visit of Senator John c.. Spooner to
Sycamore Hill eXcites much interest here
Mr.. Spooner came up the sound on yacht
arriving in the bay shortly after o'clock
last night. He sent note to the President
and. after coming ashore, was soon in
conference with President Roosevelt and
Secretary of War Root. The conference
lasted until almost midnight. Secretary
CortelyOu said to-day he could say nothing
of the details of the matters discussed
Ii is known, however. that aside from the
social character of the call, the President
and Senator Spooner being close personal
friends, the question of the title of the
Panama Canal Company's property was un-
der discussion. Under the provisions of the
isthmian-canal measure recently enacted
by Congress and which bears Mr.. Spooner'S S
name, the President is authorized to ac-
quire the Panama canal property for S40,-
0000 provided that he. through the law
officers of the government, shall be salts
fed, after an investigation, that the new
Panama Canal Company can pass to the
United States a clear title to its property.
Senator SpoOner has been invited by the
Department of Justice to assist in the in
vestigatiOn of the title. This investigation
will necessitate a trip to Paris by those
making il. Senator Spooner is reasonably
certain that this country can acquire a
clear title to the property, and some of his
reasons for his belief were presented last
night. Although Senator Spooners term in
the Senate does not expire until 1905, a con-
test against him already has been inaugur-
ated, and it is said the matter was adverted
to briefly. After the conference Senator
Spooner returned to the yacht
President Roosevelt and Secretary of War
Root spent the greater part of to-day in
considering matters of Importance which
reached them from Washington by the
mails and telegraph. Architect McKim, of
New York, who prepared the plans for and
is supervising the work of the reconstruc-
ton of the interior of the White House at
Washington arrived after noon and was
driven directly to Sa gamore Hill. There he
had consultation with the President and
Mrs. Roosevelt concerning the repairs being
made to the mansion. The discussion dealt
principally with the decorations and the
minor details of the remodeling
At o'clock the President Mrs. Roose-
welt, Secretary Root, Miss Alice Roosevelt
DR.. Lambert, the Presidents physician.
Mr.. McKim and the Roosevelt children
went aboard the official yacht Mayfower
which lies about eight miles from Saga
more Hill. The trip 10 the yacht was made
in one of the Mayfowers launches Secre-
tary Root boarded the government yacht
Kanawha, which had been awaiting him
and in the early evening left for New York
He expects to reach Washington tomorrow
morning. After carefully inspecting the
Mayflower the President and his party re-
turned TO Sycamore Hill.