The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1903-08-25
GOVERNOR GENERAL OF THE
PHILIPPINES WILL BECOME
SECRETARY OF WAR;
CHANGES COME IN JANUARY
President Roosevelt Authorizes Publica-
tion Of Correspondence Bearing
on the Resignation.
ny ASSOCIATED PRESS.

under date of August Io, presented his
resignation formally TO the president.
The resignation was accepted by the
president with the understanding that Mr.
koot continue as secretary Of war at least
until January /.
Governor General Taft of the philip-
pines will succeed Secretary Root as secre.
tary OF war.
president Roosevelt today authorized the
following statement.
The president some months apo ten
dered the secretary ship of war to Judee
AIT and at that time it was arranged tha,
he would succeed Secretary Root. Score
tary Root will get out OF Office some time
IN January and Judge Taft will assume
the duties OF office shortly afterward."
Text Of Correspondence.
Inc president also authorized the publi-
cation OF the correspondence between him
and Secretary Root concerning the letters
OF resignation. In full the correspondence
follows.
Dear Mr.. President: You have been
good TO assent to the sufhciency of the
reasons Tor which have wished TO retire
W P'Nd,e ne as soon as practicable after
sne army ana the completion of my full
Tour years service as secretary of war.
While il is understood that Won w;I,
probably not arrange to fill the Office as
You wish before the end of the year and
mat am to remain in office IN the mean
time II is probable that you will be ready
10 send a name TO the senate in November
or December. and before you do so nv
resignation should be in your hands.
ma myself on the eve of sailing for
England to attend the sessions of the
Alaskan boundary tribunal quite unable TO
Judge how many months | shall be kent
away from this country. and | therefore
now tender my resignation of the office of
secretary OF war to take effect upon the
appointment and qualification Of my sue
cessor.
Loyal to Administration.
Il shall carry with me unabated LOYALTY
to your administration. confidence in the
sound conservatism and patriotic unsel6sh-
ness OF your policy and enduring gratitude
for the kindness and consideration with
which your friendship has honored me.
Il shall not cease TO appreciate the SYM
pathy and loyalty to President Mckinley
with which you took and carried out his
work-and | shall always be happy TO
have been part Of the administration di-
rected by your sincere and rugged adher-
encc to right and devotion to the true in
tere.ts of the country.
II am with great respect and esteem. al
ways faithfully yours.
"ELTHU ROOT"
To the president.
Letter From President.
Oyster Bay, August "a, Ioo3.--Hon.
Elihu Root, Secretary Of War: My Dear
MIR. Rooe II is hard indeed. for me to
accept your resignation. and | do so not
only with keen personal regret, but with
lively understanding the gap your with
drawal will create in public life.
MY sense Of personal loss is very great
and yet my sense of the loss to the nation
as whole is even greater You have
been over four years secretary of war.
wonder ii yourself realize how much you
have accomplished during that period.
IF you will return TO your first reports
and will read in them the recommended
tions you made in order that the army
might be put on All effective basis you
cannot but be pleased a, the way in which
these recommendations have been adopted
by congress as well as by the admnistra-
tion and have become enacted into a law
or crystalized into custom.
1--WE never had public servant Of the
government who has worked harder than
you have worked during these four years
and half, and this not merely in point
Of time, but above all in point OF inten-
sity, and your success has been equal to
your labor.
The Only Reward.
"The only reward you have had or can
have, is the knowledge of successful
achievement, OF the performance in fullest
fashion of a great public duty, the doing
of which was of vital Importance to the
nations welfare.
"Your duties have included more than
merely the administration OF this depart
mcnt and the reorganization Of the army
On an effective basis.
you have also been the head OF de-
parment which dealt with the vast and
delicate problems involved in our posses
sion OF the Philippine Islands and your
success in dealing with your part of the
work has been as signal as your success
in dealing with the purely military prob
lens. Very few statesmen, indeed in
any country is it given at one and the
same time to achieve signal and striking
triumphs in the American administration
and reform OF the military branch of the
government and in the administration Of
what was in effect department of insullr
dependencies, where the problems were
new to our people and were in themselves
OF great difficulty.
Advice and Assistance.
Moreover, aside from your work in
these two divisions OF the government
service, | appreciate most keenly the in
valuable advice and assistance you have
rendered me in innumerabe matters of
weight not coming directly in your de-
partmental province, but in which | sought
your aid with the certainty of not being
disappointed.
"Your position on the Alaskan boundary
commission at the present moment is an
illustration OF these services.
"May all good fortune attend you
wherever you are; the American people
wish you well and appreciate to the full
the debt due you for all that you have
done in their behalf. Faithfully yours,
n Nl.t tPsf m.