The Savannah morning news., 1903-08-26
TAFT SUCCEEDS ROOT
ROOSEVELT AUTHORITY FOR THE
STATEMENT.
ROOT TO QUIT IN JANUARY.
LUKE e. WRIGHT WILL BE Gov
ERNOR OF PHILIPPINES.

Correspondence Between Himself
ResIEnatiOn-Each Pays High
Trtbute to the Other-ROOt Wishes
TO Retire to Private Life-ROOse-
veIt says His Resignation Is a
Personal LOss-Wright Held in
High Favor.
oyster Bay, N. Y, Aug. 25.-Secre-
tsry Root, under date Of Aug. 10, pre-
sented his resignation formally to the
President. The resignation was accept
ed by the President with the under
standing that Mr.. Root continue as
Secretary of War at least until jan. /.
Gov. Gen. William H. Taft of the
philippines will succeed Secretary Root
as Secretary of War.
President Roosevelt to-day author
lied the following statement: 1.-THE
President some months ago rendered
the secretaryship of war to Judge Taft,
and at that time it was arranged that
he would succeed Secretary Root. Sec
rotary Root will go out of office some
time in January. and Judge Taft will
assume the duties of the Office shortly
afterward."
To Retire to Private Life.
The President also authorized the
publication of the correspondence be-
tween him and Secretary Root concern
ing the latter's resignation. In his let
ter of resignation Mr.. Root says he
wishes to retire to private life and
thinks his resignation should be in the
Presidents hands before his departure
for England to attend the sessions of
the Alaska Boundary Commission.
Mr. Root concludes: II shall carry
with me unabated loyalty to your ad-
ministration, confidence in the sound
conservatism and patriotic unselfsh-
ness of your policy and enduring graft
tude for the kindness and consideration
with which your friendship has honor
ed me-"
ROoseveIt's Tribute.
To this letter the President replied
at length, saying in part: "It is hard
indeed for me to accept your resigna-
tion and I do so not only with keen
personal regret. but with a lively I'M
derstanding of the gap your withdrawal
will create in public life. My sense of
personal loss is very great, and yet
my sense of the loss to the nation as
a whole is even greater.
you have been over four years Sec
rotary of War wonder if you, your
self, realize how much you have ac-
complished during that period. If you
will turn to your first reports, and
will read therein the recommendations
you made in order that the army might
be put on an effective basis, you can
not, but be pleased at the way in which
these recommendations have now been
adopted by Congress as we'll as by the
administration, and have become en-
acted into law or crystalized into GUS
tom.
Your duties have included more than
merely the administration of the de-
partment and the reorganization of the
army on an effective basis. You have
also been the head of the department
which dealt with the delicate problems
involved in our possession OF the Phil
ippine Islands, and your success in
dealing with this part of the work has
been as signal as your success in deal
ing with the purely military problems.
Moreover, aside from your work in
these two divisions of the government
service, 1 appreciate most keenly the
invaluable advice and assistance you
have rendered me in innumerable mat
ters of weight not coming directly in
your departmental province"
Wright to Succeed Taft.
Oyster Bay, Aug. 25.-Gen. Luke E.
Wright of Memphis, Tenn, will sue
coed Judge Taft as governor general
of the Philippines when the latter be-
comes Secretary of War, next Janu-
airy, in succession to Elihu Root.
President Roosevelt this evening au-
thorized the Associated Press to make
the announcement that the post had
been offered to Gen. Wright, and that
he had accepted it. Gen. Wright is
now member of the Philippine Com
mission and vice governor OF t1c IS
lands. He is a lifelong Democrat.
President Roosevelt spoke in terms of
high praise of Gen. Wright's ability
and fitness for the position of govern
or general. He entertains a sincere re-
gard for him, both personally and off,
cially. Both the President and Secre-
tary Root regard Gen. Wright as
man of proved executive ability, his
services as a member of the Philip
pine Commission having been of dis
tinguished character.
During Gov. Taft's extended sojourn
in this country, Gen. Wright was act
ing governor general, and his conduct
of the office was a source of con-
graduation to the administration.
Gen. Wright is popular not only with
Americans in the Philippines, but also
with the Fiipinos, who hold him only
second in their. ostir1a ffou RI Gov To