The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-08-24
WOOD WILL NOT
BE GOVERNOR
So it Is Given Out at the Ma
tionaI Capital.
WILL BE GIVEN HIGHER RANK
OPPOSITION TO GOVERNMENT
IRRIGATION.

Especial to the Herald)
Washington. D. c., Aug. 23-It has been
suggested that the proposed selection Of
Governor Taft as a successor OF Secretary
Root originates in a desire on the part
of the president to prepare the way for
the appointment of General Wood as ciy1l
governor OF the philippines. II can be
stated positively that as matters stand
today. at least, General Woods name is
not even under consideration in such a
connection 1t is also known that when
General Wood left Washington he went
to the Philippines solely for the purpose
of acquiring military experience. He has
recognized in the past that while his ser
vices have been highly valued, they
have been mostly of a civil character For
these services he Was given military al
vancement The Philippines is the only
place where a large military establish
ment is still IN existence. and where ac-
tive campaigning is still in progress
Therefore, the only place where the de-
sired experience could be secured. I'm
doubtedly, General Wood expects in time
10 be given supreme military command
in the islands, and this will probably be
given him upon the retirement of General
Wade. 1t can be most confidently stated
that no thought of a civil commission
was in General Woods mind when he APP
piled for detail to the Philippines. The
appointment Of Wood to succeed TAFT
would be looked upon by the presidents
strongest friends as a most impOltic &C
ton. He would have to be confirmed by
the senate and such confirmation would
be extremely doubtful. 1t would be diff
cult 10 convince the people Of the Philip
pines that Wood was to be civil and not
military governor and that a backward
step had not been taken in the admins
tration of the islands affairs.
Matter of Precaution.
To assume that there is a vacancy in
the office of secretary Of war, because OF
the announced intention Of Secretary Root
TO resign. is premature The secretary's
closest friends are confident in their be-
lief that he viii continue TO be secretary
for many months TO come, and possibly
until the next national compaign. or pos
sibly until next election. The president,
unQueSUOnably, has Secretary Root res
ignation in hand. for use in case of a
national crisis should such arise I'm the
secretary's absence. II complications
should suddenly crop out with Russia.
China, Japan o. any other country, i'm
mediate action would be necessary, and
the president would, undoubtedly. allow
Mr.. Root to complete his labors upon the
important Alaskan boundary commission
and induct some strong capable man into
office. Barring such an emergency as this,
however, Secretary Root viii undoubtedly
return TO his desk in the war department
in November and Will again take UP
his plans for the reorganization of the
army and various other matters in which
he ise keenly interested. but which are yet
in the nature of unfinished business. 1t
goes without saying also that there are
political reasons why the secretary would
not deprive the president OF his valuable
support at "A time in his political history
when he needs such a strong and capable
friend as the secretary has proven him
self to be. For these and other COM
polling reasons it is safe to say that
while Secretary Root may have an
nouneed his intention of Tesigning he did
not mean that Il was 20 be tomorrow or
the next day, but rather that il would
take effect when he could agreeably and
comfortably let go without detriment to
his own work or to the administration
for the success Of which he is largely re-
sponsible-
Dangerous Opposition.
The many eastern people and prominent
government officials who assisted mate
rally in overcoming the very dangerous
opposition which was encountered to the
national irrigation act last winter are
rather puzzled at the apparently syste-
matte attack now being made in the west
and elsewhere upon the branch of govern
ment carrying on the work. II might be
well Tor the people OF the public lands
states and territories to recognize the fact
that the passage of this law with its lib
eral appropriation for western enterprises,
was secured by main strength. If the
western senators had not stood together
ana employed every means known to leg
islation and had not the president brought
MS personal influence to bear in the
house. this law would have failed. There
are many members OF congress today who
would be glad TO vote for its repeal and
out its provisions successfully. II is early
in the game. therefore. for vicious crit
icism or faultfinding. More will be ac-
complished for the west by one unques-
toned success in the building Of a govern
ment irrigation enterprise than in any
other way. The work is being carried out
with great care and intelligence by those
In charge. and every possible condition Is
taken into consideration. When il is an
nounced. therefore. that the government
has accepted certain plans and decided
to take up certain work il would be we'll
for communities favorable to national ir-
rigauon. however remote from the scene
time. to keep their hands off until the
work has achieved such momentum that
local pealousy or unfriendly criticism viii
fail to obstruct progress.
Anecdote by Miles.
Lieutenant General Miles has been char
acterized many times as a dandy and a
poseur. Perhaps the foundation of the
accusation lay in the fact that Miles has
"a keen appreciation of the eternal fitness
of things. His subordinates in rank have
grumbled at the amount of gold lace that
he is said to have added to the dress uni
form, but some of them have fidgeted
! mlserabiy while they paraded their bril-
: liant dress under his eyes. A little incl
dent in point took place on the Comanche
the transport which General Miles used
as night hotel in the harbor off Ponce
during the Porto RiCan campaign The
general was working over q man of the
I island with his aide Colonel Maus when
Generals Brooke and Sheridan. who Ia I
Just arrived on the transport Chickasaw,
entered the cabin. They were in full re-
gala, all except BrOokes shoes They
were tan. yellow. and al the breadth OF
his SASH the height Of his hot cnaDeau.
the gllsten or his lace could not modify
I them. the two generals got nod from
the commanding officer. and sat down at
the other end OF the cabin They looked
very much dressed. for Miles was i'm
khaki-khaki crumpled and not over nice
and his linCn was WOODEN and dark at
that. The work went on uninterruDtedlv
though it could have been only A tow
minutes. and then Miles took Brooke
aside and talked with him for almost an
hOuT-nOt. however. On the subject Of
tan shoes. When Miles goes to have hie
picture took" ne is very wonderful to
look upon; also in a parade. He saws he
would order a captain out Of his pres
CnCe who would report I'm sOiIed cloves or
home made uniform. but in the field il
was different
Arlington Cemetery.
Most beautiful of AZ the estates of the
dead is Arlington. The nation could have
: found no lOVelier spot for the last bivoua q
Or her soldiers than those slOping hills bv
the Potomac. To ride through the shaded
paths IS to read a page of history writ
ten on marble and granite above the dust
OF the history makers. To this story in
stone new word is now being added
Rear Admiral Melville. retired Is build
ing his SarcOphagus. in the exercise Of
his right as one OF those who fought for
lected the site for his monument knoll
! between the toms Of Sheridan and Crook
overlooking the Potomac and Washing
/ ton. The sarcophagus rests upon a foun-
/ Gaton OF concrete, twelve fecJ long and
/ EIGHT feet wide. The first layer is OF
white marble and is finished n IN I. efn ~,