The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-25
prest. Roosevelt Admits That Ru-
mors to That Effect Are
Well Founded.
Gives Out Roots Letter Of Resigna-
ton and His Own Accep.
lance Thereof.
In His Letter the President Pays a
) High Tribute to the Re-
firing Official.

OYSTER Bay. L. l., Aug. 2b.-secretary
Root, under date Of Aug. 49, presented ms
resignation formally to the president The
resignation was accepted by the president
with the understanding that Mr.. Root
should continue as secretary of war at
least until Jan. l.
Governor General William H. Taft OF
the Philippines will succeed Secretary
Root.
President Roosevelt to-day authorized
the following statement:
1.-The president some months ago ten
dered the secretaryship Of war to Judge
Taft, and at that time 1t was arranged
that he would succeed Secretary ROOT.
Secretary Root will go out of office some
time In January, and Judge Taft will as
sumo the duties Of office shortly after
wards"
The president also authorized the publ
alton of the correspondence between him
and Secretary Root concerning the lat.
ter's resignation. In full. the correspond
once follows:
Secretary Roots Letter.
Dear Mr. President-You have been
good to assent to the sufficiency OF tho
reasons for which have wished to retire
to private life soon as practicable after
the establishment of the general staff OF
the army and the completion of my full
While it is understood that you will prob
ably not arrange to fill the office as you
wish before the end Of the year. and that
am to remain In office in the meantime,
1t Is probable that you will be ready to
send a name to the senate in November
or December, and before you do so my
resigna ton should be in your hands.
find myself on the eve Of sailing for Emf
land to attend the sessions Of the Alaska
boundary tribunal, quite unable to Judge
how many months I shall be kept away
from this country, and I therefore now
tender my resign<sion Of the office Of sec
rotary Of war, to take effect upon the APP!
pointment and qualification of my sue
eessor. #
Praises His Chief.
shall carry with me undated loyalty
80 your administration, confidence in the
sound conservatism and patriotic unself-
ishness Of your policy and enduring graf
itude for the kindness and consideration
with which your friendship has honored
me. I shall not cease to appreciate the
sympathy and loyalty to President Nc
Kinley with which you took and carried
on his work, and I shall always be happy
to have been a part of the administrati ton
directed by your sincere and rugged, adj
herence to right and devotion to the true
interests Of the country.
I am, with great respect ard esteem,
always faithfully yours, ..
To the president.
The Presidents Reply.
Oyster Bay, L. l., Aug. g.
Hon Elihu Root Secretary of War, Wash
ington, D. c.:
My Dear Mr. Root: It Is hard indeed
Sor me to accept your resignation, and
do so not only with keen personal re-
greet, but with lively understanding of
no Iyttb al wi ta in
public life. My sense of personal loss
Is very great, and yet my sense Of the loss
to the nation a whole is even greater.
You have been over four years secretary
of war. l wonder If you yourself realize
how much you have accomplished during
that period. If you will turn to your first
reports and will read therein the recon-
mendations In order that the army might
be put on an effective basis you cannot
but be pleased at the way In which these
recomm endations have been adopted by
congress as we'll as by the administration,
and have become enacted into law or crys-
tallized into custom.
Roosevelt Reclprocates.
We have never had public servant Of
the government who has worked harder
than you have worked during these four
years and a half, and this not merely in
point Of time, but, above all, In point Of
to your labor. The only reward you have
had or have Is the knowledge of sue
cessful achievement Of the performance
in fullest fashion Of a great public duty,
the doing Of which WAS of vital impor-
lance to the nations welfare.
Your duties have included more than
merely the administration Of the depart
ment and the reorganization Of the army
on an effective basis. You have also been
the head of a department which dealt
with the vast and delicate problems in
volvsd in our possession of the Philippine
Islands and your success In dealing with
this part of your work has been as signal
as your success in dealing with the purely
military problems To very few states
men indeed in any country Is it given at
one and the same time to achieve sig
nal and striking triumphs In the admin
istration and reform of the military
branch of the government. and in the adj
ministration of what was In effect de-
partment Of insular dependencies where
the problems were new to our people and
were in themselves Of great difficulty.
Wise Counsellor.
Moreover, aside from your work In these
two divisions Of the government service
I appreciate most keenly the invaluable
advice and assistance you have rendered
me in innumerable matters of weight not
coming directly in your departmental
province, but in which I sought your aid
with the certainty of not being disap-
pointed Your position on the Alaskan
boundary commission at the present mo-
ment Is an Illustration of these services.
May all good fortune attend you wher-
ever you are; the American people wish
you we'll and appreciate to the full the
debt due to you for all that you have done
on their behalf. Faithfully yours.
Theodore Roosevelt.