Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-04-24
WASHINGTON TOPICS
The City's Most Fashionable
Club is Disrupted.
Secretary Shaw Goes West to Join
the President.
The Embarrassing Position Of the Ger
man Envoy.

Washington, April 23.-As a result o.
the Indignation occasioned by the pro
test of a few members of the Metro
Ipolitan Club against the admission o.
Adjutant General Corbin the fashion
able and exclusive organization il
threatened with disruption. For years
lit has been accounted the ultra-socia
club of the capital city, and bears or
Its roll of membership the names o.
many distinguished men in official life
and in the highest society circles of the
city.
| Nothing ever occurred in the history
of the club to threaten it's position as
the leading social organization of its
kind so much as the attitude of a
clique of it's members toward the pro-
posal of AdjL,ant General Corbin for
membership, which led to the with
drawal of his name by Major Generals
Bates and Young, who had presented 1t.
The first practical effect of this action
| is the withdrawal from the club of
General Gillespie, chief of engineers of
| the army.
1t is now rumored that the same
course is contemplated by Paymaste1
General Bates, who proposed General
| Corbin's name. General Crozier, the
! chief of ordnance; General S. B. M.
Young, who is to be the first chief OF
staff of the army, and Colonel Clar-
| ence Edwards. who is in charge of the
Insular Bureau of the War Depart
ment.
The Indignation caused by the treat
| ment of General Corbin is not confined
| to his brother officers in the army. Sec
rotary Root and several members of
| the club are represented as being very
angry that a man of General Corbin's
| standing in official life should be re-
fused admission to a social club with
out any specified reason except the
personal dislike to him of a few mem
bers who are understood to belong to a
clique known in the club as the kick
ers''
The action of this coterie of members
has been unfriendly to other high
officials of the government whose
names were proposed by distinguished
members of the organizat ton. 1t has
leaked out that two assistant secre-
taries of the Treasury Department, Mr..
Allies and Mr.. Armstrong, met with
opposition similar to that shown to
General Corbin. Their names We're
quietly withdrawn when the feeling of
''the kickers" was manifested.
The outcome of this condition of af-
fairs in the Metropolitan Club seems
likely to be the organization Of another
club that will be representative of the
Capital City and which will attract to
it the best element from official and
social circles.
1t is not the purpose to have the pro-
posed club in any sense political
body, but by founding it upon patriotic
principles to open it's membership to
men of all parties and from all sections
Of the country with no restrictions as
to their former affiliations. 1t would
invite into it's doors the ex-Confeder-
ate as well as the Union soldier.
Unless there is reorganization of
the Metropolitan Club it is understood
this project will be carried out.
In army circles the story that Cen
eral Corbin desired membership in the
Metropolitan Club in order to have a
place at which to entertain Lord Rob-
erts when he visits this country is de-
lclared absurd. 1t is maintained that
hord Roberts would regard his enter
tainment at a social club as peculiar.
as such a proceeding would be entirely
at variance with club etiquette of
England In London it is said the
American custom of giving visiting
club members cards emitting them to
all the privileges of membership for a
limited period is not in vogue, and
Lord Roberts would regard such atten-
ton as rather odd. When he visits
Washington he will probably be taken
to the Army and Navy Club, as a dis
tinctive service organization, but his
entertainment in a social way will be
at private residences or at banquets
given in public hotels.
The project of establishing an or
ganization here similar to the Union
League at Philadelphia has been seri-
ously canvassed by some of the best
men of wealth and position who are
now members of the Metropolitan Club,
but who have become disguised with
conditions there. 1t is proposed that il
such a club is formed to have it repre-
sentative of patriotic principles, and
not merely a social organization. The
idea has taken no practical form so
far, but it has been much discussed by
members of the Metropolitan Club,
and meets with much favor from men
like John Hay, Secretary of State;
Lieutenant General Schofieid, retired
and men of high position in Washing
ton society.
Considerable attention is being given
in official and diplomatic circles to the
EN- barrassinG position which Germany
is forced to OCCUPY at Washington as a