Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-09-05
ROOT WILL Retire,
TAFT SUCCEEDS HIM
President Roosevelt Makes
Positive Announcement
Of the Changes.
HE LETTERS EXCHANGED
President Authorizes the Publication OF
the Correspondence Between Him
self and the War Secretary
on Resignation.

oyster Bay, Aug. 27.-Secretary OK
NarRoot under date Of Augnust lspre-
| ented his resignation formally TO the
resident. The resignation was &C
.epted by the president with the I'M
ierstanding that Mr.. Root continue as
secretary Of war at least until Janu-
ny /.
Governor General William II. Tart
bf the Philippines will succeed MT
Root.
The president authorized h follow
ng statement:
TT president some montns ago
.endered the secretaryship o. war 10
fudge Taft, and at that time 1t vas
arranged that he would succeed S%-
.etary Root. Mr.. Root will go out OF
DGlce some time in January, and Judge
raft will assume the duties or the ONCE
: shortly afterwards"
The president also authorized the
publication OF the correspondence De-
ween himself and Secretary Root con-
erning the latter's resignation.
The full correspondence fohoWs J
Dear Mr.. President: You have been SO
rood as TO assent 10 the surflclency OF rea-
sons tor which 1 nave wished 10 Tetirs 10
yriyate life as SOON as practlcaole aileE
ne reimbursement OF the general star
army ana the cohIp.euOh Oh ny Lui AoN
cans service as SECRETARY OF war:
while IL is Understood you probably VIII
lot arrange to nIl tie olIlce as you WISH
Je,ore the end OF tne year, and mat l
I'm to remain in Otnce IN the HledhtlIne,
| is probable YOU viii be ready 10 SEM
ne name TO the senate in november OF
december, anu DCIole you 90 SO my res.
ruation should he III your hands. 1 mo
1nvself. on the eve ol sailing Tor England
o attend the svs..Jns OF the Alaska
boundary tribunal, GL!.e Va Oie 10 Juuee
row many IHOntus / snail pe kept away
rom this country, and 1 therefore now
.cuder ny resignation OF the office OF sec
'ctaIy OF war to take effect upCn appO'he-
nent and qualification Of my successor. !,
I shall carry with me undated loyalty
O YOUR administration, confidence In the
,ound conservatism and patriotlc unset
ishness OF your policy, ana con mISe
ion with which your friendship mas non
)red me. l shall not cease 10 appreciase
he sympathy and loyalty 10 fresioHmi1
,arried Oh his work, and ! shall always
BE happy to nave been a part OF the az
n~inistration directed by your SINCERE II
'ugEed adherence to right ana deVotoh
O the true interests of the country.
I am. with great respect and esteem, ale
ways, faithfully yours, hIhu A'oo1'
The Presidents Reply.
To the foregoing the President replied.
oyster Bay, l.. l., Aug. A.-Hon: ElnH
' RODt. secretary U d ~ III NOAt =
My Dear Mr.. Root: 1t is hard indeed
or me to accept your resignation, and l
10 so not only with keen personal regret,
)ut with a lively understanding OF tne Hap
your withdrawal will create in publlc lie.
Nv sense of personal loss Is very great,
md get my sense of the loss 10 the hauon
is a whole is even greater. You nave
ieen over four years secretary OF war 4
wonder If you yourself realize how mucn
,ou have accomplished during that period;
If you will turn to your first report ana
- l.rnt cha raNnTnm annnIiOnG YOU
made in order that the army might be put
IN an effective basis, you cannot but pc
pleased at the way In which these recon-
nendations have now been adopted by
congress as we'll as by the administration
md become enacted into law or crystal
zed into custom. We never had a public
,eryant Of the government who worked
harder than you have worked during these
our years and a half, and this not merely
n point of time but above all in point
If intensity; and your success has beer
EQUAL to your labor. The only reward
;ou nave had, or can have, Is the knowl-
dge Of successful achievement OF per-
ormance in the fullest fashion of q great
public duty, the doing Of which was OF
yital Importance TO the nations welfare.
Your duties have included more than
merely the administration of the depart
nent and reorganization of the army on
IN effective basis. You also have been
he head Of the department which dealc
With the vast and delicate problems IN
Locked in our possession Of the Philip
l)ine islands, and your success in dealing
With this part of your work has been as
signal as your success In dealing with
purely military problems. To very few
statesmen, indeed, in n country, is 1t
giyen at once and the same time to
ichieve signal and striking triumphs in
he administration and reform of the
Military branch of government and in
he administration of what was In effect
he department Of insular dependencies,
where the problems were new to our peo-
Die and were in themselves OF great DIFF
iculty.
Moreover, aside from your work In
.hese two divisions Of the government
gervice, l appreciate most keenly the In
aluable advice and assistance you have
'endered me in innumerabie matters or
weight not coming directly in your de-
detrimental province, but in which L
sought your aid with certainty of not be-
ng disappointed. Your position on the
Alaskan boundary commission at the
present moment 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
lebt due you for all that you have done
IN their behalf. FrateInally yours,
Theodore Roosevelt.