Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-21
AT THE WHITE HOUSE
Slocum Disaster Considered
by Cabinet.
CONTIGUOUS ACTION
WILL MAKE STATEMENT OF RE
SUITS OF HIS INQUIRIES
He Will Leave for Chicago This After
noon-Cardinal Satoli Received
by the President.
CONTIGUOUS ACTION

The cabinet was in session over two
hours today. and 1t was stated that Secre-
tary Cortelyou had taken up the greater
part of the time discussing the General
Slocum disaster in New York and making
recommendations covering a further and
fuller investigation as to the affair. Sew
eral cabinet members announced that Sec
rotary Cortelyou would make a statement
when he left, but when he did go. after
| 80 o'clock, he said that he was in too
much of a hurry to prepare the statement
and that he would do so during the after
noon. before his departure for Chicago.
He hopes to leave for Chicago at 5 40
o'clock this afternoon.
The facts and suggestions submitted by
him were discussed by the President and
the cabinet, and the conclusion was
reached that Mr.. Cortelyou had so far
conducted the matter and that the entire
affair should be left in his hands.
Inc statement to be given out by Mr..
Cortelyou will deal with the RESPONSE
bility for the disaster in an indirect way
and will contain some recommendations
as to management of steamboat matters.
In view of the charges that have been
MADE or lack of discipline the Slocum
and insufficient life-saving equipment and
u safe fittings in lockers and store rooms.
1t was decided that the best expert talent
obtainable should be called into service,
and at the suggestion of Secretary Cortel-
you 1t was arranged that an army and a
naval officer should be attached to the
board in the capacity of experts.
Commander Cameron NICK. Winslow at
tached to the navigation bureau. was Sc
lected as the naval expert The army
probably will be represented by Major
ment, who from his familiarity with the
army transport service is believed to be
particularly fitted for the work.
Secretary Taft presented for the consid-
NrD Inn, of No t,at j.
partmental matters, including some ques-
tons concerning various military reserva-
lions. Before the decision reached can be
embodied in the form Of definite orders the
matters Secretary Taft said. would have
to be referred back to the department for
additional investigation.
Subsequent to the cabinet meeting Mr..
Cortelyou had a conference with the Presi
dent regarding political matters. especially
those relating to his trip to Chicago.
Sale of Indian Lands.
At the conclusion of the cabinet meeting
today Secretary Hitchcock made public the
following telegram conveying to him infor-
nation regarding the sale of lands of the
Red Lake Indian reservation yesterday:
Have sold the sixty tracts scheduled for
today for s1O1 234 Lowest price, per acre.
S5.25: highest, $3.50; average. 5000. Very
satisfactory. w. A. RICHARDS"
Possible Successor to Moody.
Paul Morton. second vice president OF
the great Sante Fe railroad system. and
son OF j. Sterling Morton. former Secretary
of Agriculture in the cabinet of President
Cleveland. has been formally sounded as to
whether he would like to become Secretary
of the Navy to succeed Secretary Moody,
who will retire from that position July l
to become Attorney General. The belief
prevails that Mr.. Morton will not accent
the position. which would mean putting
himself out of line for promotion to higher
places In railroad life
Inc greatest interest attaching to the
prospective offer to Mr.. Morton is that he
was short time ago a democrat and an
nOunced his departure from that party He
IL now at Chicago as a delegate to the re-
publican national convention, and Is in full
sympathy with the objects and purposes
Of the party.
The President has known Mr.. Morton
FOR a number Of years and has the highest
respect for him and opinion Of his inteiIf-
gence and capabilities A little over a year
ago. When the PRESIDENT went on the long
western tour that attracted so much at
tention. ne Travelled for some time over the
Sante Fe system. and his train for ten
Gays was in personal charge of Mr. Morton.
during that trip the President and Mr.
Morton became better friends than ever.
One day last week the President telegram
ed for Mr.. Morton, who came on here ana
took dinner at the White House. The offer
Mr.. Morton is forty-seyen wears old how,
ing been born in Detroit Mich Nav %
1887. He began his railroad career with the
burlington system in 1872 as a clerk in the
assistant general passenger agent and GEN
eral freight agent He was holding the
position OF general freight agent when h,
severed his connection with the road and
went to the Sante Fee as third vice pres,-
dent Since then he has been made sec
ond vice president. He is also vice presi-
dent Of the Colorado Fuel and Iron Com
pany and president of the whitebreast Fue,
Company. He is worth much money.
Mr.. Metcalf in Cortelyou's Place.
The appointment of Representative Victor
II Metcalf Of the third California district as
Secretary Of the Department Of Commerce
and Labor to succeed Geo. B. Cartelyou will
probably be announced in a few days The
appointment has been foreshadowed for
some time in The Star. and there has been
no doubt about 1t to those who were in
possession of the facts and of the Presi-
dents confidence in and esteem for Mr.
Metcalf. The California representative is
one of the big men in the House from the
west. and in his home state is about the
most prominently mentioned man as sue
cessor to Senator Bard.
= Mr.. Metcalf was born in Utica. N. Y.
in 1858. and Is a graduate of the Utica Free
Academy. Russelrs Military Academy and
the Law School Of Yale. He practiced law
in New York for several years and then
moved to Oakland, Cal. He has been in
Congress for six years.
The change in the department of COM
merce and labor will not take place until
early in July. Mr.. Cortelyou desires to
complete the fiscal year. which ends June
30.
MI. Loeb Again at Work.
William Loeb. secretary to President
Roosevelt. reached Washington last night.
after an absence of three weeks. spent in
Yellowstone Park. He was at his desk to-
day. While on his way back here Mr.. Loeb
made a brief stop in Chicago. but he states
that his sojourn there was without signif-
canoe of any kind. He did not bear a mes
sage to any Of the leaders from the Pres-
dent, and had no conferences with the lead
ers. He enjoyed his visit to the Yellow
stone, and was prepared today to turn out
fish stories according to the desires Of his
listeners.
Cardinal Satolli Received.
Cardinal Satolli was received in the pri-
vate parlors Of the White House this after
moan at 2:30 o'clock. He was accompanied
to the White House by Rev. Father Stat