Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-07-03
From Washington.
Correspondence of the Alexandria Gazette


Washington, ID. c., July 3.
President Roosevelt has asked Elihu
Root, former Secretary Of War, to accom-
pany him to Cleveland to attend the
funeral of the late Secretary Hay. He
has asked him to be present as the rep
resentative of the Department OF State.
Considerable significance is attached to
this fact as it is taken to mean that the
President has already invited MIR. Root
to become Mr.. Hays successor, or in
tends to do so. The ostensiDle reason
for asking Mr.. Root to represent the
State Department at the funeral Is that
otherwise that branch of the government
would not be represented. Assistant
Secretary Peirce is the only one OF the
three assistant Secretaries of State now
in the country and the President has in
formed him that he thinks it inadvisable
for him to leave Washington at this
time. Mr.. PIERCE will, however, under
the Presidents instructions, attend the
memorial service which will be held in
the Church of the Covenant, this city,
simultaneously with those in Cleveland.
1t is known that President Roosevelt
has a great admiration for the ability
and sagacity of Mr.. Root whom he re-
CARDS as something more than an able
lawyer. He looks upon him as a con
structiye statesman of high type and
as we'll qualified to take up the work of
Mr.. Hay, many of whose policies Mr..
Root helped to shape. The Presidents
direction to Secretary of War Taft to
continue on his way to the Philippines
practically amounts to a public declara-
tioa that Mr. Taft is not to be Mr..
Hays successor. The law provides that
vacancy at the head of new depart
ment occasfoned by death or resignation
must not be temporarily filled fer a
longer period than thirty days. In view
of the fact that Secretary Taft's trip to
the Orient will occupy at least three
months this law precludes the possibility
of his selection as Secretary Of State.
If the President cannot persuade Mr..
Root to become the Premier of his Cab
met it is still believed that the choice
may fall upon Jos. H. Choate, former
Ambassador to Great Britain.
The members OF the Cabinet who are
10 the city will leave tomorrow afternoon
for the Hay funeral, joining President
Roosevelt on his SPECIAL train at Phila-
delphia at p. m. The party will ar
rive in Cleveland Wednesday morning
at nine o'clock. Returning, they will
leave Cleveland at o'clock, arriving
at Philadelphia at 7 a. m. Thursday.
No special invitations will be issued
by the State Department to the memorial
services to Secretary Hay which are TO
be held here at the Church of the COyen-
ant at II O'Clock Wednesday, at the
same hour as the funeral ceremonies in
Cleveland. A simple announcement that
such services will be held is being sent
out by the department today to the men,
bers of the diplomatic corps now in this
city and to the various executive de-
partments. No cards will be issued and
the services will be open to The public.
1t is not yet certain whether DIR. Ham
lin, the pastor of the church, will con
duct the services here or attend the fun
eral in Cleveland.
The japanese Emperor has sent a
personal letter to President Roosevelt
expressing his sorrow at the death Of
Secretary Hay. A similar message from
the Emperor to Mrs. Hay has also been
transmitted. Minister Takahira has also
received instructions from Toxic to pre-
sent floral wreath in the name Of the
japanese government. Mr.. Takahira
will send Mr.. Eki Hioki, first secretary
Of the Legation, to Cleveland to present
the wreath. Many additional messages
OF coincidence regarding the death of
Secretary Hay were received at the
State Department today.
In an important decision written by
Commissioner Prouty the Interstate Com
merce Commission today decided that
icing charges on private fruit car lines
are part OF the rates on the fruit carried
for the reasonableness of which the rail-
road is responsible. The case was that
of the Michigan fruit growers VS.. the Pere
Marquette neutrality-suspicious. al railroads.
The opinion states that at common law
the railroads are bound to furnish suita-
bic transportation facilities, and as car
riers of perishable fruit must provide
necessary refrigerator cars. 1t is said
that while performing the act of trans
pOrtatiOn cars belong to the railroads,
whether purchased or leased, and the
icing is not an incident of the transport
tation service but part OF the service
itself.
The monthly report of the Chief of
the Bureau of Statistics of the Depart
ment of Agriculture issued at noon today
shows the average condition of cotton on
June 25 to have been II, as compared
with 772 on May %, 1905, IS on June
25, 1904, III at the corresponding date
in 1908, and ten-year average of SAC.
The Comptroller of the Currency has
appointed National Bank Examiner
James T. Bradley temporary receiver of
the First National Bank at Topeka,
Kansas, the failure of which was an
nounced this morning.
Preparing tor Hostilities.