The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-09-05
ROBERT BACON ID SUCCEED s %1|S
 0o Was Formerly ey dtss Partner of :. Morgan VISITORS 1T OYSTER BAY Commissioner Cooley Talks Over Plans for Getting Suitable Men for Work in the
 Panama Zone.

Oyster Bay, L. l., September 4.-Presi- dent Roosevelt this evening announced of ficially the appointment of Robert Bacon of New York to be first assistant seere- tary of state to succeed Francis B. Loomis.
 The announcement was accompanied by a statement that MT. Bacon would not assume the duties of hls office for some time, perhaps not until about the mid dle of October after Secretary Root had become settled in the office of secretary of state.
 MT. Loomis' resignation has been prac- tically in the hands of President Roose- welt for several months. His desire to retire from the office of assistant sec- retary was known to the President at the conclusion of the Bowen-Ioomis inquiry which resulted in the forced retirement of MT. Bowen from the diplomatic ser vice.
 The death of John Hay made 1t neces- sary for the President to select not only a secretary of state but also first as- sistant secretary, who would be accept able to the chief of the department Prac- tically immediately upon the acceptance by Elihu Root of the office of secretary of state, he and the President determined upon the appointment of MT. Bacon as assistant secretary.
 Associated With ]. p. Morgan.
 For years Robert Bacon has been an important element in the business af- fairs of New York Until within compar- atively recent months he was junior partner in the banking. house of J. P. Morgan & Go. At the settlement by Pres ident Roosevelt of the anthracite coal strike, MT Bacon represented MT. Nor gan in two conferences In Washington, which made for an amicable adjustment of the trouble. Subsequently, when MT. Bacon retired from the firm Of J. r. MA,gan & Co.,. the prssideay determined, to utilize his services if suitable place for him could be found Mir. Bacon was here today as guest of the President and Mrs. Roosevelt at luncheon.
 It is expected that Mir. LoQmis will relinquish his office in a short time and his resignation will take effect at the end of a leave of absence Wnich ne proposes to take. No statement is made concerning his possible future in official life, but as heretofore noted in these dispatcfAs, his appointment to an impor- tant diplomatic post Is problematical.
 Official Party at Lunch
 An official party which was entertained at luncheon today by the President and Mrs. Roosevelt included Postmaster Gen eral George B. Cortelyou, Senator A. K. Beyerdge of Indiana; Judge w. l.. Pen field solicitor for the state department and Civil Service Commissioner Alfred w. Cooley. Postmaster General Cortelyou, who Is sojourning at Hampstead, l.. L. was here to talk with the President on some matters which he has been investi- eating for MT. Roosevelt. Senator Beyer- idga has been in the Maine woods for several weeks and on his way to Indian- anolis stopped here to visit the President and to congratulate him on his success In bringing about peace between Russia and Japan.
 Judge Penfields mission was personal and Commissioner Cooley came to Oys- ter Bay to consider with the President some phases of the civil service regula- lions as applied to employees on the Pana- ma canal Friction has developed be- tween the Isthmian canal c-~sInission and the civil service commission regarding the endowment of persons for canal work md 1t ir the effort of the President to reconcile the differences that have arisen. As they are largely matters of detail and construction of the law and regulation no difficulty Is anticipated in adjusting them.
 Commissioner Cooley said that great difficulty had been experienced by the Isthnlian canal commission and the civil st1vice commission in procuring the right kind of skilled labor for the work on the canal.
 Requirements to Be Rigid.
 ''It was proposed at first" he said, "tht canal employees be excepted from hut Chairman Sh0nt9 did not approve of the idea because he desired that some authorized body out side of the canal commission should pass upon the qualifications of applicants. l went over the whole matter with the President It has been decided now that Chairman Shonts will appoint an em- ployment agent in each of the cities of New York, Chicago ana New Orleans, and civil service commission will make those agents members of our local civil service boards In those cities. Applicants for positions on the canal work will be required to comply with stipulated regu- lations which will not be made very rigid. This will enable the canal com mission to get the kind of labor 1t wants with minimum of difficulty
 In response to an Inquiry as to whether he had discussed the government print ing office complication with the Pres ident Commissioner Cooley said:
 "Yes, we did discuss 1t incidentally, but l don't know that am at liberty to say what the President proposes to do about it. Our committee received from oscar J. Ricketts, foreman of printing in the office, a civil service employe, com plaint of the action of Public Printer Pal mer in trying to remove some men. I'm not familiar with the situation and talked to the President to learn what he knew of 1t. l found him perfectly cognizant of all the details As matter of fact the whole affair has been turned over by the Pres ident to the Keep commission, which in- vestigated the typesetting machine con tract, and incidentally the entire bus mess condition of the government print ing office. That committee will handle for the present the trouble which has arisen between Printer Palmer and Fore man Ricketts and MT. Hay.