The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-24
OSCAR STRAUS IN The CABINET
HE AND GEORGE v. l.. MEYER
NAMED FOR PLACES
when shaw and Needy Retire COrtelyOu
10 Treasury and BOnAparte 70 he At
torney-GeneraI-Metcalr Gets Navy.
Straus Commerce and Meyer p. N. G.

changes which will follow tho forthcoming
retirement Of Leslie NJ. Shaw. Secretary OF
the Treasury. and William H.. Moody, Attor-
ney-General, were officially announced at
the White House to-day. The statements
heretofore printed that George Bruce Cor
telyou Of New York would take the Treasury
portfolio and that George Won Lengerke
Never OF Massachusetts,, now Ambassador
TO Russia. would be appointed to succeed
Mr.. Cortelyou as Postmaster-Genersl were
confirmed. The only surprise in the an
nouncement is that Oscar Solomon Straus
of New York would enter the Cabinet as
Secretary Of Commerce M Labor.
The formal statement OF the changes ia as
follows:
Secretary OF the Treasury, GEORGE b.
CoRrELYoU Of New York.
Postmaster-Genera GEORGE VoN LEN
oERKE MEYER Of Massachusetts,.
Attorney General, CHARLEsJ. B~oNAPARTE
of Maryland.
Secretary OF the Navy, vrcToR L. NIT
CALF Of California.
Secretary OF Commerce and Labor. OSCAR
S. SrRAUs of New York.
At the time the official announcement
was made il was said informally at the
White House that Attorney-G General Moody
would retire on January I, 1907, and Secre-
tary Shaw on March =. 1907. Most Of the
changes will take place therefore at the
beginning Of the new year. When Mr..
n-----A. $1,000 tha CahfnaN M SaCra-
tary Of the Navy it was the understanding
that he would become Attorney-G General
if a vacancy occurred in that Office.
Mr.. Metcalf's tendencies always have
bcen toward the Navy Department, and
he was greatly disappointed when Paul
Morton got the naval portfolio at the same
time that Mr.. Metcalf was asked to enter
the Cabinet as Secretary Of Commerce
and Labor. Mr.. Meyer, who is a rich man,
was understood TO be anxious to become
Secretary Of the Navy, but there is no reason
10 suppose that he will not be just as we'll
satisfied in the Post Office Department.
The chief interest in the changes is in
connection with Mr.. Cortelyou and Mr..
Straus. Both are from New York, and as
Mr.. Root. the Secretary Of State, is also a
New Yorker the unprecedented case will
De DINC6ulDUt NAlC NAO aAAk ONSuA VI
having three men from one State in a Cabinet
Of a President from that State. But Mr..
Roosevelt does not believe in the geo.
graphical distribution idea in making selec-
tions Of his Official advisers, and he has
said so ou.several occasions. He has main
tanned thai the man to take is the best man
TO be found, without reference to the part
OF the country he comes from.
In the promotion Of Mr.. Cortelyou, for
his transfer to the Treasury Department is
regarded in thai light, the President has
carried out a long felt desire to show his
great regard for his former confidential
secretary, in whose Judgment and ability
he has the greatest confidence, The Presi-
dents admiration for Mr.. COrtelyou is Of
the very highest order.
Nobody in Washington outside Of the
inner administration circle suspected that
Mr.. Straus had been asked to enter the
Cabinet. Mr.. Stratus has been a Democrat
most Of his life. In 1890 he voted for Palmer
and Buckner, candidates OF the gold Demo-
Gratis for President and Vice President. In
1900 he became a Republican and voted
for Mckinley and Roosevelt and in 1904
kuJEoIted Roosevelt and Fairbanks
On July Is Of that year he wrote this
letter to Mr.. Roosevelt:
Though l have always been a liberal
ppmccrat, latterly a Cleveland Democrat,
NY admiration for your fearless devotion
10 right in its highest sense and my esteem
for your wisdom and courageous executive
'orservatism make it a privilege no less
than a duty 20 dedicate my best services
60 your election"
In President Cleveland's first Adminis-
tration Mr.. Straus served as Minister TO
Turkey and he held the same ONCE under
President Mckinley from 1897 too 1900.
President Roosevelt appointed him 10
membership on the permanent board OF
arbitration at The Hague to all the vacancy
caused by the death OF former President
Benjamin Harrison. Mr.. Straus is well
known in Washington.
With the entrance OF Mr.. Meyer into
the Cabinet there will be two men at the
heads Of executive departments who served
as Ambassador to Russia. The other
is Ethan Allen Hitchcock, the Secretary
OF the Interior, who was appointed to his
present Office by President Mckinley and
reappointed by President Roosevelt. In
Guiding Mr.. Stratus, with his two terms a.
Minister to Turkey; Mr.. Root, who was a
member OF the Alaskan Boundary Com
mission, and Mr.. Taft, who was Governor
General Of the Philippines, special COM
missioner to and Provisional Governor Of
Cuba, and special envoy to adjust the Philip
pines friar lands matter with the Vatican,
there will be five men in the r~eorganized
Cabinet who have served their country
abroad.
Mr.. Cortelyou and the two prospective
members OF the Cabinet are comparatively
young. Mr.. Cortelyou is a, Mr.. Meyer
As and Mr.. Straus IS. Mr.. Bonaparte and
Mr.. Straus are each Of the average Cabinet
age. Mr.. Cortelyou, with his a. years,
sthe youngest member Of the Cabinet circle,
aud the President, who will be 4s on Satur-
day, comes next.
Mr.. Hitchcock and Mr.. Wilson, both Of
whom were members Of the original Cabi-
net Of President Mckinley, are the Oldest
Cabinet officers, each being II. Mr.. Taft
" under 50, and Mr.. Metcalf is So. Mr..
Root is 81 years old.
Oscar 8. Straus Is a graduate OF Columbia
COLLAGE ard ~ The Cnl.roksa la ..kanI