Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-11

shall do so. If for any reasons, whether
political in the narrow or In the largest
sense | cannot ! shall tell you so frankly.
Personal reasons can never exist when 1
do not do anything you say. Bellamy was
right about ii being needless to write me
In order to keep him in mind / think OF
both of you all the time, and nave gone
over several times possible plans FIRST,
as to the cabinet. II is very unlikely now
that / shall change any member OF the
present cabinet. You have probably seen
that / have asked them all to stay.
Root the Strongest.
1.-THE Secretary of War, Root, is one of
the very strongest men before the people
in our whole party His Canton speech was
the most effective delivered in the CAM
paign last year. His advice is invaluable.
not merely In reference to his department,
but in reference to all branches of the
service. AS for his department, 1t Is at the
present time the most important in the en-
tire government 1t would be public
calamity to have him leave the cabinet
now, and l use the words public calamity
advisedly. He is a sick man. condition
that gives me great uneasiness not De-
cause there is the fear OF his death, but
lest he may have to give up his work here.
If he went out l should have to consider
nothing whatever but the question OF get
ting the best man the entire country az
forded to do the work necessary to be DONE
1t may be that after carefully looking over
the matter should conclude that Bellamy
was the man for the purpose. 1t may De
that 1 should have to include someone
else of whom / have no thought at pres
ent would be the best man, and II so
should be in honor bound to take him and
not to consult any personal preference OF
I do not believe that Secretary Long in
tends to leave the navy. In this depart
ment l am sure without further thought
that Bellamy would be admirable, but In
~, dooh ihat xun11
have to take note of all kinds of consider
atoms. I should count Bellamy's religion
in his favor for a cabinet place. Other
things being equal / should like to have
Catholic in the cabinet. 1 am sure that in
the Navy Department he would do ex-
ceedingly well as secretary. 1 do not know
whether geographically he would be the
right man. For instance l should like
much to get Pacific slope man into the
cabinet, and particularly in the Navy De-
partment, and do not wish to leave New
England unrepresented. AT present see
no Pacific slope man who will be COM
petent to fill the position. Moreover, If
possible, / should like to get one or more
members of the cabinet who are In close
touch with the people carrying weight when
they explain policies, purposes and acts OF
my administration
The Ideal Cabinet Officer.
This is the one point in which the pres
ent cabinet is not as strong as it should
De. i do not DeHeV6 tndC q doIer,
more high-minded body of public servants
was ever gotten together around a Presi-
dent. but there is no one of them, with the
possible exception OF Root (who is SO busy
that he can hardly ever speak,, who can
appear before the country with the prestige
of a great political leader to explain and
champion my administration. If 1 could at
any time fill this want, should most ar
IDENTIFY desire to do SO. In other words, for
a cabinet place the man should. If possible,
be not only eminently fit for the admins
tration of his department, but also, II pos
sible, a party leader of weight, and, fur
thermore 1t Is rarely that one can fill
cabinet position with reference only to it
self-all surrounding conditions must be
taken into account Now, after foreign
affairs. my inquiries speedily develop the
fact that Catholic just at present would
not be man whom II would be wise to
send to Germany For wholly different
reasons it would be wise to send him to
Italy. I had not thought of or known
either Of these facts when I advocated Bel
lamy's going to Italy. AS soon as made
inquiry to the effect. both here and abroad.
of appointments to Germany and Italy 1
found what the facts were. In no other
case would the question Of Catholicism
cause any serious trouble. but I have not
the slightest idea whether any man intends
at present to leave his position.
of Porter. in France, hear nothing but
the strongest praise. He seems to have
done peculiarly well. 1t would be an in
justice OF q NaSrant KIND TO turn MIN OUT
at the present time. 1t is. of course. al
ways possible that ! may make a shift,
and If in doing SO France should become
vacant. I should offer 1t to Beilamy at
once, unless II happened that I was able
to offer him cabinet position. but as
things are Just at this<time I do not see
the likelihood of such a condition arising. /
have written with minutest detail, for 1
want you to understand exactly how the
things now stand. Faithfully yours,
(Signed)
THEODORE ROOSEVELT