Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-04-24
TAFT BACK AT WORK
Secretary Of War Receives Many Callers
and Attends Cabinet Meeting.
He tVADes POLITICAL QUESTIONS
Be,uses to Discuss Foraker Episode Be-
cause Of His Long Absence,
WILL NOT CANCEL PHILIPPINE TRIP
Report That He will Spend Fall on Stump
in Ohio Contradictsd.
LONG CONFERENCE WITH PRESIDENT
Mr.. THft VIII Make Three Speeches
in ohio This Week and Later
VIII visit Iowa and
Minnesota.

WARRINGTON, April 23.-secretary Taft
today resumed his routine duties at the
War department. The fact that Il was
cabinet day made II necessary for him to
cut short the time allowed to callers and
TO postpone until a more convenient mo-
ment the consultations he desired to have
with General Bell, chief of staff, and the
other officials.
It s doubtful IT, in his Washington ex-
perience the secretary has had to deal
with more newspaper men than ne saw to-
day They were mainly desirous to learn
just what the secretary intended TO do I'm
answer to the challenge which Senator
Foraker has issued in regard to the contest
in Ohio. Mr.. Taft frankly told his news
paper callers that he was under the dis
advantage OF considerable absence from
the country, with only scanty news of the
important political events that had occur
red. He did not feel, under the circum-
stances, that It was proper for him to make
any kind Of a statement as to his political
opinions and plans.
Ono point developed in the course OF the
talk with the newspaper men that might
be regarded as significant in view of the
fact that It has been reported he intsnded
to cancel his proposed Philippine 4 in
order 20 go on the stump in Ohio.
Replying to a direct inquiry. the secre-
tary stated his intention to sail for the
Philippines about September 1 next This
statement was made. too. after the secre-
tary had spent nearly two hours In close
conference with the president.
Conference with President.
Secretary Taft was invited by the presi-
dent to remain for luncheon and that time
WIS spent very prohtably in a free dis
cusslon. not only of the secretary's observa-
tions on his southern trip. but also of
the political developments here in his
absence and of the policies to be pursued
in the future.
What the plans are was not disclosed,
but after the luncheon the secretary re-
iterated his statement OF last night that
he intended to go TO Ohio next Friday and
would make three speeches while away
from Washington, one long one at Gin
oinnati on the occasion of the meeting of
the Western Federation of Yale Clubs; one
at Dayton at the cornerstone laying Of
the Young Mems Christian association. and
another at Cincinnati before the Business
Mems club. But the secretary added, with
a smile. that none of these speeches would
be in any sense political.
WIN visit Iowa.
Later in the summer he expects to go to
Iowa and to Minnesota, in each case TO
address the state universities, but the sec
retary did not say that these addresses
would be non political He was wanted in
Oklahoma and he said he would go II he
could. He had been told that bitter
political fight was to be waged there,
and II he went into the new state he would
have to enter that Tight He also was
requested TO go to South Dakota on a
purely political tour and possibly be
would make one speech at Fort Meade.
Nothing however would probably pre-
vent him from going to the Philippines in
September.
The secretary was willing to talk freely
about conditions on the isthmus, but most
OF his statements had been included IN
the resume of his trip given to the news
paper last night One new point of In
terest was that Chief Engineer Goethals
had suggested that the concrete worG on
the canal construction should be dcne by
contract although that method was not
feasible just now for the excavation.