Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-24
SECRETARY TAFT
REFUSES TO SAY
WHAT PLANS ARE
Political Opinions Are
Guarded
Only Significant Reply Made Is That
He Positively VIII Visit the
Philippines Next Sep
tember
BY Associated Press.

By Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, April 23-Secretary
Taft today resumed his routine duties
at the war department. The fact that
it was cabinet day made it necessary
for him to cut short the time allowed
to callers and to postpone until a more
convenient moment the consultation he
desired to have with General Bell,
chief of staff, and the other officials.
1t is doubtful If in his Washington
| experience the secretary has had to
deal with more newspaper men than
he saw today. They were mainly de-
sirous to learn just what the secre-
tary intended to do in answer to the
challenge which Senator Foraker had
issued in regard to the contest in Ohio.
Mr.. Taft frankly told his newspaper
callers that he was under the disad-
vantage of a considerable absence in
a country where only scanty news of
political events were obtained. He did
not feel, under the circumstances, that
1t was proper for him to make any
kind of statement as to his political
opinions and plans.
One point developed in the course
Of the talk with the newspaper men
that might be regarded as significant
in view of the fact that 1t has been
reported that he intends to cancel his
proposed Philippine trip in order to
take the stump in Ohio.
Replying to direct inquiry the Sec
retary stated his intention to sail for
the Philippines about September l next.
| The statement was made, too, after
| fha had n rIu ttxyn
hours in close conference with the
president. Secretary Taft was invited
| by the president to remain for luncheon
and that time was spent very profit
ably in a free discussion, not only of
| the secretarys observations in his
southern trip, but also of the political
developments here in his absence, and
of the policies to be pursued In the
future.
Plans Not Disclosed
What the plans are was not dis
closed. but after the lunch the sec
retary reiterated his statement of last
night that he intended to go to Ohio
next Friday and would make three
| speeches while aWay-one at Cincin-
natl on the occasion of the meeting of
the Western Federation of the Yale
clubs, one at Dayton at the corner
stone 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.
Late, in the summer he expects to
go to Iowa and to Minnesota to adj
dress the state universities in each
state but the secretary did not say
that these addresses would be nom
political. He was wanted in Okla
homa, and he said he would go If he
could.
He had been told that bitter polit-
ical fight was to be waged there, and
if he went into the new state he
would have to enter that nght.
He also was requested to go to
South Dakota on a purely political
tour and possibly he would make one
speech at Fort Meade. Nothing, how
ever, would prevent him from going
to the Philippines in September. The
secretary was willing to talk freely
on the Isthmus situation, but most of
his statements had been included in
the resume of his trip given to the
newspapers last night
One new point of interest was that
Chief Engineer Goethals had suggested
that the concrete work on the canal
construction should be done by con-
tract, although that method was not
feasible just now for the excavation.