The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-04-24

of Engineer Stevens-BeIieves We
Must Remain in Cuba Year More.
William II. Taft, looking better than
he has for months, in spite Of the hard
work that fell to his lot on his Journey
TO Panama. Cuba. and Porto Rico, sat
In his big chair In the War Department
yesterday. and just laughed when any
body tried to talk politics with him. At
the close Of office hours he received the
newspaper men. a couple OF dozen Of
them, who crowded into the Secretary Of
Wars private office and wondered If they
were going TO hear something that would
have a permanent place on the pages of
history. 1t was just like the White
House on journalistic symposium days.
Mr.. Taft beamed gOod-naturedly on the
reporters and waited for the hot IRE OF
questions that they had been waiting to
ask him for a month. They were a little
timid at first. They began cautiously.
Was the Secretary feeling well? He
was never better. Did he enjoy his trip?
He did, in spite of the work it entailed.
Was there anything he would add TO
the statement he gave out Monday night?
Nothing 10 speak Of.
Would the Secretary mind il he were
asked II he was going TO Ohio? This was
getting near 20 things and everybody
held his breath for the answer. Didn't
mind being asked az ali; in fact, said in
his statement that he was going out
there right away to deliver some ad-
dresses-very short addresses.
Would there be anything about the
political situation in these addresses? Not
thing; no. nothing at all
Not Sure About oklahoma.
There was a long pause. Then "a rep
resentatiye of a Western newspaper made
bold to ask II Mr.. Taft were going 20
Ohio-beg pardon-to Oklahoma. The
Secretary of War didn't know. He found
on hts desk an invitation % go there, but
hadn't decided what he would do. There
were other questions about prospective
journeyings OF Mr.. Taft. He said that
sometime this summer he would speak at
the University of Iowa, and the Univer-
sity Of Minnesota and expected 10 visit
some army posts Other States were
mentioned. all except Ohio, and Mr. Taft
answered readily enough.
II came out In the course or the con-
veTsatiOn that the Ohio political situa-
ton had not caused Mr.. Taft 20 abandon
his prospective trip TO the Philippines.
He would start about September J. he
said He was afraid he added, that he
would not be able 90 make a side trip TO
Alaska 10 see the great work IN road
building that was being done in the ter
ritOry by army quartermasters. Then
one Of the correspondents took a plunge:
Mr.. Secretary" lee said, what we al
want TO know is what you are going TO
I do in regard TO the boom for the Presi-
dency that has been launched for you
Mr.. Taft laughed one Of those "Bill
[ Taft laughs.
ooh. I've been away 50 long that I
don't know anything about politics" he
answered.
/ But the reporters wanted 10 know more,
! and did not give up until Mr.. Taft said:
Not a word on Politics.
Gentlemen, you'll have. 10 excuse me.
don't intend to say anything on the
/ subject. l have volumes TO talk about
I the canal, but not one word about poll
/ tics"
/ And that was all there was to il, as
/ Tar as Mr.. Tafts political status was
( concerned.
/ At the request Of former Engineer Stew.
ems, Secretary Taft took occasion to deny
/ the story that Col. GOethals had criticised
/ Mr.. Stevens and bis work. On the con-
trary. Secretary Taft said. Col Goethals
/ had found the situation as Mr.. Stevens
/ mad represented IL. aud that Mr. Stevens
/ had done everything in his power to ef-
/ feet an easy transfer of the responsible
/ ties of his office TO Col GOethals. and
/ had also exerted all his personal influence
/ with the staff Of employees 10 induce them
| to transfer their allegiance 10 the new
/ head Of the canal work The result was
/ that Secretary Taft found the work pro-
/ crossing as rapidly and as satisfactorily
/ under Col. Cocktails as IL had under Mr..
/ Stevens.
Rain Won't stop work.
/ The engineer directly in charge of the
/ excavating expressed the opinion that
/ the approach Of the rainy season would
not result in any material diminution OF
/ the amount OF earth taken out. Secre-
/ tary Taft believes that IN a short time
/ the amount of earth taken out OF Guile
! bra cut will amount 10 100000 cubic
yards a month. The total amount to be
removed Is 100000 cubic yards, and upon
/ this he bases his estimate of the time
when the work will be finished.
/ AS some question has arisen as to the
/ accuracy Of the figures furnished by the
/ engineers to indicate the amount of ex-
cavation each month, Secretary Taft
stated that he had looked carefully into
the matter and satisfied himself the fig
ures were not inflated.
At the suggestion Of Col Goethals. il is
not improbable that concrete work, which
/ is TO be done only in three places, may be
/ let out by contract.
The plan fer hoiding elections in Cuba
was announced while Secretary Taft was
] in Havana.
Victor Olmstead. statistician of the De
lpartment Of Agriculture. has been selected
as the director of a Cuban census, and he
will leave Washington to-day for Havana
/ to take up this duty, which. It is expected.
will not be completed In less than four
months
! At best, under the plan proposed, it will
not be possible to turn over authority to
/ the new Cuban government, in the opinion
of Secretary Taft. before September 1,
/ 1908.
NO FAVORS FOR SENATORS.