The San Francisco call., 1907-02-02
sCHM|TZ SCHE MES
FOR STAR PART
Trip to Washington Would
Also Help to Delay the
Prosecutions for Graft
SAYS HE'S INVITED"

That Mayor Schmitz or some of his
fellows is trying to make political cap
itaI out of the present crisis I'm the
relations between the United States
and Japan became evident yesterday,
when it was given out that Schmifz
had been invited, "at the urgent re-
quest of the PRESIDENT to attend the
coming conference i'm Washington.
dispatch from The Calls CORE
spondent at the capital last night was
TO the effect that tile members of the
California delegation knew nothing of
such an Invitation.
According to members of the Board
of Education. the Mayor had received
a telegram signed Hayes and Kahn,v
stating that the President had in
structed them to summon the city's
executive. The members of the board
at once called upon the Mayor I'm n
body and requested him to proceed
with them to Washington; but he told
them that he could not do
count of the press of business at home.
He is under bond TO appear in the
Superior Court, and while he is at
liberty to leave the city, he must be
on hand when the case is called or
forfeit his bond unless Judge Dunno
consents to continuance.
The school Directors declared that
they were unwilling TO go to the cap
itaI without Schmitz, which means that
effort will be made to have the lat
ter's trial postponed on the ground that
the national affair is of more impor-
tance than any criminal action against
a city official.
At another meeting to be held this
afternoon at o'clock a final decision
5will be expected from the Mayor. In
spite of the fact that it has twice
appealed to him to go and has twice
been assured by him that he could
not, the board still has hopes that
the obstacles in Schmitz's way viii
be surmounted and they may all pro-
ceedsto Washington with Schmitz as
their leader and spokesman.
Asked what they would do in the
event that Sehnlitz gave them a final
refusal, the members stated that they
did not know-that the whole sftua-
tion was hanging fire and they could
not tell what would be the outcome.
MESSAGES FLYING FAST
kilograms have been flying fast be-
tween the Board of Education and
Representatives Kahn and Hayes, who
are acting for the President and the
California delegation
On Wednesday the first messages,
addressed to former: President Altman
of the board and to Superintendent
Roncovieri, merely requested them to
attend the conference in Washington.
Being in doubt as to the significance
of the messages, the board repaired in
body to the Mayors Office on Thurs
day and asked his advice in the mat
ter. The Directors told him that they
thought he. as an ex-officio member
of the board and as Mayor Of the city,
ought to accompany them if the Pres
ident wanted decisive action at the
conference They were in doubt, how
ever, as to whether this was the case
or the President merely desired in
formation at first hand.
AS a result of this meeting a mes.
sa ge was framed and sent, asking Kahn
and Hayes to find out whether the
President wanted the whole board or
not The text of this wire was not
made public. The reply was as fol-
lows:
Lawrence F. Walsh, President Board
of Education, San Francisco, CaL-We
hope conference may be decisive OF the
whole matter. President, in answer to-
your telegram. instructs us to inform
you that he would be glad to have you
all come on.
HAYES.