The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-06-19


 tary Taft and the office of his private were thronged with members of his family and intimate friends and news
 shortly before 12 o'clock Mrs. Taft arrived at the War Department. She scanned carefully the bulletins which had been received from the convention and distinctly manifested her pleas ure at the result of the action of the convention regarding the platform. She Is close and accurate observer of things politically and is one of the best advisers the Secretary has had throughout the preliminary campaign for the Presidential nomination. Mrs. Taft remained in the Secretary's pri- vate office throughout the afternoon. She was attired in a becoming suit of pure white and wore a big picture hat of pea green straw adorned with seal brown and pale green ostrich plumes. Accompanying her was the young son of the Secertary and Mrs. Taft. little Charlie, whose special function 1t was to carry the bulletins received from the convention from the telegraph operator to the Secretary's desk. He was the busiest person in the War De- pertinent. It was to Mrs. Taft ordin- arily that he presented the bulletins rather than to Secretary Taft and he listened while his mother read them to the Secretary. and the assembled guests.
 Shortly after o'clock, before the nominating speeches Of the President iai candidates had been concluded, Miss Helen Heron Taft. the Secre- tarys daughter. joined the group In MT Taft's private office. The Secretary laughingly explained that she would probably have been there sooner if she had not been too nervous to withstand the strain. Miss Taft was inclined to resent thls comment. but 1t was ap- parent that she was infected with nerves" as were all the others in the ofhee.
 Just before the beginning of the ball. loting, Secretary Taft announced that he had reached an agreement with Mon- signor Aversa. the Apostolic delegate to Cuba, providing for the purchase of all the Catcholic Chuch belongings by the government in. the Santiago prov ince. Governor General Wood prac- tlcally reached an agreement several years ago for the purchase of the hold ings for $535.00o. This agreement was approved by the then Palma govern ment. The matter has been hanging fire since that time. The agreement reached today between Secretary Taft and Monsignor Aversa needs only the s2proval of President Roosevelt to make it binding. It is likely that the President will approve the agreement tomorrow. It provides for the pur- chase of the lands at cost of sse0,o0O and will finally settle q matter that has been pending between this govern ment and the Vatican for several years. ss ss5s e.
 One of the bulletins received from the convention indicated that speak CT while nominating a candidate had been greeted with jeers. When Sec retary Taft read 1t, he drowned T am compassionate" said he. looking out of window of his office. '.towa@d any one who goes through a nominating expe- rience dn convention"
 F. Secretary Taft had arranged to visit the War College with Secretary Root at 5 o'clock, but at tine last moment, he naturally concluded to walt the res suit of the ballot which was about to be taken in Chicago. By this time the situation in the Secretary's office had become tense. The door between the Secretary's private office and Secre- tary Carpenters office was thrown wide open. In the former stood Sec l retary Taft surrounded by members of his family and personal and political friends.
 In the outer room. with Secretary l Carpenter were twenty-five or thirty W ASn1uG bOu COtNCoPOiNC4pSSs OosSA% AA~'As ing on every word that came from the telegraph instrument.
 As tho balloting began in the con vention, the atmosphere in the two rooms seemed to be charged with ex- citement. Something was wrong with the official dispatches. The first an- ! nouncement was that Massachusetts had cast thErty-two votes for Taft.
 NotiAed of Nomination.
 Then fine announcement from Michi- gan was made with its one vote for