The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-19
SEN. KNOX TO SUCCEED ROOT Slated for Secretary of
 State. JUDGE TAFT REQUESTED IT Senator Knox Has Given Consent
 to Serve.
 - EHi. Consent, However. wsa oivsn wIsh Some Relaetanee ana st Great saersaee os HI. Personal IneIination.
 
JUDGE TAFT REQUESTED IT

Augusta. Ga, Dec. 1s--wxliiam H.
 Taft. President-elect of the United
 States, tonight announced the appoint- I der S Knox, of Pennsyfvanfa, as Secre- l tarv of State in the cabinet.
 l The announcement sailowel the re- l ceipt by Mr. Taft Of a telegram. which came late this afternoon. conveying the 1 information from Mir. Knox that he
 would accept the premiership Of tho Taft cabinet. Mir. Taft without delay made the announcement that the mat l ter was settled. In giving the details of the negotiations. he said that the l offer was made to Mir. Knox last Sum- l day morning in New York: that sinca l the offer was made. he had not heard from Mr. Knox until the telegram re. 1 cetved today.
 1 After 6 consultation with Secretary Root in Washington last Sunday as- | ternoon, MT. Taft said he made an eff. i fort to see the Pennsylvania Senator there but was informed that he was ta, I New York Co attend the dinner of the l Pennsylvania Society. He wired Mr. Knox to see him at the Hanry w. Taft
 residence Sunday morning. Tho ap- l pointment was kept. Mr. Knox cons l cluding his visit in order for Judge Taft 1 to attend the morning church service, but remaining at the Taft residence un- | ti Iafter Judeg Taft had gone % church. 1 \ feel that am to be congratulated l in securing the service of Senator Knox 1 in my cnbtnet.s said Judge Taft. in ula- king the announcement. and making the statement with the understanding that he was to be quoted.
 l "ln-salecting, a Secretary of StaRes | I wanted first a great lawyer. ana second, man who would alf the re- quiremsnts. not only here. but abroad
 as man who stands out pra-eminensls aa Q great American.
 ..Mr. Knox was great Attorney l General: he was a prominent caudldmte | for the Presidency, and he ia recogniS- l ed in the Senate and elsewhere as one
 Of the great lawyerp of that body" A Hnppy sHleegaens
 Judge Taft also faeIh that from O po- llisinaI vsewpoint, fha seiectinn eE MT Knox is most happy. He explained that there was often feeling that the Stafs i of Pennsylvania, with 1ts assured Re- publican rnajorftiss, oetan was sllghted in the matter oe recognition in the highest coungeis of the partyv That l this will not be tho case in the next | Administration was indicated by the 1 announcement by Mr. Taft that he should invite Senator Knox to como 10 | Auwuaka; that he might consult hin l freely with reference to Alling other | places in his cabinet. Tn fact nc sain l that he felt the need of such advice as 1 he should be able to obtain from MT. 1 Knox raeariing net only the cabinet hut many matters preliminary to the 1 berinninr of his. administration Tnat | Mr. Rnox's lnffuence would be potent
 was freely admitted by Mr. Taft.
 The hesitation of Senator Knox to | make e more speedy .decision tH az
 tributed here to his desire 70 arrenss. | with due regard for the inteFests oK | the party and his state, for relinquisn. | ing hfa seat in the Senate Mr. TaKs | Ayinced many evidences of grattfica- l ton at the decision which had been
 The arrival of the Taft family Tn
 Augusta today. with the exception ct
 Mss Helen who is to reach here latcr' l caused no small amount of joyous ex- l cItsraent and demonsgration on the part of the residents Of the city The re- ception. accorded the President-eiect
 was ample in expressing the feeling ox
 cordial southern hospitality.
 Mir and Mra Landon A. Thomas are | entertaining the Tafts until Monday.
 when they will take possession of the Terrett cottage. Judge Taft lost no
 time in getting out to the golg course l and pronouned it much to his liking. I although he said he would have to Gee
 fan,iiisr with Ehe sand greens, whicn
 were a little difficult after his play on
 In discussing his forthcoming visit
 to Panama. Mir Taft made ik plain thag
 if was his purpose to keep himself
 posted throughout his administrator
 regarding the engineering features or
 the work on the Isthmus as we'll aH
 the administrative features. It is his intention now to visit the isthnue each year of his term and to take with him
 eminent civil engineers who are not
 connected with the work There is
 some danger. he believes that unless this close independent supervision ie
 maintained regarding the physical l features of the project. that grave mis- takes might be made. The problem that will receive the greatest com sideration during the forthcoming trip relates to the engineering features of the Gatun dam. There has been some
 expert criticism as to the quality or l the foundation which can be found for this structure and 1t is Mr, Tafrs in- tention to obtain from the most re- liable sources available as much as may be known.
 Envited to New orlea1s.
 | An invitation came to Mfr. Taft to-
 day from President Philip WeFlein. or the New Orleans Progressive Union. Co
 have him return from Panama via that
 port.
 | AMG pe0pAG OL ANcW OAAo@AHs AhE invitation reads, "cordially request and
 respectfully urge you 10 return from
 Panama via this port We are deeply concerned not only in the success of the administration but in the success of the canal project and wish to as- sure you of our earnest belief in the ! wisdom of those In authority"
 Savannah has come forward with a bid for Mir. Taft and he will be visited
 sh ortly by delegation from that city
 asking him to attend a Yale reunion
 to be held there later. No indication has been given as to whether AEr, Tafe
 win accept. His Atlanta visit. which
 has been promised. has not yet been definitely arranged as to time.
 Mir. Taft said tonight that he had not yet determined upon any one def
 inlteIy for the Attorney Generalship.
 It is his desire to fill this place with