The Springfield herald., 1908-06-26
WRIGHT Will
SUCCEED TAFT
LUKE e. WRIGHT OF TENNESSEE
TO BE THE NEW sEcRE-
TARY OF WAR.
PRESIDENTS EUL0CY
CONFEDERATE CAPTAIN, PHILIP.
PINE GOVERNOR, AMBAs-
SADoR TO JAPAN.

shington.-Secretary Taft Friday
presented tc the President his resigna-
tion, to take effect June 30th, and it
YVES announced at the White House
that Luke f. Wright OF Tennessee will
be appointed secretary of war to sue
ceed Mr.. Taft.
In making this appointment the
President was influenced somewhat by
the desire to recognize in an emphatic
way that there is no longer any divid-
Ing between the North and the South.
and that all Americans are in thought
and deed one.
The correspondence between the
President and Secretary Taft relating
to the latter's resignation, Is brief.
Secretary Taft simply said in his resis-
nation:
Il hereby tender my resignation as
secretary of war, to take effect June
Both next
The President, In his reply, said:
Your resignation is hereby accept
ed, to take effect June 30th."
1t was stated at the White House
that as the President had given out a
formal statement concerning his high
esteem for Secretary Taft, 1t was not
deemed necessary to repeat what was
then said.
The statement given out at the
White House concerning Mr.. Wright s
appointment says:
"As Philippine commissioner and
later as vice governor and governor,
he won the affection and regard of the
army to a high degree. and many OF
the most distinguished of the men who
served in the army at the time he was
in the Philippines have urged his ap-
pointment because they felt In a pecu-
liar way that he was their champion
and in peculiar way understood them
and their needs. This Is especially
true as regards the men who were
Union veterans OF the Civil War, for
these grew to feel that he was always
specially interested in their welfare.
Moreover, his great administrative
and legal ability both peculiarly fit
him to deal with the problems in the
Philippines, Panama and Cuba; for the
work OF the war department is now
such that only a man with special fit
ness and unusual training Is able to do
justice to 1t.
"Of all the men in the country, the
President feels that Mr.. Wr' hit is the
man best fitted to take up the work
of the department which for the last
seven years has been under the CON
troll. first of Root and then OF Taft.
"As young man he was captain
in the Confederate army. He Is one of
| the leading lawyers not only of his
state. but of the entire South. He has
also been foremost in advocating and
insisting upon fair treatment for the
| colored people. He first definitely es-
tablished his reputation in the terrible
days OF the yellow fever epidemic at
Memphis. when he practically made
himself mayor of the town and took
charge OF all the relief measures. show
ing what may justly be called heroic
devotion to duty and Indifference to
his own life, together with the mas
terful qualities of a successful admin
istrator in great crisis. He was him
self struck down by the plague he was
| fighting, but lived to see 1t stamped out
and himself to take part In introducing
into Memphis the hygienic measures
which have since made 1t one Of the
model health cities of the world.
He WIS appointed by President Nc
Kinley as one OF the Philippine com
mission ard enjoyed Mr.. McKinley's
heartiest confidence, being selected as
one of the Southerners who were in
sympathy with his administration. By
President Roosevelt he was promoted
first to be vice governor and then gov
ernor Of the Philippines and was af-
terward made ambassador to Japan.
I'm all positions he served with sig
nal fidelity and ability and has been In
hearty and outspoken agreement with
the administration in all Its main pol
icies."