Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-23
Will Embody It in a Special Mes
sage to Congress.
CONFERs WITH SENATOR KNOX
Country Life Commission at the
White House-Chief Executive
Will Attend Sherman Dinner.

ice and Congress.
Not in long time has the President
been so undecided on any proposition. lie
has vast amount of information which
he feels fully justities him in what he
said to Congress. but the problem is as
to giving THAT information to Congress.
He has names. dates and places affecting
few men in Congress. The question Is,
Will he be justified in using their names
upon the eX parte testimony of secret
service men? Will Congress and the pub
lie be satisfied with allegations against
men IN public life who will have no OPP
portunity for defense unless Congress en-
tcrs into long and serious investigation
Of the detailed charges and insist upon
the President appearing for testimony
and cross-eXamination?
The President himself is not in doubt
about the evidence he has, and is con-
WINGED that the great mass Of the people
would agree with him were he to present
it just as he has it. He hestates. though.
whether to pursue this course, which he
now feels may have no immediate end.
Will Send in Message.
The President has not written word Of
his reply to the House. All that he has
decided Is that he viii send it to both
houses of Congress as message. He
has been meditating as to the course he
will pursue. He has practically decided
to recommend the consolidation of all de-
tective bureaus of the government under
one bureau of criminal investigation. but
that will not be a direct answer to clear
ly put questions of the House and to the
work Of the Senate in investigating the
secret service.
1t is claimed that there is good ground
f0r heliavine that the President and Con-
gress both regret that the matter was
ever brought up and that the President
would like to find a way to reply without
resorting to the use Of facts he has on
hand. which will unquestionably stir up
Congress and the country and may end no
body knows where. In his dilemma he
has been consulting close friends. Several
of these were with him today. Senator
Knox. who has long been right-hand
man Of the President. was at the White
House today, and 1t is stated that he dis
cussed the secret service problem with
the chief executive, giving such advice IS
he felt would tend to smooth the ruffied
waters. Attorney General Bonap artc, an
other visitor. it is also understood. has
given his advice. The President will con-
suit others before he gets down to actual
work upon the message.
The portion of the Presidents. message
dealing with the secret service was not
shown to cabinet officers before it went
to Congress. It was written about the
last thing and sent at once to the printer
Other parts of the message were gone
over by the President and his cabinet adj
visers and in some instances advice given
by them was accepted.
Proposed Holster for Cavalry.
A new holster. with which it is pro-
posed to fit the cavalry of the army, was
demonstrated in the rear of the executive
Offices today for the benefit Of President
Roosevelt and Gen. Crozier. chief of ord
nance Of the War Department. The hol-
Ster is an invention of Col. J. II. Paterson
of the British army a friend of the
President. A cavalryman from Fort Alyer
gave the demonstration.
Report on Country Life.
The country life commission, of which
Prof. l.. II. Bailey is president. and which
is at work upon a long report to the
President as to agricultural, conditions
throughout the country, called on the
President today. The commission will
hurry its report SO that the President may
send 1t to Congress as special message.
The commission has been in all parts of
the country seeking to find the best
methods of uplifting country life and
making it pleasanter and more profitable.
The report will be long one, with i'm
portant recommends tons.
Dinner to Mr.. Sherman.
President Roosevelt today promised
Representative Dwight of New York that
he will attend the dinner to be given TO
Representative Sherman January % at
the Shoreham Hotel, this city. The dim
ner is by the members of the New York
delegation In this Congress and the next,
and others who will be present to honor
Mr.. Sherman will be Secretary Root,
Secretary Cortelyou. Secretary Stratus.
'Charles ii. Treat. United States treasurer,
and Lawrence o. Murray, controller of
the currency.
Knox Confers With President.
When Senator Knox, who called on the
President today was asked when he would
go to Augusta to visit the next President
for a conference regarding the new cabi-
net he said he did not know, and his re-
ply indicated that he has not yet received
request from Augusta.
Rear Admiral Melville, U.S.N.. retired,
commander of the Pennsylvania Com
mandery of the Loyal Legion. and Col.
John p. Nicholson, recorder-in-chief of
the Philadelphia commandery. visited the
President today to ask that he write to
the Philadelphia commandery letter on
the occasion of its celebration OF L.n-
coins birthday, February IL. The Presi-
dent jokingly said that his letters were
getting him into trouble, and that mis-
sentiments as to Lincoln would be voiced
in the speech he will make at the Lin
coin farm in Kentucky, February Il.
V. G. Fischer of this city introduced to
the President the greatest living critic of
Italian art, Bernard BerenSon of Flor
ence, who was accompanied by his wife.
William r. Hill. engineer-in-chief of the
New York barge canal, called on Pres
ident Roosevelt today with Speaker Wads-
worth of the New York legislature. Mr..
Hill, is under consideration by the Pres
ident as one OF the civil engineers who will
accompany Mr.. Taft to the Isthmus of
Panama in January to investigate con-
ditionS there. Mr.. Hill said he had not
been invited to accompany Mr.. Taft, but
he did not deny that such an invitation
might be extended him from the White
House.
The President Braves the Storm.
In the face of the snOwstorm yesterday
afternoon President Roosevelt. accom-
panied by three secret service men, walk
ed into the country, being absent from
the White House two and a half hours.
HENEY SEES THE PRESIDENT
SAN FRANCISCO PROSECUTOR AT
THE WHITE HOUSE.