Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-28
Questioned as to the National
Craftsmanship.
MATTER NOT YET SETTLED
Expects to Spend the Summer q
Hot Springs.
SUBCOMMITTEE MAY GO THERE
Matters Discussed at Yesterdays
Conference With the President
at Oyster Bay.

Secretary Taft returned last night.
after a trip which included Cincinnati.
New York. New Haven. New London
and Oyster Bay. His train pulled into
the Union station here at 1855 o'clock.
| and he was driven Immediately to his
home on x street northwest Gen. Ed
wards. chief Of the insular bureau OF
| the War Department. ana James T.
Williams, jr.. Of Mr.. Taft's political
stan In Washington. accompanied the
Secretary from New York.
Secretary Taft, although apparently
very much fatigued by the strenuous
movements of the past week. stopped
for a few minutes in the station and
chatted merrily with the group of
newspaper men. who pliad him with all
kinds Of questions as to the probable
appointment OF a chairman of the ma
tional committee. the time Of his de-
parture from Washington for the sum-
mer and his movements during the
coming months.
To all questions respecting the chair
manship Of the national republican COM
mittee the Secretary replied that he had
had not been settled. Mr.. Hitchcock, who
managed Secretary Taft's campaign from
this city preceding the convention. Is COM
ing to Washington tomorrow or Tuesday
of next week for conference with the
Secretary. Mr.. Taft will cordially thank
Mr.. Hitchcock for his work Whether he
intends asking Mr.. Hitchcock to under
take the work no one who knows anything
about 1t is willing to say.
'Was the question Of the Craftsmanship
discussed at the Oyster Bay conference
today" was asked the Secretary.
With a quizzical smile on his face the
Secretary replied that perhaps during the
brief conversation following the regular
conference with the President there may
have been some reference to 1t.
Then some one asked the Secretary
whether he intended to 60 on the stump
during the campaign.
| Il will leave that to my bottle-holders.
the Secretary replied.
| The trip from New York city to Wash
| fngton was without unusual incident. and
the Secretary was enabled to enjoy COM
parative rest. SO far as this was possible
on hot summer day. At Wilmington a
man in the train shed espied the Secre-
tary in his seat in the car and shouted
out There's Taft
waving his hands. smilingly bowed his
Acknowledgements. There were but two
stops coming down. at Philadelphia and
Baltimore.
stepped from the train at the Union sta
ton here Gen. Edwards queried the Sec
rotary as to whether he was going to be
In Washington next spring.
laughingly answered: III l get house rent
reasonably enough perhaps I WILL
Il think they are making the arrange
ments nov IN Washington by which the
government will pay that rent" was Gen.
Edwards laconic rejoinder.
His Weeks Experiences.
Secretary TAFT summed up his expe-
riences Of the week briefly a. follows:
Our experience this week has been one
Of the most delightful in my life. Com
mencement exercises and all the affairs
incident to the commencement week have
been filed with the greatest pleasure for
classmates. the great ball game which
Yale won and the great boat race which
Yale did not win all have been delight
fui. OF course, the week has been very
strenuous, and / am considerably fatigued,
but the rest which shall get tonight and
tomorrow will put me in good shape"
Going to Hot Springs.
To the newspaper correspondents Sec
rotary Taft indicated his intention of re-
manning at Hot Springs practically all
| the summer, with the exception of the trip
to Cincinnati when he is to be notified n
| his nomination, although he admitted that
| it might be necessary for him to make
Although Secretary Taft's present plan
is to return to Washington from Ho,
Springs to meet the subcommittee OF
with him July regarding the national
craftsmanship. 1t was said tonight on re-
| liable authority that this arrangement II
subject to change and that Secretary
! Taft might possibly invite the commit
tee to 60 to Hot Springs for the confer
ence.
Loeb Declines Craftsmanship.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
| OYSTER BAY. N. Y. June 27.-The
conference at Sycamore Hill today. in
which President Roosevelt. Secretary
Taft. Gen. Wright and National Commit
teeman Frank L. Kellogg of Minnesota
failed to pick a chairman for the repUb.
| lican national committee. During the
session. which lasted throughout the
| luncheon hour. the Craftsmanship was of.
private secretary who promptly declined
the honor. giving as his reason deter.
| mination to go into business as soon az
President Roosevelt retires from ONCE
Secretary Taft has always been kindly
appreciative Of the work that the Presi.
| dents secretary did for him during the
early stages Of his boom.
| When secretary Loeb STOOD nfm In h1t
refusal of the craftsmanship. Mr.. TAT,
turned to hir4kand said:
| Secretary Eoeb. IL I am elected Presi.
dent you may have any place that it is In
my power to give"
| In reply Mr.. Loeb assured Secretary
Taft that he was fully determined to en-.
ter private life at the expiration OF
President Roosevelt's term OF Office and
that he looked for no reward for any
| services that he had rendered or might
give during the campaign.
| Whether or not Mr.. Hitchcock's name
| was considered during the conference
| could not be learned, but the fact tina,
Mr. Kellogg took a prominent part in tine
discussion and was the last to leave woult
| seem to indicate that there is a prospect
that the engineer Of the steam roller viii
| reconsider his refusal. The matter will
not be finally decided until July 8, wher
the subcommittee of the national commit
tee meets with Candidate Taft In Wash.
ington. The date for this consultation
which had been set for July l. has beer
charged to allow Mr.. Sherman. the vics
presidential candidate. to attend.
Conference of Three Hours.
After luncheon and q three-h hour chat
during which the affairs of the War De.
partment were discussed with the Presi.
dent and Gen. Wright. Secretary Tar
climbed on board one OF the big secre,
service automobiles and departed in 9
dust cloud for Jersey City, where he
hoped to catch the 4:5O train for Wash.
tington. He took with him Mr.. Ward, who
was to 60 as far as New York. Mr. TAT
refused to talk politics or to tell much