The Washington times., 1908-06-21
Successor TO Secretary Taft
Able and Experienced Official
General Wright's Career as
Confederate Soldier and
Governor of Philippines.
While Ambassador to Tokyo
Helped to Settle Difficult
ties With Japan.

II viii take a big man TO i'll secre-
tary Taft's place as head Of the Wav
! Department. President Roosevelt real
1 ICES this better then anyone else, ana
he believes that he made no mistake
when he picked Gen. Luke Z. Wright.
| Of Tennessee. for the place.
! General Wright is a Democrat and
J served in the Confederate army. This
| has led 70 much comment on tbs politi-
| cal phases Of his selection for the inn
portant post Of Secretary OF War IN
tirely apart from politics. however,
! there are strong reasons for the Sc
| lection OF General Wright. ana there
can be no doubt he is admirably fitted
TO step into the shoes AIr. Taft will va
cant.
1t is not always understood that the
War Department has grown into. per
haps. The greatest OF the executive de
partnents- Since the era of expansion.
the responsibilities on the Secretary Of
War have been tremendous He is not
merely the head Of the War Depart
ment proper-that is. OF the military
branch Of the Administration. lie is
the responsible Secretary Of Insular Al
fairs The veXing questions Of the
Philippines are his TO settle. lie has 10
watch over the perplexing problems
arising from intervention IN Cuoa. The
conduct OF the canal zone and of canal
affairs generally imposes on his shout
ders burdensome responsibilities. Far
reaching problems come before him by
reason Of the fact the War Department
engineers are intrusted with the carry
ing out of the river and harbor work.
An ordinary man would breai. down
IN Y weeks under such a load, and
the be ~ answer that the friends of
Secre-a y Taft can make TO his critics
IS TO DO Mt TO the way in which he has
borne tie huge burdens of his Office.
Will Have Heavy Responsibilities
Now. General Wright is expected 70
take up the burden that Secretary Taft
has carried long and successfully. II
IS a reasonable expectation. if General
Wright lives up TO his best record. that
War.
Genera Wright's home is in Memphis |
ana he IS native OF Tennessee. He |
was porn IN 1914 HIS father, Archi- /
bald Wright, was chief Justice Of Ten !
d.
miral Raphael Semmes. Of the Con
teoerate navy. whose record Of exploits 1
IN wiping Northern commerce from the
ocean is familiar. General yVrfabr I
served through the civil war In the Con
tederate army. He was in the artn- /
Iery, and his record was an bonorabIsl
one. He was for eight years attorney
general Of his State. II was as attor-I
ney general that he gained the title of
general He did not rise to that ranl,
IN the service OF the Confederate army,
as is apparent from the fact he was b4,+
eighteen years old when the war ended .
lie studied law and has risen tn The
rank or Iennessee's leading lawyer. He /
gained prominence in 1873 by reason Of
MS activity in the measures taken In
Memphis and In that part OF the coun-
Try 10 overcome the yellow fever
scOurge.
Appointed by President Mckinley.
President Mckinley appointed General
Wright member Of the PbufDpina
Commission March I6. 1901. InDoTtsnt
duties devolved upon him. Incidental
TO the sickness Of Governor Taft the Of
ice OF vice governor was created Ocfo-
betr %. 1901, and General Wright vas an
pointed to fill it. The subjects Of Ieris-
latiOn assigned 10 him as a member ~ Il
the Philippine Commission were inter \
nal improvements. franchises. militia n
police and criminal code He was also II
assigned 20 give attention 10 the civil \
code in connection win Governor Taft II
and Commissioner Ide. Each commits II
siOner was expected to conduct investi- II
cations into the subjects assigned him. II
The most important bills that were pre-
pared by General Wright and enacted |
by the Philippine Commission were the
penal code. the bill for the organization
Of the cOnstabulary to replace the army
in many small garrisOns, the bill for
the organization OF the police force OF
Manila, and the bill FOR the improve
ment Of Manila harbOr. III
In the absence Of Mr.. Taft from the
General Wright was acting
civil governor of the islands from No
vembcr 4, 1901. to August p. 1902. In
what estimation Secretary Taft holds
the man may be judged from the fact
that on his return from the United
States 10 the islands he alluded to
General Wright IN an address to the
natives as a man of affairs, man of
ability, a man OF the frmness, of the
tact, and of the sweet solitary nature
IF Governor Wright"
This period was a critical and troubled
1ne but General Wright met all crises
N a fashion that met the approval of