The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-06-27
.SECRETAR TAFT TURNS ID POLITICS Returns to New York from
 Yale College MEETS HIS ASSISTANTS Joins Judge Luke E. Wright, Who Is To Succeed Him as Secretary of
 War on July 1.-To
 Consult Teddy.

New York, June 26.-Secretary Taft has passed from pleasure to politics. The transition, inevitable in way, was real ly not distasteful to him. During the fun-makng of commencement week at Yale he has had pretty strenuous time He really is greatly fatigued. The change therefore from purely personal to purely political affairs was in the nature of d recreation.
 The change came between New Haven Conn.,. and New York city. After bid ding farewell at New Haven to some of his oldest friends he boarded the 3:51 D. m New York New Haven and Hartford train for New York.
 He was met here by James T. Williams. Jr.. a member of his political staff in Washington, who accompanied him to the Manhattan hotel
 As Secretary Taft left the station for the street he was given cordial greet ing by the hundreds of people who had assembled to see him. Once more he was a Presidential candidate, and not merely the ''Blr Taft of Yale. The secretary was driven directly from the station to the Manhattan hotel. where apartments for him had been reserved.
 Shortly after o'clock. accompanied by Jacob Schmidtlapp, he left the hotel for the St. Regis, where he dined as the guest of MT. Schmidtlapp. It had been arranged that ex-Gov. Luke E. Wright, who is to succeed Mir. Taft as secretary of war next Wednesday, and Gen Clar- D a,1. oF t.o af insular affairs of the war department, should be guests at the dinner, but they did not arrive in time. Those who at tended the dinner. besides Secretary Taft and MT. Schmidtlapp, were A. c. Coffin, head of the General Electric company; Charles F. Brooke. national committee man from Cincinnati. and Ralph Peters, president of the Long Island Railroad company, both old Cincinnati friends of Secretary Taft. The dinner was purely an informal function.
 At ita conclusion the party had an au- stornobie"side about the city. 4I as ss
 Soon after the secretary reached his apartments he had conference with President Booker T. Washington of the Tuskegee institute of Alabama Washing ton came to New York to attend a meet Ing of the board of trustees of the in- stitute. He asked MT. Taft to deliver at least two formal addresses during the ap- preaching campaign particularly to the negroes of America. No definite conclu- siona was reached but it is probable that one address of the kind indicated may be delivered by Secretary Taft before the close of the campaign.
 Ex-Gov. Luke E. Wright arrived at the Manhattan shortly after o'clock, di- rectly from his home at Memphis. A few minutes afterward General Edwards arrived from Washington.
 Tomorrow morning Secretary Taft, ex- Governor Wright and General Edwards will take an early train for Oyster Bay to confer with President Roosevelt. The purpose of the conference is to discuss questions now pending before the war de- partment and ex-Governor Wright's new duties as Secretary of War.
 Politics will surely be discussed par ticularly the selection of chairman of the republican national committee.
 Despite the declination of F. H. Htch- cock to allow his name to be considered in connection with the chairmanship on account of i'll health, Secretary Taft is in receipt of hundreds of letters and tele grams urging MT. Hitchcock's selection. Arthur I. Vorys of Ohio is being strongly urged. particularly by Ohioans.
 Among the other names mentioned are those of Senator Murray Crane of Mas sachusetts. Secretary George B. Cortel- you and Postmaster General Von Meyer. Secretary Taft hopes to conclude his talk with President Roosevelt tomorrow in time to return to Washington tomorrow night