The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-07-01
X BUs' DAY
 E EIR TAFT WI Secretary Leaves z Roosevelt $ Cabinet.
 -s-- FORMAL TRANSFER TODAY GeaeraI Lake E. Wright Win
 Assume Charge. -s----- A-uousesnent ss ss~4s fhat vsryu wsI Not Be chsisns. Bst wm Bs
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Ham Howard Tsft's last day as secre- tary of War. After many years of dis- ting1iished services to his Government as a Justice of the United States courts, Governor General of the Philippine Islands. as Secretary of War and as the special representative Of the govern ment on several del5cate and important diplomatic missions. he practically re- linquisnes tonight the performance, for time at least, of duties as an of- dcixi of the united States.
 The formal transfer of the War De- p&rtnent from the administration of Secretary Taft to that of Secretary Luke E. Weight, hls successor. will not take place until tomorrow. but the work of the apartment will be brought up to date by Mir. Taft before he leaves his desk this evening. and Secretary Wright wiil enter upon his new duties tomorrowsswtth substantial- Iysa c1aan slate. The last duty to be performed by Secretary Taft will be tha f0r1nal presentation of his success ] or tomorrow morning to Assistant oli- yer and the bureau and divtsions chiefs of the War Department.
 With his best wishess to Secretary Wright for his successful administra- ton of the great department. the af- fairs of which he has been chosen to administer. Secretary Taft will be once rnore' ! X private citizen. From that moment uutii the fatefui day of the elections next November. he will de- vote hiInsslf assidylously so his v,Ss.s; can States.
 Business rather than pleasure. occu- pied the attention of Secretary Taft today. Numerous end compiler quee- tions awaited him when he reached his offices in the War DepaFtment this morning aud he plunged into the work of disposing of them with energy. He announced early that he would have practically no time today to discuss purely political matters az he de- sired to devote the entire day to the work of the aeparrment in connection with Governor Wright VI.
 Tomorrow he will resume his poli- tlcal work. with conferences with Frank II. Hitchcock. the Washington and with Arthur I. Vows ager of his Ohio campa son- ferences will relate to the national chairmanship of the Republican party and they promise to have an import ant bearing upon the selection of the
 Secretary Taft said today that Mrs. Taft had so arranged the breaking up of no sekeeping in Washington that
 
 until next Friday for Hot Springs Va. where they will remain until the first of November. The Likelihood Is that when Mir. Taft leaves. Washington on Friday 1t will be not to return to tlie National Capital until after the November election. and. in the event of his election to the Presidency. he may not return to Washington until two or three days before his inaugura- ton on the 4th of next March.
 Immediately upon his arrival at his ofiice shortly after 10 o'clock. Secrt- tary Taft sent for General Edwards. Chief of the Bureau of Insular Affairs, and took up with him and with Hs ernor wright. some matters concerniug tfe status of affairs in Panama and Cuba. The information received by Secretary Taft as to the elections in Panama Is very reassurtng. Indica- tons are now that, perhaps on account of the precautionary measures taken by this Government in the sending of marines to the Isthmus. no trouble st the general election will ensue.
 Secretary Taft received no political callers today. He announced that the day was to be devoted to the business of the department absolutely. and Ahat he would be unable to attend to politi- al matters until tomorrow.
 By direction of the Secretary Fred
 lrpenter, his private secretary. today ssIegraphed to the members of the sub- committet of the National Committee appointed to confer with Mir Taft re- specting the selection of e national chairman that he would meet them at Hot Springs on the Sth of July. This was the formal announcement of the change.
 Among the official callers on secre. tary Taft today was Attorney General Bonaparte. He remained in consulta- tton with Secretary Taft, General Wright, General Bell. Chief of Stan, for half an hour. He said when he left the department that he had called mainly to say goodbye to. Secretary Taft and to greet his incoming fellow cabinet member, General Wright
 The Attorney-G General added. how ever, that he had discusstd with the Secretary and with, General Bell, the sending of United States troops to the Mexican border.
 .'It is only a matter of a wise precau- tion." he said, Ito have some of our troops on the border at time like this"
 Did you discuss politics2" the Attor- uey-General was asked.
 "Oh, yes" he replied; we talked some politics. Secretary Taft being innocent and guiitleas, gave him some good advice."
 The Attorney General said that he had a pleasant chat with General Wright, and had told him the members of the Cabinet would have to postpone his initiation until next fall.
 ''Rut," said the Attorney General laughing, T don't think the initiation will lose anything by its temporary postponement.
 Representative Theodore E. Burton. of Cleveland. O., who nominated MT. Taft for the Presidency at the Chicago Convention. today had an extended com ference with the Secretary. Mir. Bur ton, after the interview, said that st dealt largely with the Ohio local poli- tical situation and that he did not feel at liberty to discuss the matter for publication. Concerning the Chairman ship of the National Committee. he said he was satisfied no termination of an Absolute character yet had been reach ed. He said that Mir. Vorys would be here from Ohio tomorrow for a con- ference with Secretary Taft and that he did not doubt that the whole sftua- ton would be snioothed out satlsfact- oriiy.