The San Francisco call., 1909-04-18
TAFT MAY VISIT
ALASKA TERRITORY
President Plans Comprehensive
Tour of Pacific Coast DUR
ing This Summer
Extent of Executives Journey
VIII Depend Upon the
Generosity of Congress

WASHINGTON. April 17.-President
Taft, who believes that the chief ma gis-
trate of the nation should keep in as
close touch with the people as the
duties and requirements of the Office
admits. is planning a notable trip dur
ing the late summer. and early autumn,
provided that congress decides to con-
tinue the annual appropriations of $685.
600 for travelling expenses allowed dur
ing the closing years of the Roosevelt
administration.
PLANS FOR THE SUMMER
The plans for the summer, as far into
the heated term as August Is. have
been completed. Taft will leave Wash
ington as soon as he can arrange mat
ters after the adjournment>of congress
and has beeH-told that the extra session
Will end June L.
The president will go direct from the
White House to his summer home at
Woodbury. Point. Beverly, Mass, and
will spend two months or more there as
quietly and as free from official worry
as possible.
Taft will devote most of his vacation
to golfing and motoring. and perhaps
will take a short cruise along the
northern coast. The reassembled At
lantic fleet of 16 battleships will ma
neuver off the New England coast dur
ing the summer and the president un
doubtedly will want to see some of the
work of the ironclads.
DESIRES TO TOUR WEST
The trip the president desires to
make TO the west during the late sum
mer will be entirely too expensive to
be paid for out of his own pocket. An
outline of the proposed itinerary has
been given to a high railroad official
and an estimate requested. 1t is said
the cost would be in the neighborhood
of s15 600 to $4,000.
WILL GO TO ALASKA
If he goes west at all the president
will include Alaska in the journey, sail
ing from Seattle, probably on a vessel
of the navy or revenue cutter service.
No president has ever visited the far
northern territory which for so long
has been part of the United States.
The president has been invited and is
particularly anxious to attend the fol-
lowing gatherings:
The annual encampment of the Grand
/ Army of the Republic at Salt Lake City.
The Trans Mississippi conference at
Denver.
The national irrigation congress at
/ Seattle and the Alaska ukon
exposition at the same city.
! SWING THROUGH SOUTHWEST
In addition TO his proposed visit to
I the Rocky mountain states and to the
Pacific coast the presidents tentative
plans for the trip include long swing
through the southwest and the heart
of the south itself.
Many of the vessels of the Pacific
/ feet which includes eight fine armored
cruisers of the type OF the North Caro-
lima and Montana, which Taft used on
his recent trip to Panama. viii be sta
/ toned in and about Puget sound dur
/ ing the exposition and the president
undoubtedly would make the trip to
Alaska on one of these.
MAY COME TO SAN FRANCISCO
Returning from the north he prob
ably would land at San Francisco to
begin from there the journey along the
southern border line. Taft has often
spoken of an Alaskan trip, but 1T has
not been definitely known until now
that he has decided positively to make
it part of any trip he may take to
the Pacific coast.
Mrs. Taft. who is as fond Of travel
as her husband, would accompany the
president on the tour.