Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-27
President Taft and Ex-Presi-
dent Roosevelt in Accord.
REASONS GIVEN FOR BELIEF
Close Friend of Former President
Indicates Reversal of Views.
NEW POST OFFICE BUILDING
Postmaster General and Assistant
Secretary Hilles Ask $4,000, 900 )
for Washington City.

That President Taft and ex-President
Roosevelt fully understand each other on
several matters is the confident belief OF
those who have kept close watch of re-
cent developments. There is at least lit
tie doubt that the President has heard
from Col. Roosevelt and that one CT the
messages was a cordial enc, expressing
renewed confidence in and esteem for the
chief executive.
The President, however, has given
no 1ntimation of this to men closest to
him. and the conclusions that are drawn
are based on certain happenings and
incidents unrecorded in the political
world. The most significant of these
is the fact that President Taft will be
at Villa Nova, Pa, June 16, when
Theodore Roosevelt sails into New
York and is welcomed by the acclaim
of thousands. They will not meet at
that time, as heretofore indicated in
The Star.
The interesting features not before told
are tnat the engagement for President
Taft to go to Villa Nova was made by
a man exceedingly close to Col. Roose-
Welt; that this man had Travelled for q
and Europe before returning to this coun-
try that he knew the feelings of Mr..
Roosevelt If any man did; that he took
to MIR. Roosevelt complete story of
political affairs in the United States,
and had reason to be adverse to Mr.
Taft in his views Of and verdict upon
the present administrations; his loyalty
to the former President would outweigh
any possibility Of friedliness to Mr. Taft
If he felt that Col Roosevelt had the
cli 0h toct ,ul,t 4f
course of affairs since his departure from
the United States fourteen months ago;
he has discouraged attacks upon the
President from friends of Col. Roosevelt
since he got back from Europe, and.
generally speaking, shows reversal of
viewpoint since he met the ex-President
at khartOum.
Reasons for Declining.
President Taft had withheld any prom
Use to go to the Roosevelt reception in
New York. not from motives Of doubt as
TO the continuation OF the warm, even
affectionate. friendship between himself
and the ex-President, but from reasons
of propriety. The man referred to. after
getting in touch with the White House.
acts in pressing upon the chief execu-
tive an invitation to be on hand at Villa
Nova. No man has authority to say that
from Col. Roosevelt approving the course
of the President in not going to New
York June 10. At any rate. the definite
decision not to go there has recently been
made by the acceptance of another in
vitatiOn.
The joining together Of incidents and
events of the last few weeks is today
considered strong evidence of an even
deeper understanding between two figures
In the republican party and nation whose
NJ a IN {rft 1oH,< xr.SIl
be watched with the most intense in
terest.
Urge New Post Office Building.
Postmaster General Hitchcock and AS
sistant Secretary Hilles of the Treasury
are both urging President Taft to use his
influence to have 100000 placed in the
public buildings bill for new post office
building for Washington, to be located
near the Union station.
The President has been told that the
building is an imperative necessity at the
earliest possible date, owing to the over
crowding Of the Post Office Department
and the benefits of placing the city post
department in the new building. It is as
asserted that the new structure would
immensely facilitate postal business in
many departments. particularly in the
handling of postal cards, stamped envel-
opes, mail bags and the millions of dead
letters. With new building adjoining
the Union station the hauling and han
ding of these things to and from the
depot to the Post Office Department
would save many hours Of time and re-
duce the force employed upon this work.
There is danger to a public buildings
bill in it's overlooking in the Senate. II
the House makes bill carrying $4,000,
900 the Senate Is expected to load 1t
A,bn
and a bill Of this dimensions will meet
with such opposition it is doubtful Of get
ting through or receiving the approval OF
the President If it does go throc.h. Elk
penditures cannot be held down with
bill of $JOCOO,OOO according to Treasury
watch dogs In Congress.
Napier Declines Mission.
Mai. j. c. Napier, the most successful
negro in the business and financial world
of the south, is understood to have de-
clined an important foreign mission. Of
fered him today. He was at the White
House, in conference with the President,
and met the cabinet officers assembling
for the regular meeting Of the cabinet.
Napier has been urged for register of
the Treasury, but there Is pretty good
ground for the statement that the Presi-
dent intends to keep w. T. Vernon in
Therefore, it was decided to offer Napier
a foreign mission. Napier is the presi-
dent OF a bank, owner of houses and in
terested in many enterprises at Nash
vile, Tenn, where he is held In high re-
gard by white and colored citizens.
He is said to prefer continuing in bust
ness, and does not wish to accept a federal
position. although greatly approaching
the confidence of the President ard Sec
rotary Knox Of the State Department.
President Taft today agreed to review
the big Fourth of July parade in Boston.
The parade is to be under the auspices
of the 1918 movement, as it is known in
Boston, Edward A. Filene of Boston
was at the executive Offices today in con-
nection with the Presidents visit to Bos-
ton.
GOVERNOR OF ILLINOIS