The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-09
PRESIDENT LIKES
 THE NEWSPA APER MEN Attorney General Wickersham
 Is Great Story Teller HOW HUBBY ESCAPED
HOW HUBBY ESCAPED
Secretary of State Knox May Not Get to Make Desired Official Visit to China During His
 Administration
By JONATHAN WINFIELD


 Washington, October s.-(Special-)- - President Taft, who is always "a home" to the corps of Washington newspaper writers, knows them all b, name and ''vfsits'' with them when the, call in a body to seek news. The Pres ident is not particularly anxious to giv, out information. He does not seek per sonal notoriety. in fact, he frowns upor any effort to bring him into the lime light of publicity.
 When the newspaper men enter his office, the President greets them witt hearty welcome and If he has beer absent from washington for some time, exclaims: 'T guess will have to stiI around and shake hands with you fel- lows." He knows each man and greets him individually. Then he laughs and asks that he be told the news.
 The other day, just after his return for the cabinet 'house party" one ot the newspaper men who went in to see the President represents number of southern newspapers and has always been democrat in politics. The Pres ident said to him: T guess you are ready to land the clerkship of the next House."
 NO government job for me-" replied the correspondent.
 Then you are not much of demo- crat," replied the President, flor, ac- cording to my understanding, every democrat wants an office sometime, somewhere
 Attorney General wickersham is a great story teller. He brought the fol- lowing tale back from the northwest and told it at the White House.
 A man there was who was in mortal terror of his wife, especially when he indulged in spirits to excess and forgot to go home until the early hours of the morning. One night he drank until he became hilarious and 1t was in the small hours of the morning that he reached his home. He gained an entrance with out arousing his sleeping spouse. Shoe less he climbed the stairway, opened the door of the bedroom, entered and closed 1t after him without being detected Just as he was about to get into bed, his wife, half aroused from her slumber turned and sleepily said: "Is that you, Fido?" The husband telling the rest of the story replied: For once in my fife had real presence of mind. licked her hand"
 Secretary of State Knox has practical ly decided that his cherished plan of visiting China during his term in the Taft cabinet will not materialize. The benefits that have accrued to United States business men through the visit of Senator Root to South American ooun- tries when he was serving as Secretary ofs 4 the excellent results attained in bring ing this country and the republics o1 South America to a better understand ing as to the intention of the United States to faithfully play foster father to them and without selfish designs pre- vent European nations from expressing them, were the motives that prompted Secretary Knox to contemplate visit to the Orient.
 China has great possibilities in trade for the United States. A visit of a sec retary of state would be of value in bringing about closer diplomatic and commercial relations between the coun- tries. The proposed journey of the sec retary has, however been practically abandoned. It is said that if 1t had not been for the Nicaraguan troubles of the last year the journey would have been undertaken before this time.
 One of the problems with which Gen. eral Leonard Wood, chief-of-staff of the army, Is wrestling is what to dc with two army officers who have been convicted of crime. It is problem which confronted Major-General Frank lin Bell when he was chief-of-staff. and which he left as g. heritage to General Wood.
 The officers are Captain Peter C. LJof, m Ia a term in Sinp Sing for the killing of William Annis and Captain Thomas Franklin. who has been convicted of embezzling funds be- longing to cadets at West Point. But for the fact that they are not render ing any service and are not receiving any pay, both men are still full fedged army officers. Neither has been dis tial has acted upon their cases and they have been convicted of nothing under the military law.
 The war department, it is understood will not act upon the case of either until the supreme court passes upon tho appeal made in the case of Capt. Frank lin, who alleges that he was uniawfully convicted of crime by the state courts of New York that did not come within the courts jurisdiction.
 The navy department is having al kinds of trouble with It's scheme to erec a wireless station here by which tn. department can be in direct communica ton with its navy yards on the Allan tic coast and any of its war ships with in 5000 miles of Washington. The frs plan was to erect g giant wireless mas here, beside which the Washington mon ument was to be Q midget. This plar was vetoed. The department has now plans that call for the erection of foul wireless masts, each $50 feet high, 1T the soldiers home grounds.
 The war department, especially thu board in charge of the homes, if fighting the selection of the grounds of the loca soldiers home, declaring that the masti would be an eye sore and that the nav, department should select some othel site. Annapolis Is suggested, but navy department officials maintain that tho masts should be erected in this city ol tv,,v flat xytct trtt