The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1911-05-18
JACOB N. DICKINSON
Secretary of War.

that he must improve the naming to
such an important post of man for
whom he worked tooth and nail in
the recent governorship campaign.
Two Factions Recognized.
The position of assistant treasurer
in New York, which has been given
to the Sherman-Barnes-Wo fac
ton, while not so important as that
given to the Roosevelt-Parsons fac
ton, is believed here to be move
in the direction of peace that will
count for much in the future.
Officially, Washington discussed
with relish the resignation of the Sec
rotary of war. Unofficially also there
were those who found other reasons
than that given in his letter. Mr..
Dickinson is Democrat. His pres
ence in the cabinet of Republican
president has not been looked upon
with favor by some of Mr.. Taft's po-
litical advisers, who were of the opin-
ion that the office of secretary of war
should be held by someone of the
presidents own party, and who also
pointed out that Mr.. Dickinson might
prove a source of embarrassment
when the 1912 presidential campaign
begins. Naturally, Mr.. Dickinson also
found the discussion in the cabinet of
party measures often a personal en-
barrassment.
There were others who thought that
Mr.. Dickinson had incurred some criti-
cisms by his conduct of the war office.
AS was pointed out recently, there
have been reports of friction over the
Mexican situation between the state
department and the war department.
In some quarters it was asserted that
Secretary of State Knox was being
overshadowed by Mr.. Dickinson and
there were reports that the former
contemplated resigning, but these met
with official denials. There had been
no hint that Mr.. Dickinson contemp-
lated retirement.
The appointment of Mr.. Stimson
will give New York two members of
the cabinet, Attorney General Wick
ersham being resident of that state.
Mr.. Stimson has had no special mill
tary training, but in talking to friends
the president expressed the belief that
he was the sort of man who could
come into the war department and
easily and quickly get the swing of
affairs.
There are few men in public life
outside of Washington for whom the
president has higher personal re-
gard, and during the New York cam
paign the president frequently ex-
pressed his unqualified approval of
Mr.. Stimsons candidacy.
The Two Careers.
Mr.. Stimson was born in New York
Sept. 81, 1867. He graduated from
school in 1890. He was associated
with Senator Root of New York in
the practice of law and in 1906 was
appointed United States attorney for
the southern district of New York.
He resigned that position after three
years service, but became special
counsel for the government in the
prosecution of the sugar trust. AS
counsel in that case he won the ad-
miration of Attorney General Wick
ersham and Mr.. Taft.
Secretary Dickinson was born in
Mississippi, spent most of his life in
Tennessee and was appointed to the
cabinet from Chicago. He is 60 years
old. In the Civil war he served with
the Mississippi volunteers. He was
educated in the University of Nash
vile, the University of Leipsig, Sax
ony, and the Sorbonne, Paris. He was
sworn in as secretary of war March
-, 1909, previously having been gen.
eral counsel of the Illinois Central
railroad, with offices in Chicago.