The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-15
bASSADOR HILL RESIGNS SUDDENLY No Reason Given for the
 Action WAS ORDERED HOME Hill Says He Has Been in Service For Many Years and Would
 Give Taft Chance to
 Name Successor
WAS ORDERED HOME

conference today between President Taft and Secretary of State Knox, the resig- nation of pr. David Jayne Hill, ambas- sador to Germany. was announced at the White House.
 I The only intimaton of the probable
 reason for the resignation came from
 to the second part of his letter to Pres ident Taft, made public earlier in the day, which read that he had resigned at this time,' to take effect July l. '1n
 order that If you desire to do so, you
 may be able to make another appoint
 ment to that post"
 pr. Hill was en route from New York | to Washington when the announcement. of his resignation was made at the White House and on his arrival tonight he was advised that rumors were current that he had in view some high position i'll
 public life or in the academic world, in
 which he always has been interested. "All that I am prepared to say at this time" said MT. Hill. "is that I have
 no plans or engagements. As to the req
 sons for my resignation, they are to be found in the second part of my letter
 to the President"
 ! Dr. Hill said he intended to return to
 Berlin about May 1, to arrange his house.
 hold effects for departure between then
 and July 1.
 Shake-Up Scented
 Following immediately on the an | nouncement yesterday of the appoint
 ment of new ambassadors to both Tur-
 key and Russia, official Washington
 scented an important diplomatic shake
 up as in prospect
 President Taft's comment to callers to- day was that Dr. Hills period of service had been entirely satisfactory to both
 the state department and himself
 The two letters constituting the for mai exchanges between the President and Dr. Hill on the subject were sent to Dr. Hill's apartment by messenger
 early today before being made public.
 but he first learned of their announce ment at noon, while en route here. The letters follow. MT. Hills letter to the President reads:
 | "I have the honor to remind you that
 at the beginning of your term of office
 as President I expressed to the Secre- l tary of State my readiness to termin- ate my mission as 2mbassador to Ger i many which your predecessor had en- | trusted to me. 1t was your pleasure
 soon afterwards to communicate to me | in person your wish that l should con- | tinue at that post and l was very | happy, especially in view of the short l time I had been at Berlin, to receive | this mark of your confidence. | The half of your administration hav- | ing already passed, it apepars to me | fitting that I should express to you my grateful appreciation of the con l sideration you have shown me and that | T m l ton in your hands to take effect July | next which I now do in order that if you desire to do so. you may be able | to make another appointment to that | post.
 l Tt has been a great pleasure to me 10
 serve my country in this honorable and highly responsible office, which l have l endeavored to fill to the best of my
 ability.
 | "Pleace accept. my dear President, l the assurance of my great esteem and loyal sentiment"
 The Presidents letter of acceptance reads:
 "In acknowledging your letter of the l l2th inst it is with great reluctance that
 I accept your resignation and relieve you
 of a mission which you have discharged l in manner which so highly appreciate. | both as to the actual work of the em-
 hassy and as to your relation to the gov ernment which you are a credit. q am glad that it will be convenient
 to you to retain your post until the first
 of next July, and I remain, my dear Dr, | Hill with renewed expression of appre- citation and with every good wish
 Created Surprise | Various views were held by officials
 today concerning Dr. Hills resignation.
 It came as a surprise to members of the Senate committee on foreign relations, al- | though some declared that they under l stand change in Berlin had been in con- | temptation.
 pr. Hill, in his letter. pointed out that
 as half of the Taft administration already | had passed. it was fitting for him to ten der his resignation. In this connection
 it was recalled that President Roosevelt
 at corresponding time in his first ad- ministration found the need of eminent
 places for his strong supporters, laying down the doctrine that no diplomatic of | fcial could reasonably expect to hold more than two terms aggregating eight years Counting his occupancy of the po- sition as assistant secretary of state, l Dr. Hill has been in the diplomatic ser vice more than 12 years.
 pr. Hill, during his service as ambas- sador at Berlin, handled some questions of prime importance among them being the potash controversy, now believed 10 l have been diverted from diplomatic chan nels to a field of private settlements the exploitation of Turkish railway and min | ing concessions and the standardization of the Manchurian railways, in which projects American financiers were greatly interested Some of Dr. Hills friends be- lleve he will retire to private life to con tinue his studies and researches in diplo- matic fields, for which work he was able
 to avail himself of priceless stores and
 documents while abroad.