Omaha daily bee., 1911-05-14
SECRETARY OF WAR RESIGNS
Action is Result Of Friction with Sec
retarv Of State Knox.
HENRY L. sT1MsoN APPOINTED
Secretary Dickinson Said 20 Incur
Criticism by Conduct of war
office in Relation to Mex
team situation.


nessee. the democratic member OF tho
presidents cabinet. has resigned. Henry
l.. Stimson Of New York. recently de-
fcated republican candidate for governor
OF that state, has been given the port
folio This announcement was made from
the White House last night.
In the letters exchanged between the
president and Mr.. Dickinson no reason.
other than that Of pressing private af-
fairs. is given for the secretarys retire
ment The president will confer with Mr..
Stimson tomorrow or Sunday. but the new
secretary of war will not be sworn in
until the return Of the president to the
capital on Monday. Mr.. Dickinson will go
to his Tennessee home Immediately upon
the qualification Of his successor. He ex-
poets to devote his attention to business.
He was engaged in the practice OF law
when President Taft appointed him secre-
tary Of war in March. 1909.
lie IL the second member OF Mr.. Taft's
cabinet t. retire to prive life, Secretary
Of the Interior Ballinger having severed
his connection with the presidents official
family only a few months ago.
MiIlinEtOn Assistant Treasurer.
Co-incident. with the announcement of
Mr.. Dickinson's retirement came the APP
pointment of C. S. Millington of Herki-
mer N. Y, to be assistant treasurer Of
the United States in New York. Mr..
Stmson was the Roosevelt candidate for
governor. while Mr.. Millington was a for
mer member OF the house from the Twen-
ty-seventh New York district, and is a
close friend Of Vice President Sherman.
IL the two appointments official Wash
ington found food for speculation and
many politicians thought they saw therein
the first step of the administration to
straighten out the tangled skein OF New
York politics
No effort vas made by the president
to conceal the satisfaction with which he
viewed the appointment of Mr.. Stimson.
Not only has he the highest personal re-
gard for the incoming member of his
cabinet, but he Is well aware that the ap-
pointment will be acceptable to a large
faction of the republican party in New
York. While the selection of Mr.. Stimson
was made after only a few days consid-
Grafton, Senator Root and other leaders
were consulted and gave 1t their unquali-
fled approval
Roosevelt Net Consulted.
Former President Roosevelt was not
called into conference. but there is no
question he must approve the naming to
such an important post of a man for
whom he worked tooth and nail in the re-
cant goVernorship campaign.
The position of assistant treasurer In
New York. which has been given to the
Sherman Barnes w oodruff faction, while
not so important as that given to the
Roosevelt Parsons faction. is believed
here to be a move I'm the direction OF
peace that will count for much in the flu
ture. Friends Of the president were pleased
over the political outlook.
Unofficially Washington discussed with
relish the resignation of the secretary of
war. Unofficially, also, there were those
who found other reasons than that given
in his letter.
Mr. Dickinson is a democrat. His pres
ence in the cabinet of a republican presi-
dent has not been looked upon with favor
by some Of Mr.. Taft's political advisers,
who were Of the opinion that the office
of secretary of war should be held by
some one OF the presidents own party,
and who also pointed out that Mr.. Dichin-
son might prove a source OF embarrass-
ment when the 1919 presidential campaign
begins. Naturally Mr.. Dickinson also
found the discussion in the cabinet of.
party. measures often a personal embar-
rassment.
Dtsagrees with Knox.
There were others who thought Mr..
Dickinson had incurred some criticisms
by this 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 IL was asserted that
Secretary of State Knox was being over
Swallowed by Mr.. Dickinson and there were
reports that the former contemplated re-
signing, but these met with official denials
There had been no hint that Mr.. Dickin-
son contemplated retirement.
The president moved swiftly when he
found he had to select a new secretary of
war. On Wednesday night Secretary
Hilles was dispatched to New York post
haste. He met Mr.. stin1son the next day,
but the latter wished to consult with his
father who was then on the Atlantic
bound for Europe.
Mr. Hilles came back to Washing ton
and Mr. Stmson resorted to the wireless
His fathers answer advising him 10 &C
cept came today, and late this afternoon
he called up the White House on the long
distance lelopnOno anO SdlQ ne would DC
glad TO become Mr.. Taft's second secre-
tary of war. The deal was closed right
then and the president. who was waiting
to go to q garden party in the White
House grounds. gave a sigh OF genuine
relief.
The appointment OF Mr.. Stimson will give
New York two members OF the cabinet At
torney General wickersham being resi-
dent of that state.
Mr.. Stimson has had no special military
training but in talking to friends, the presi-
dent expressed the belief that he was the
sort OF a man who would 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
a higher personal regard and during the
New York campaign the president fire.
auently expressed his unqualified approval
Of Mr.. Stimson's candidacy.
Text of the Correspondence.
Following is the correspondence between
President Haft and Secretary Dickinson
Secretary Dickinsons letter:
WASHINGTON. D. c., April %. 1911
Dear Mr.. President AS my affairs have re-
Gently so changed as TO require my per-
sonai attention In Tennessee, herewith
I