The Washington times., 1911-05-01
TAFT IN SYMPATHY
WITH LATEST BILLS
FOR ARMY REFORM
Favors Lengthening Term of
Enlistment to Five
Years.
HAS A TALK WITH
HOUSE CHAIRMAN
Executive Gives His Approval to
Eliminating Civilians From
Service.

President Taft today told Represent.
ative Hay of Virginia, chairman Of tht
House Committee on Military Affairs
that he was in favor of four of the
bills recently introduced in the House
providing for reorganization Of the
military OF the Government He sem
for Mr.. Hay today to tell him that the
Administration was squarely behind
him in his proposed reforms.
One of these provides that the enlist
ment of all soldiers in the army shal
be for a hve-year, instead of a three
& year, term: another provides that all
! civilians now doing service in the army
shall be replaced as rapidly as practi-
cable with enlisted men; another, that
the office Of adjutant general and that
of inspector general of the army shall
become a part of the general staff, and
a fourth. that a supply corps shall be
created.
Hay Says He's Pleased.
AS he left the White House Mr.. Hay
said that he was particularly gratif1ed
at the Presidents approval of the bills,
in view Of the fact that he is former
Secretary OF War and has intimate
knowledge of the reforms needed in the
country's fighting force.
Mr.. Hay has presented a fifth reor-
ganization bill, but this was not men
toned during the conference this morn
ing.
Representative Houston of Tennessee
talked to the President this morning
about a pardon for James r. Feeney,
the Fayetteville, Tenn. bank official,
who was convicted and sentenced to
serve number of years in the peni-
tentiary for violating the national bank
laws. The President promised to give
Mr.. Houston an answer to the petition
tomorrow.
On Wednesday, the President will
go to Baltimore to open the Peace
Society Conference in that city. He
will leave in the afternoon and return
again before night. On Thursday, he
will go 70 Philadelphia to be the guest
OF the Medical Club Of that city. He
expects to return to Washington that
night.
number of invitations were ex-
tended to the President today to make
stops on his coming visit to Kansas:
Representative Borland Of Missouri
asked him to be the guest of the
Kansas City Press Club. This invita-
tion was tentatively accepted. Rep
resentative Booher Of that same State.
asked him to stop at st. Joseph, and
Representative Hamilton of Michigan
asked him to visit st. Joseph in that
State. These two latter Invitations
were taken under advisement.
Denman'S Explanation.
A telegram was received by the
President this morning from U. G.
Denman, who was nominated recently
by the President as United States
Judge for the Northern district of
Ohio. saying that the coal operators
through their attorney had not pro-
tested against the confirmation of
himself. 1t had been reported that
with the Senate judiciary Committee
Comptroller Prendergast and James
w. Wadsworth. jr., were two distin-
guished New Workers who called on
the President this morning. Mr. Wads-
worth stayed for lunch and said that
all his business had been postponed
until then. He laughed at the idea
that he might be sent to Berlin
ambassador. Mr.. Prendergast was
presented by Representative Calder
A delegation from Paterson. n. j.,
headed by Representative Hughes, of
that State today called upon the Presi-
dent to protest against the prosecution
In the Federal courts of a number of
silk manufacturers of their city. The
delegation represented the board of
trade of Paterson.
The President was visited this morn
Ing by Representative johnson Of South
Carolina and number of LAWYERS from
that State who are interested in the
tudgeship appointment in South Caro-
lima.
The Austrian ambassador called today
at teh White House and bid the Presi- |
dent good-by. He is going away for
number of weeks.
The Congress of Mothers was received |
by the President and Mrs. Taft in the |
East room this afternoon.