The Sentinel=record., 1911-05-13
DICKINSON 5
 RESIGNATION
DEMOCRATIC SECRETARY OF WAR HANDS RESIGNATION
 FROM THE CABINET.
President Appoints Henry L. Stim- son, of New York, His Successor Change Comes as a Sur
 prise to Public.

Washington, May 12.-Secretary of War Jacob McGavock Dickinson, of Tennessee, the democratic member of President Tafts cabinet. has resign ed. Henry l.. Stimson, of New York, recently defeated republican candi- date for governor of that state, has been given the war portfolio. This announcement was made from the White House tonight.
 In the letters exchanged between the president and Mr. Dickinson, no reason other than that of pressing private affairs is given for the sec retary's retirement The president will confer with Mir. Stimson in New York tomorrow or Sunday, but the new secretary of war will not be sworn in until the return of the presi- dent on Monday.
 Mir. Dickinson will go to his Ten nessee home immediately upon the qualification of his successor. He ex poets to devote his attention to ibusi- ness and will not return to the prac- tice of law in which he was engaged when President Taft appointed him secretary of war in March, 1909. He Is the second member Of Mr. Tafts cabinet to retire to private life, Secretary of the Interior BaIIinger having severed his connecrron with the presidents official family only q few months ago
 Coincident with the announcement of Mir. Dickinson's retirement came that of the appointment of C. S. Mil lington, of Herkimer. N. r., to be as- sistant treatsurer of the United States in New York. MT. Stimson was the Roosevelt candidate for governor, while MT. Wilmington was ii ioi in ilisi sr member of the house from the Twen- ty-seventh New York district, and Is close friend of Vice President Sher- man. In the two appointments official Washington found food for specula ton 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 was made by the presl- dent to conceal the satisfaction with which he viewed the appointment of MT. Stimson. Not only has he the high est personal regard for the incoming member of his cabinet, but he is weii aware the appointment will be ac- ceptable to a large faction of the re- publican party in New York.
 While the selection of MT. Stimson was made after only few days con sideration, Senator Root and other leaders were consulted and gave it their unqualified approval. Former President Roosevelt was not called into conference. but there is no ques ton he must approve the naming to such an important post of man for whom he worked tooth and nail in the recent governorshp campaign.
 The position of assistant treas urer in New York which has been given to the Sherman-Barnes-W Wood ruff faction. while not so important as that given to the Roosevelt Par sons faction, is believed here to be move in the direction of peace that will count for much in future to the republicans. Friends of the president were pleased over the political out look.
 Unofficially Washington discussed with relish the resignation of the sec retary of war. Unofficially also. there were those who found other reasons than that given in his letter. MT. Dickinson Is democrat. His presence in the cabinet of a republi- can president has not been looked upon with favor by some of Mir. Taft's political advisers, who were of the opinion that the office of sec retary of war should be held by some one of the presidents own party ann who also pointed out that MT. Dick son might prove a source of embar rassment when the 1912 presidential campaign begins. Naturally, MT. Dick inson also fcnnd that the discussion in the cabinet of party measures was often personal embarrassment. There were others who thought Mr. Dickinson had incurred sone criti- cism by his conduct of the war office As was pointed out recently there lbave been reports of fricticn over the