Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-14
WRITES TO THE PRESIDENT
Tells Mr.. Taft He Accepted Last
Term With Great Reluctance.
BOOM OYSTER CANDIDACY
influential Business Men Call at
White House and Urge His
Appointment.

Through Col. William " Judson, engi.
neer Commissioner of the District, Gen.
John A. John ston today sent to Presiden,
Taft letter announcing that he was not
candidate for denomination and would
not accept another term as District Com
mlsslonerA Gen. Johnston explained that
ne mad taken the position three years ago
with Great reluctance and then only be-
cause he felt he was doing the President
ana the District a service. He had en-
J1Sed the work of the three years and
had maintained the most anicable rela-
tions with his colleagues and the subor-
dinate officials under him, but he has had
enough of public life.
President Taft today. answering the
letter. assured Gen. Johnston Of his ap-
probation Of his efforts as District Com
m. .sSiOner; stated that he had impressed
Gen. Johnston in the public service and
recognized that District Commissioners
do not repose upon beds of roses
1t was really Commissioner Judson who
induced Gen. Johnston to accept the COM
missionership and who presented his
name to Mr.. Taft. Mr.. Johnston did nat
then want the place and has indicated
for some time that he could not be per-
suaded to take another three years. Gen.
Johnston has been away from the city
much of the time since the discussion
started over the naming of two Com
missioners. and decided to write the let
ter after acquainting himself with the
situation.
Col. Judson, whose tenure as Engineer
Commissioner is about to close through
his probable transfer to the Panama
canal. did not discuss with the President
the naming of two Commiss. .oners or the
assignment Of Maj. Harding as Engineer
Commissioner.
Capt. Oyster Gets Big Boost.
Capt James F. Oysters candidacy for
today when a delegation Of influential
business men called on the President
and told Mr.. Taft some Of the many
good things they know about Capt.
Oyster. 1t was an enthusiastic delega-
tion the President heard. and he list
ened with close attention to the favor
able statements made to him The dele
cation particularly impressed the
President with the falsity of charges
that Capt. Oyster is such live wire
that he would keep things hot in the
District building
They told the. President that ''Capt.
Jin.' as one of them called him, was a
real live wire and a hustler, but that his
aggressiveness was always well and
properly QlT6CCcQ. 1ue Oe eSatlOn COuStSt-
ed OF f.. H. aDrOOp, w. +. Guide. Chaplin
Brown. Joseph Strasburger William d..
Hoover, ". T. Galiiher and Thomas
Grant representing the commercial or
ganizations and all lines of business.
At $50 O'clock this afternoon the Presi-
dent received about leo students Of the
Bliss Electrical School of this city. To-
night the President is scheduled to be a
guest at two dinners, that Of the Cara
bao Military Order and of the Society Of
fha Ma yf7ower
Col. James E. Porter. president Of the
Ohio Society Of Pittsburgh, today invited
President Taft to attend the annual din
ner of the society some time in Febru-
ary. The President may accept the in
vitation if his engagements in that month
do not prevent.
Will Stop in Jacksonville.
Upon the invitation of Senators
Fletcher and Bryan of Florida the Presi-
dent today agreed to make a stop of
forty minutes in Jacksonville next Fri
day evening on his way to Key West,
from which place he will sail on the
battleship Arkansas for Panama. The
plan of the Jacksonville Chamber of
Commerce is to entertain the President
IN the short time he has in that city
and to give the people of Florida an op-
oortunity to see and hear the chief ex-
ecutive.
1t is not expected that the President
will stop anywhere else going to and re-
turning from Key West. He will not have
the time TO do so. having limited himself
to the quickest possible connections.
Senators Smith and Townsend OF Michi-
gan called on the President today to ask
for a foreign mission for w. j. Rosen-
berg of Detroit. formerly in the consular
service Mr.. Rosenberg picked out Mo-
rocco as the post he would like to have
The President. however, Informed the
visitors that France. having taken over
Moroccan affairs, this country no longer
sends a minister there. Fred Carpenter
who was for years private secretary to
Mr. Taft, and now minister to Siam. was
the last American minister to Morocco.