Evening star., 1915-03-11
WHITE HOUSE BANS
VISITORS 3 WEEKS
President Will Spend Time
Fami|iarizing Himself With
Foreign Questions.
INTENDS TO PURSUE
EACH TO CONCLUSION
Senator Owen Urges Special Session
Of Senate to Consider Treaties
and Cloture.

I
and Cloture.
| The announcement was made at the
White House today that President Will
son. bec.use of the demand of callers,
is unable to give the time to foreign
affairs that he feels is required. and
that beginning next Monday the White
House will make no engagements for
three weeks for visitors to see the
President, leaving him free to spend
his morning hours acquiring facts and
data and reviewing the various phases
Of the European and Mexican situa-
tions. This announcement is in line
with the declared purpose Of the Prest-
dent to get in closer and more in
innate touch with all the pending
European questions that affect this
country and also with developments
in Mexico.
Earlier in the week it had been
stated that the President would make
appointments for an hour Wednesdays
and Thursdays of each week.
There are half a dozen complicated
questions growing out of the attitude
of Germany. Great Britain and France
toward neutral shipping that are in
their incipiency SO far as the intention
of the administration to protect and
safeguard American shipping is con-
cerned. All these questions must be
definitely settled. and the President Is
going to take charge personally Of their
solution.
To Work Out Cases.
So far all negotiations are to be
threshed out to a final conclusion, and
the President wants the conclusions
satisfactory to America and her inter-
ests as a neutral nation. By grasp
ing personally the minutiae Of the Eu-
viii be in position to be of greater
service when the eventual negotiations
begin for the settlement Of the war.
The destruction of an American ship
by the German auxiliary cruiser Prinz
Eitel, now at Newport News, has been
added to the long list of complications
growing out of the foreign war, and
the President has taken charge Of this
also.
Mexico does not promise to give as
much trouble to the President as has
| been limited recently. The conclusions
of the administration are that there Is
| much exaggeration as to what is hap
pening in Mexico, and that palpable
movement is on foot to again stir up ex-
cuses for Intervention.
The vacancy in the recordership Of
deeds of the District Of Columbia was
again brought to the attention of Presi-
dent Wilson today, when Senator Rams
dell and Representative Dupre of Louisi-
ana called on Mr. Wilson and urged him
to name B. F. Jonas, a real estate man
of this city. to the position.
The visitors. after seeing tho Presi-
don't, stated that Mr. Jonas is the son
Of a former distinguished Louisianian
| and is well fitted for the place. They
also stated that they believed Mr. Jonas
had good chance to land the appoint
ment.
Owen Wants Special Session.
| today. wants an extra session of the
Senate called in October to consider
| the Colombian and Nicaraguan trea-
ties and the proposition of cloture for
the Senate He urged the President to
make the call at that time, and seemed
to think that the President is impress
ed with the advantages of bringing the
Senate together some time in advance
of the regular session of Congress-
Senator Owen also asked the President
to recommend in his annual address to
Congress the creation of a department
OF health. with a cabinet officer at the
| head. or at least a separate bureau or
| establishment that will have charge
| of all health questions.
The appointment by President Will
son Of W. Fl. Shelton Of Windsor, Mo-,
as United States marshal of the west
ern district of that state. made last
| night. will bring on another fight in
! the Senate, 1t is stated on the author
i ity of those who know the Missouri
/ situation. Shelton is named to take the
| place of Ewing c. Bland. whose nomi-
nation was rejected by the Senate on
the plea of Senator Reed. Who declared
| that Bland was Objectionable to him.
| Shelton has been appointed on the
| recommendation of Senator Stone, and
| Is said to be equally Objectionable to
he will fight the nomination when 1t
| goes to the Senate in December.
| Not Administration Ambassador.
| Attention has been attracted in New
York by the appearance there of an
employe of the Department of Com
merce bearing this letter from Presi-
| dent Wilson:
.The bearer OF this letter. Mr.. Charles
| Ferguson. is a friend of mine, in whose
| cha ra cter and gifts l have peculiar
! confidence. He is acting as the repre-
| sentative of the Department o. Com
| merce of the United States Ills duties
| involve the important function OF
| bringing the business communities OF
! the country into close and intelligent
| touch with the plans of the department,
and the operation OF commerce.
throughout the world l bespeak for
| him the most cordial cooperation"
| New York newspapers which came
| into contact with the bearer of the let
| ter make statements that 1t was rep
| resented as the desire of the White
\ House to establish closer relations OF
, amity and good understanding with the
business men Of the country. The bear
/ er of the letter gave the impression. II
| is asserted. that he was an ambassadoI
of the administration to the business
! men OF the country.
At the White House it is not denied
| that Mr.. Ferguson had letter from
the President, but it Is intimated that
he is a representative of the Depart
| ment Of Commerce in its work with
business interests, and has not beer
sent out to establish better relation,
| between business and the administra
tion.