Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-11-23

Il hope you will understand, my
dear Mr.. President, that ! will per-
init nothing but the most imperious
demands to force my withdrawal
from public life. Always | shall
cherish as the greatest honor of my
career the opportunity you have so
generously given me to serve the
country under your leadership in
these epochal times.
"Affectionately yours,
wv. G. McADOO."
President To McAdoo.
The presidents letter of accept
ance dated November Fl follows;
MY dear Secretary:
II was not unprepared for your
letter of the IA because you had
more than once, of course, discuss
ed with me the circumstances
which have long made it a serious
personal sacrifice for you to remain
in Office. | knew that only your
high and exacting sense of duty had
kept you here until the immediate
tasks of the war should be over.
But / am none the less distressed
I shall not allow our intimate per-
sonal relations to deprive me of
the pleasure of saying that in my
judgment the country has never had
an ADLER, q more resourceful and yet
prudent, more uniformly efficient
secretary of the treasury; and / say
this remembering all the able, de-
voted and distinguished men who
proceeded you. l have kept your
letter number of days, in order to
suggest. If could, some other solu-
ton of your difficulty than the one
you have now felt obliged to resort
to. But I have not been able to
think of any. I cannot ask you to
make further sacrifices, serious as
the loss of the government will be
in your retirement. / accept your
resignation, therefore, to take effect
upon the appointment OF a success
sor, because in justice to you I
must.
IT also, for the same reason, ac-
cspt your resignation as director
general Of railroads, to take effect,
% you suggest, on the first of Janu-
airy, next, or when your successor
Is appointed. The whole world ad-
mires, ! am sure, as l do, the skill
and executive capacity with which
you handled the great and complex
problem of the unified administra-
tion of the railways under the stress
Of war uses, and will regret, as l
do, to see you leave that post just
az the crest Of its difficulty is pass
For he distinguished, disinter-
ested, and altogether admirable serv-
ice you have rendered the country
ID both posts, and especially for the
war, in which you have guided the
treasury through all the perplexities
and problems of transitional finan-
cial conditions, and of the financing
Of . war which has been without
precedent alike in kind and in scope,
I thank you with a sense of graft
tude that comes from the very bot
tom of my heart.
Gratefully and affectionately
WOODROW WILSON,"
No Other Reasons.
Mr.. McAdoo explained to the cor
respondents that he had absolutely
no other reasons" than those speci-
fed in his letter for the retirement.
He said he realized many varied ru-
more usually accompanied the res
ignation of an official, but he en-
phasized that he had no motive or
purpose except those mentioned.
He said he hated to quit the job"
Just at this time, and disliked per-
sonally to disassociate himself Off
'cially from the president, but added
that necessities of providing a liv-
ing for his wife and family make
this imperative.
"A moment later, one correspond
en-. suggested: well, it is too bal,
Mr.. Secretary, that as a railroad
man, you could not have shared in
wage increases which you gave
every one else.
Then, for the first time Mr.. Nc
Adoo frightened, and explained his
reluctance to take the action. He
said he had not yet looked around
for . job as most prudent men do
before quitting" but declared he
felt like taking at least three
months rest before looking for
work" He said he hoped to leave
Washington soon after January /.
Mr.. McAdoo said he had no idea
who would be his successor or
successors"
Mr.. McAdoo receives $4,000 a
year as secretary of the treasury,
the uniform salary of cabinet men,
bcrs, and nothing as director gen.
eral of railroads.
His family expenses are known
to have been heavy in the last few
years, although since the war he
has taken almost no part in the
little capital society that remained.
Repeatedly, the secretary has re-
ferred to small salaries of govern
MSHL OHlCldiS. tHouSH nc ulu NOT
refer to his own case.
In fixing the salaries of his assist
ants in the railroad administration
he allowed heads of divisions $751;
600 4 year and even the miner as
sistants received $4,000 or $4,000.
Possible Appointees
II Is entirely probable that the
president may fill separately the
Offices of the secretary of the treas
ury and director general of railroads.
There was nothing official tonight on
which to base a statement OF who
might be under consideration for
secretary of the treasury. On pre-
vious occasions when a successor