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Show CHANGE IN CABINET. ' ETHAN A. HITCHCOCK OF MISSOURI MIS-SOURI SUCCEEDS BLISS. Appointee Is the I'resent Ambassador t Kussla Is a Greut Grandson of Ethan Allen and a Close rersonal Friend of President MeKlnley. Washington, Dec. 22. The president has nominated Ethan A. Hitchcock of Missouri, to be secretary of the interior. When the cabinet assembled the president presi-dent stated to those members who did not accompany him on his trip south, that he had decided to appoint our present embassador to Russia, Hon. Ethan A. Hitchcock, as seceretary of the interior to succeed Mr. Bliss, who retires from that office upon the qualification quali-fication of Mr. Hitchcock, which is expected ex-pected to take place some time in February, Feb-ruary, next. The members who were personally acquainted with Mr. Hitchcock Hitch-cock spoke of him in the highest terms and all agreed that the selection was an admirable one. Mr. Hitchcock was appointed minister minis-ter more than a year ago, and when the rank was raised to an embassy he was reappointed. He is a wealthy lawyer law-yer and business man of St. Louis and was for some time an extensive plate-glass plate-glass manufacturer. He is a great-grandson great-grandson of Ethan Allen of Revolutionary Revolu-tionary fame. His ancestors were from Vermont, but his father moved South, and Mr. Hitchcock was born at Mobile, Ala. Senator Proctor, who was in St. Petersburg during the last summer, says he is very popular in the diplomatic diplo-matic corps and among the acquaintances acquain-tances he had made abroad. Mr. Hitchcock is a close personal friend of the president. The president, at the time of the resignation of Secretary Bliss, which occurred shortly after the meeting of congress and which was final, invited Senator John C. Spooner to take the Beat in the cabinet vacated by Mr. Bliss. Senator Spooner, it is said, took the matter under advisement for two or three days, but after consideriug it, notified the president that he felt obliged to decline it. |