408. WILLIAM H. TAFT Interesting T.L.S. "Wm. H. Taft" as candidate for the Republican nomination for the presidency, 1p., 8vo. on his personal letterhead, Hot Springs, July 12, 1908, to Herbert Parsons, M.C. in New York City, just days before the Republican Party Convention in Chicago [June 16-19]. In part: "...I have your letter about the application of Colonel Hoff to be Surgeon-General.  I don't know exactly when the present Surgeon-General retires. I know that Hoff is a good man, and that he will probably have the support of Bell, who thinks well of him. The present Surgeon-General, however, is strongly in favor of Kean, who is Hoff's junior, but who is a very fine executive officer and quite abreast of all progressive movements in the Department...".  Lightly toned, very good. Already sounding like the President, Taft would be nominated for the office days later, winning an overwhelming majority of the votes on the first ballot.  Ultimately Colonel Hoff would not win the appointment as George Henry Torney would be named Surgeon-General of the United States.$400 - 500