The silver blade. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1895-1903, 1903-01-02
Washington Letter.
From Our Special Correspondent.

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| From Our Special Correspondent.
Toe most serious problem which
has confronted a President Of thu
United States In recent years await.
the decision Of President Ro0se welt
He was asked BY Germany and Great
Britain to arbitrate their claim. a.
gainst Venezuela. Unfortunately, al
this juncture, the Cabinet was divid.
cd aud thus afforded the President
little assistance. Secretaries Hay
and Root were understood to have
taken 4 positive stand against NJ.
Roosevelt's arbitration, while Score.
taries Shaw and Wilson and Post.
III. 1t T General Payne urged him to
Accept the responsibility. The po.
sition OF the Attorney General ha.
not been learned. Numerous tele
grams from all over the country. were
received. They favored both sides OF
the question hut 1t appeared that thu
m1jority IT the deepest thinkers re-
garded the offer, which was evil
IDENTIFY the suggestion Of the German
Emperor, with suspicion and feared
that II concealed some dangerous din.
loniatic trap. The President was in.
clined to accrpt the responsibility.
lie believed that, as arbitrator he
could better safeguard the interests
NJ the United States In South Amer.
lea than he could as an outsider. On
the other hand, 1t was argued that he
would probably have to commit him.
self To the justice Of at least port
ion Of the claims Of the Allies, that
10y SO doing he would, irrespective OF
the justice Of his verdict, incur the
enmity OF the South American repub.
lies which are prOverLixlly given t..
sentimental feeling rather than logi.
cal reasoning, and that he would b.
almost powerless to protest against
such drastic measures as might be be.
gun by the Powers in the almost Ger
tain event that Venezuela should pro
test her inability to pay whateye.
Judgment might be rendered agajns,
her. The President has refused /,
be arbIter and has recomme nded thai
the question be submitted 70 Th,
Hague Tribunal.
Senator Foraker has made public :
In which he emphat;call,
teprecates the Presidents becomin,
Involved In the controversy. Senator
although u democrat, Is re
:OKn'zed ~ an iuterna tiOnal and con
'titutional lawyer VI exceptional abil.
ny and he protested with every AZ
pearance Of sincerely. Senator Cul.
om went to the White House with y
arge number Of kilograms from citi.
.ens Of Illinois protesting against the !
Presidents acceptance, but later h,
refused to pass judgment aud sale.
hat no one was In ~ good . position. |
- Judge Of the situation as the Presi.
lent himself.
With much Adroitness, the Presi.
lent has settled upon the course b.
vii pursue In regard to the ratifica.
Ion OF the Cuban treaty and has. /
believed, disarmed those senator
hose senatorial pride promised I.
recipitate lengthy argument o,
enaIorial power, which must hav,
sriously delayed ratification, ana
hose members Ut tie House WI.
ought to cloak their opposition t.
'uban reciprocity behind Loyal re-
ard for the prerOgatives Of tn.
louise. The President has sent tn,
realty to the Senate for ratification,
nd has announced that after 1t |.
assed upon by the Senate he will.
end message to Congress asking
Dr enabling legislation which viii,
uth0rize the collection OF the r.
uced duties for which the new con
ention provides.
Representative Mann, OF Illjuoi.
pent his holidays In preparing tn.
eport on the bill providing for III.
ew department OK the government
o DO known as the Department 0.
commerce and Labor. In this bill
provided that there shall he tw.
lew bureaus, one OF corporations anu
ne OF Insurance. The first, In In.
pinion Ut the committee. will pro
ide the machinery for carrying int
lfSct any anti trust legislation which
Ongress may enact, other, Of course.
nan mere statutory amendment.
nd will prove especially useful In +
ase law Is passed providing for pub
city for trust statistics. The bu
'au of insurance provides for some
lpervision for a great industry which.
- not heretofore been officially re.
'gnized by the governments. 1t |,
elieved that this bureau will be can !
bio Ut much improvement In the wa, .
prevention Ut frauds by dishonest
financially unreliable com panics.
r. Mann expects to have his repor,
'nlpleted when Congress rcconvenes
There was . jolly party 1t tn. il
'hite House on Christmas. All OF .
&c Presidents family were at home. ;.
ISIS Roosevelt having returned from
ew York. Many mysterious pack
zee had arrived and the White llous,
'ildren were anticipating an uuus.