The Washington times., 1905-05-12
RAILWAY BANQUET
4 SOCIAL SUCCESS
Nothing Happens to Mar
the Happiness Of Occasion.
BALDWIN HITS OFF RATES
Secretary cortelyou Speaks on Inter
dependence ef Government and
the Railroad Systems.

the Railroad Systems.
Railway Association To the delegates of
the International Railway Congress ar
the New Willard last night was, If any
thing, more of a success socially than
the preceding one. but the tinge OF ex-
citement impaired TO the former one by
Secretary Taft's speech for railway
regulation was lacking last night.
with one exception, the speakers or
the evening refrained from precipitating
q debate by mention of the question OF
rate regulation, and read their speeches.
from manuscripts, the keynote OF the
addresses being the great work done by
the railroads. and, IN Secretary Cor
teiyoufs case the intimate relations be
tween the railways and the Unitei
States Government.
Baldwin's Firm Stand.
The one exception to this rule was ].
Ri. Baldwin. general counsel of the Chi
eago. Burlington and Quincy Railway
Company, who took a decided and un-
compromising stand against rate regu-
lation by the Government, and declared
that there was no demand for such a
step in the West. He also said a COM
mission OF seven men appointea 70 LOOK
after such a matter by the Pfesldent
m ust be Influenced to some extent oy
the wishes and opinions or the PreSl-
tellt who appointed them.
About 800 guests were at the banquet.
The hall was taStefully decorated with
small flags OF all the nationalities of
the world which were carried away by
the delegates as souvenirs The or
chestra played national airs throughout
the greater part OF the evening.
Sitting at the right OF Mr.. Fish. who
presided, were Vice President Fairbanks
and Postmaster General Corteiyou, at
his left were the German ambassador
and Sir George J. Armytage.
Other prominent railways officials at
the head table were NJ. Koiogrivoff,
of the Russian ministry; Sir Francis
Mowatt. Baron Moneheur. the Belgian
minister; Samuel Spencer, president of
the Southern Railway Company, /.
voorhees,, w. F. Allen, secretary of the
American section OF the congress; NJ. H.
Stielties, OF Holland.
Message From Kaiser.
At fffe Beginning OF the banquet. Mr..
Fish read a message of greeting and
congratulation from Kaiser Wilhelm to
the congress, and q suitable reply to
this was framed and sent.
Sir George J. Armytage made an ad-
DRESS dwelling on the great advance
made by electricity as a motive power.
He gave it as his opinion that Ii would
be greatly increased in value as a car-
rying power in the future. He paid
commitment to the speech of Vice Pres
dent Fairbanks, who said, in opening the
congress, that the railroads are "a
knightly instrument OF modern c:yiliZa-
ton -
Baron Srernburg's Speech.
The German Ambassador. Baron Speck
Won Sternbufg, was the next speaker.
and paid the following tribute to the
United States as a fraternizing agent
in the past year:
TT has been frequently emphasized by
the leaders OF nations that the chieI
thing the world needs is to have its
peoples know one another. The great
problem has been, and still is, how 70
bring them together and how, success
fully, TO interpret their national CHAR
acteristies AS long as We fail in ac-
complishing this. mutual suspicion and
latent dislike will continue and civiliza-
ton will be the sufferer.
The policy of two nations has been
compared with the attitude of strangers
in a dark forest. The moment one
touches his pocket, the other answers
by cooking his pistol. and as the click
is heard. the first one
The whole relations OF
ls1sssts be based on mutual con-
s1lsiaaee sin tasssame manner as that OF
sglividuais. This confidence is a rare
and most precious possession. 1t is the
highest prize for which nations and in
diyiduais can strive
This year stands out in histury be-
cause IN no previous year has any
country accomplished as much as the
United States IN drawing the world
more closely together Scarcely has the
great congress of nations closed at St.
Louis when the city OF Washington
opens its hospitabie gates to welcome
more than a thousand delegates of all
nations who have been invited TO par
ticipate il this congress of railways.
Mr. CorteIyou's Views.
Postmaster General coTtelyou then
spasze.z referring to the intimate rela-
ffons Between the Government and the
railroads He said:
THE relations between this Govern
ment and the railroad companies car
rying the mails are most intimate and
interdependent This arises largely from
the fact that the postal service is a
function OF the Government which most
closely concerns the people, and that
the railroad system is an agency upon
which the Government depends in large
degree for furnishing an expeditions
and efficient trans poFJation OF its malls.
To the extent, therefore, to which the
postal service becomes important and
necessary TO the people, the railroads
become important and necessary to the
Government.
Quick and efficient mail service,
more than rapid travel. is of prime i'm
portance to the people, for while the
movements of the individual must Of
necessity be more or less circumscribed,
he may become broad in knowledge, in
-