The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1905-08-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.


chants and importers should boycott
China if China insists on boycotting the
United States. This is a suggestion that
has been based on the showing of the
Department of Commerce and Labor 10
the effect that while we sell about twice
as much to China as China buys of u.s.
the oriental imports are not thing for
which the United States is at all depend
ent on China and they could be just as
we'll gotten from Japan. The exports of
the United States to China amounted in
the past year to about $50, 900, 900 while
our imports were but $50, ooo, 900. Still
that trade could be cut off from China
entirely if the merchants in the United
States 80 decided and China would feel
the loss keenly. The Chinese imports to
this country consist principally of tea,
raw silk and hides. Now tea is equally
available from India and Ceylon while
the other articles of strictly oriental sort
can be had from Japan. IT China wants
to play boycotting. it is suggested that
this country is in pretty good position
to take a hand in the game and probably
China would get tired of it as soon as
this country.
~
It is uuquestionable that this country
has not dealt with China on the same
basis as it would in dealing with any
first class power and there is a great deal
of bitterness over the way that the Chi
nese exclusion law has been worked on
the Pacific coast. 1t is said now thai
China. has stiffened her neck in the face
of continued ignominy of this sort and
that when Congress is called upon to deal
with the expiring Chinese treaty it will
discover that while China would have
been perfectly willing to negotiate a
satisfactory treaty with us year ago,
that she has been egged on by some of
the powers to assume naughty attitude
and that now she will refuse to sign a
treaty at all that provides for the exclu-
sion of any of her laborers from the
Pacific coast.
NV
The investigation of the cotton leak in
the Agricultural Department is dragging
on and it now looks as though the threat
that the grand jury part of it might con-
tiuue for three weeks was going to be
fulfilled Two Of the witnesses who have
been subpoened from New York have
20 tto
put to them by the District Attorney and
it remains to be seen whether the court
will exercise its prerogative of sending
them to jail for contempt if they do not
answer or whether the investigation will
have to go on without them. The recall
citrants are two New Workers named
Haas and Peckham. They have excused
themselves from replying to questions on
compel them to answer aud also that an
swering might incriminate them. OIL
course this latter plea adds to the interest
in the investigation and the court has
given them an additional twenty four
hours in which to show cause why they
should not be made to answer. Until
this matter is settled the investigation
is crippled. Both the witnesses are well
every indication of fighting for what they
claim to be their constitutional rights.
The District Attorney still claims that he
has turned up enough evidence for an
= 6,,k ,at1x xps1I ka oh
for conviction of any of the parties con-
cerned in the leak is an entirely different
question. The officials interested in the
inquiry express considerable annoyance
that ex.Statistician Hyde has taken this
particular time for vacation in Europe
He has answered some questions before
the grand jury but his further testimony
was wanted. His confidential stenog-
rapher. Mrs. Burch, has resigned and her
resignation has been accepted. 1t is
stated that the affairs of the Bureau of
Statistics are in a complete state of de-
moralization and that other designations
are expected.
~
Interest was added to the Agricultural
Department tangle today by the resig-
nation of DIR. Geo. T. Moore, formerly Of
the Bureau of Soils. DR.. Moore was the
originator of the process of nitro enrich
ment of soils and in addition to formu-
lating a compound which the Department
patented, wrote several pamphlets on the
subject which were distributed to farmers.
Meantime a company was formed in
West Chester, Pa, to manufacture the
sort of compound that the Doctor had
recommended and he was offered block
of stock to come with them. While me-
gotitations were pending to raise his SAL
AIRY in the Department, the stock was
made out to his wife though the Doctor
S>ont;ni,sd to WORK for the Department