Evening star., 1905-10-11
BACK FROM EUROPE
Mr.. Boutell Tells of His OBJ
servations Abroad.
THE SWISS RAILWAYS
REASON FOR ESTABLISHMENT
OF GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP.
No Condition Found Justifying an
Amendment of Our Tariff-Foreign
Esteem of American Statesmen.

Representative Bouteu of Illinois, who
will be a member OF the ways and means
committee in the next House, and is re-
garded as one of the leading economists of
| Congress. was in town today. having Just
returned from Europe. While his foreign
| trip was taken mainly for recreation for
himself and family. Mr.. BoutelI looked into
economic affairs In several countries
II was very much interested" he said
today. ''in the government-owned railroads
of Switzerland. 1t does not take one long
to discover that the situation which
brought about government ownership in
Switzerland is entirely different from the
condition which prevails in this country
Switzerland took over her railroads because
they were owned by foreign capitalists and
were very profitable. Fifty per cent of the
receipts of the roads came from short haul
passenger traffic.
Political "Pullr Not Exerted.
Here our complaint against the railroads
arises from discrimination in freight rates
There was no such cry over there. 1 asked
the director OF the roads If political infiu-
ence was exerted for the appointment OF
employees, and he was amazed at the very
suggestion. He said no one would dream
of proposing the appointment Of an en-
line of his duties.
But the entire mental attitude of Euro
poan peoples toward the government is diff.
ferent from that of our folks The Euro
peans look upon government in the parental
sense, an institution that somehow or
other is to take care of them. Our people
are filled with the independent spirit, and
don't ask any odds of the government in
that sense"
Condition of Foreign Trade.
Did you find any condition of foreign
trade that seemed to warrant the United
States amending its tariff" Mr.. Bouuell
was asked.
Il did not he replied. I'VE are not
called upon to touch our tariff in order to
meet any exigency of foreign trade, in my
opinion. think the danger has been exag-
gerated in respect to the German tariff.
The bulk of our exports are articles that
Germany is compelled to buy from us.
German tariff interiors with the agrarian
interests in Germany by raising prices 1T
will have to be modified. Already there are
murmurings from that quarter, and it is
well known that. after all. the agrarian
class in Germany is still paramount in In
fuence.
Esteem of Americans.
Il found throughout Europe the opinion
to prevail that Theodore Roosevelt and
John Hay were the two greatest statesmen
of the generation in all the world. There is
no question of the admiration and respect
of the Europeans for President Roosevelt.
John Hay gave them cause for apprecia.
ton of American diplomacy which they did
not entertain before.
II am glad to get back, and I want to
say that the one spot in all of the world
l have seen which most appeals to me IS
this Mall-in Washington-that beautiful
expanse between the Congressional Library
and the river, with the white columns Of
Arlington on the hill beyond. I did not find
anything in my travels which surpassed 1t
in beauty"