Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1905-09-30
TAFT FROM ORIENT
Secretary of War interviewed
at San Francisco.
DESCRIBES TOUR IN FAR EAST,
Great Receptions mt Tokyo and Ma
niIa--Pbiiippines Not Ready For
Independence-Chin Boy
colt Fading Away.

$3.50 = Ae<h~fN~'fyNCy t2'RNs ~ - a hN
Pacific Mail Steamship company's liner
Korea, Captain Feeder, with Secretary
Taft and party on board, arrived from
the orient, beating the transpacific rec.
ord by several hours.
In an interview Secretary Taft said:
Reports coming from the Philippine
Islands seemed 10 indicate that ii
would be vile for the head of the war
department to make q visit of inspec.
ton to the islands during the past
summer, and his going with suffi.
cient staff was thought to present a
good opportunity to form a party OF
congressman, senators and representa-
tives to visit the islands as guests of
the Philippine government.
The Philippine government was
poor and was unable to do more than
arrangasfor the passage money Of the
congressman who would form part OF
the party. This did not include the
sleeping ear accommodations or the
meals along the way and indeed left
the congressman to defray from their
own pockets by far the larger part of
the actual travelling expenses.
THE party as organized consisted of
twenty-three representatives and seven
senators. OF these thirteen were ac-
companied by their wives. In addition
Miss Alice Roosevelt and her friends,
Miss Boardman and Miss Mcmillan,
were of the party, and then a number
of other persons, pleasant associates,
joined the party, numbering about
eighty more.
I'VE set sail from San Francisco on
the Sth day of July on the Pacific Mail
steamer Manchuria. We reached Hon
olulu on the 18th and spent there only
the hours between sunrise and sunset
of that day, when we sailed again for
Yokohama.
I'VE arrived in Yokohama on the
oath and We're surprised by the elab-
crate reception which had been prepar-
ed for us by the emperor. his cabinet
ministers, the governors of the prov
inces, the mayors of the towns and
the japanese people. For five days we
and nothing could have exceeded the
kindness and enthusiastic manifesto
tons of the people which were shown
to us. 1t was chiefly due to the pres
ence of the daughter of the president,
to whom the people wished to show
their gratitude for his efforts for peace.
We We're housed i'll Tokyo, and the
nh Of no 1H; al
in number, lunchcd with the emperor
and empress after each member had
had a personal audience with them.
The premier Count Katsura, gave the
whole party a banquet at the Hotel
Imperial, and the minister of war gave
a garden party at the arsenal gardens,
: which added much variety of interest.
In leaving Tokyo we We're given a
popular farewell such as had never
been seen in Tokyo before.
Most elaborate preparations had
been made for our reception in Manila.
but we arrived one day ahead of time
Accordingly all of the reception eX-
cept the hotlla of boats which met us
in the harbor, was postponed, when we
were given an opportunity TO see in the
procession the progress which has been
made in civil government and in the
business of the islands The process
sion was certainly most instructive
and worthy the character of the mu-
nicipal organization of Manila The
choice of the school organization and
the fire department of Manila showed
that their city was now, under Ameri-
can management, an excellent up to
date city.
The political situation in some re
spects was not as good as it ought to
be. A wave of ladr0nism has swept
over the province Of Cavite, and it has
been found necessary TO suspend the
writ of habeas corpus in the province
of Cayite ana Batangas. the neighbor-
ing province The same was true Of
Samar, but the use of troops in Samar
and the use of the scouts and con
stabulary in Cayite has put an end to
the business.
Some of the younger men of educa-
ton have been advocating immediate
independence 1t therefore becomes
necessary to state with considerable
emphasis the policy of the adminstra-
ton on this subject and to say that in
the opinion Of the administration there
was no possible hope for independence
short Of generation because the peo-
| pie could not be fitted for self govern
ment in that time. Indeed, ii will prob
ably take a much longer period
with reference to the, boycott in
Canton ana China l am not sufficient
ly advised TO speak with great authori-
| ty My impression is that it viii fade
| out because Of the necessity that the
Chinese merchants are under of pat
ronizing American manufactures"
Guam Wcli Satisfied