Middletown transcript., 1905-06-24
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER

UUk WASflHNulUN LEI IEk
WASHINGTON has been chosen as the
meeting place of the Russian and
Japanese plenipotentiaries and if, as the
President confidently believes they will,
they negotiate convention providing for
lasting peace in the far East it will be
known as the treaty of Washington
taking its place in history with those
important international conventions
known as ''the Treaty of Ghent," the
Treaty of Berlin, the 'Treaty of Paris, :"
and many others.
~
The selection of Washington as the
meeting place OF the commissioners of the
belligerents was the natural outcome of
the differences which had developed be-
tween the two nations. Japan stead
fastly declined to send representatives to
any meeting place in Europe, other than
London, fearing that they would be more
or less influenced by the hostile senti-
ment with which they would be sur
rounded in Paris, Geneva and perhaps
even at the Hague. Russia was, on the
other hand, entirely opposed to meet
ing in Asia and the United States seemed
the natural ground of compromise, being
too more nearly half way between the
two nations than any other country sug-
gested. President Roosevelt, although
he had personally favored the Hague,
was not loath to have the conference
held here for it must emphasize the
diplomatic importance of the capital of
''the new world"
~
1t is authoritatively stated that if the
climate in Washington proves too warm
for the comfort of the plenipotentaries
every facility will be afforded them to
meet elsewhere for time. That is, they
may meet and organize in Washington,
then adjourn to some northern summer
resort and return to the national capital
for their closing sessions. Ii the COM
missioners determine to adjourn to some
cooler point, the President will place at
their disposal two small naval vessels,
presumably the Sylph and the Dolphin.
He will himself return from Oyster Bay
to welcome them to America but expects
to remain but short time, after which
he will again retire to his summer home.
~
With the question of place of meet
ing disposed of the President and the
diplomatic representatives of the belliger-
ents have now turned their attention to
the question of the date for convening
the conference and an announcement on
this subject may be looked for daily. 1t
is recalled than when commissioners from
the United States and Spain met in Paris
it required from October 1st to December
10th to complete their work, although
the problems which confronted them
were simple by comparison with these
which will confront the Russian and jap
anese diplomats.
~
The President has taken step which |
does not meet with the entire approval |
of some members of his cabinet but |
which is likely to be commended by the
public at large. He has created COM
mittee, consisting of his most trusted
friends in the government service and
placed Charles H. Keep, Assistant Secre-
tary of the Treasury, at its head. To
this committee he has confded the duty
of making a thorough investigation of
the business methods of every executive |.
department in Washington with two
purposes in view, first to ascertain if lax
methods of handling finances exist and if
70 to make recommendations for their
second, to discover, if possible,
what, if any, methods can be adopted to
contribute to economical administration.
Such overhauling of their affairs is not
welcomed by the heads of the
various departments, but the President
believes that the Post Office scandal,
which grew ont OF lax methods in the
Post Office Department, the recent de-
alcation in the Smithsonian Institute, the
ecent manifest mal-administration in
he General Land Office, setc., amply
warrant a thorough probing of all execu-
i've methods with special view to pre-
rent further misappropriations of the
funds, lands and privileges
~
In the direction of economy the in ]
estigators are certain to find them
elves confronted by numerous instances
Ihere material economy of administra |
ion would be effected could Congress be ,
Induced to adopt rational and business
Ike methods in place of the irrational, | i
xcept from "Spoils' standpoint now
n vogue. For instance, under the exist
ng statutes each executive department is
ompelled to compile, at great expenseI
Or compilation and printing. complete I
tatement of every item expended I
throughout the year. Nor is this all, for
nembers of Congress, fearful that one /
,il secure something that the other does r
ot, insists that several hundred copies Q
f these be printed for each and every i
enator and Representative. Of course
hey are Of no possible use to the men, $
ers of Congress except to make some a
hing to frank to their constituents as an 2
yidence that the beloved constituent is
OF forgotten. The reports are of no use :,
, the constituents either except, possibly
: shaving paper or to light their fires.
*x*
As matter of fact there is no good v
eason why tliese elaborate and detailed d
ompilations of innumerable petty ex- Il
and;turos shouId he eomDiied at all !,