The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1905-12-08
WASHINGTON LETTER.

,,,fting a hill which IL expected to
\, IN. basis uf rate legislation AZ
This session Of Congress. The bill,
i, is stated will meet with the ap-
nroyal OF the President and Its details
have been given out by the commit
TOO The President has not vet said
,ha. the bill meets with his approval,
and till he does 1t Is tolerably safe to
,e,ard the bill as the work of the
senate committee without reference
IN IN, White House. The bill Is not
the Esch Townsend bill, but it en-
hodies some OF it's features and seems
10 be about the compromise measure
that The Senate would be ready to
negotiate on. The main point of
the bill is that it gives the Inter
state Commerce Committee power to
fix rates with penalty clause at
,ached of So, 900 day for every day
after the end Of one month that the
railroads delay IN complying with the
ruling of the commission. This is a
very important concession. 1t is a
step in the right direction. The talk
in political circles now is not wheth-
er or not there shall be rate legisla-
ton at this session bnt what Is the
most important work to take up af-
ter the rate legislation Is out OF the
way.
The next Minister to Cuba, Mr..
Edwin v. Morgan, will not 20 to
very easy post, but he will get out of
4 lot of trouble 10 Korea. That
country is protesting strongly against
the powers breaking of diplomatic
relations with her because the Jap
anese protectorate has made the pres
euce OF special diplomatic representa-
tIves there no longer necessary.
Minister Min Of Korea Is now on his
way to Washington TO make an ap-
peal to President Roosevelt, but 1t Is
believed that the journey will be
fruitless. This country was the lead
er 10 the peace negotiations between
Japan and Russia ard 1t was proper. y
the first to sever diplomatic relations
with Korea when that country was
taken over by Japan. This action on
the part OF Japan while it is quite
natural under the circumstances,
does not quite square with her declar-
alton that the war was not for pur-
poses OF territorial ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
1t is one Of those international com'
plications that all the powers were
obliged to agree to as lesser evil
than allowing the war to run on.
Everybody will be sorry for Korea In
Il way, but it Is likely that Minister
Min had just as well save the travel
ing expenses that his journey to
Washington will entail.
The announcement that Germany
had formally denounced the trade
agreement under which she has been
operating with the United States for
the past i've years, Is no surprise
This country had known Germany's
intention for about a year ana the
Senate had let the reciprocity treaties
presented to go by the board rather
than stir itself to tariff revision. Ine
German tariff treaty could have peet
denounced at any time Gu the giVihs
Of three months notice by eithel
party. But the present crisis ha'
been brought about by new treaI'e'
which Germany has negotiated VIII
Austria Hungary, Switzerland bei
GUM, Rounania, Italy. Russia ao'
Servia. They will all so into ehec
on the arst Of next March and unoe
them. the American treaty by "n'e'
we enjoyed the most favored hao'o'
treatment with Germany VIII ceas
to exist. The prospect is that Inet'
will be an era OF disastrous tarln Wa
between this country and Germany
We will be hurt severely but IL IS
question with experts whether
will suffer any more than GERMANY
as much. However, this country na'
ample warning of what was conn"
aod il Congress wants to inaugural
period OF tariff war, IL may "
more speedily enforce the lesSo' , quo
both President Mckinley ana ffee'
dent Roosevelt tried to incu'cate' .
fair reciprocal trade agreements ~
lesson may tie a costly one' out S''.
all it naay to worth the price oi ~
mission,