The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1905-09-15
WASHINGTON LETTER.

are that among the questions that will
come up for serious consideration is that
of tariff revision whether the "leaders"
in the House and Senate wish it or not.
The talk of revision is in the air and it is
quite possible that the wishes of the
President in this regard will be forced on
Congress after the "standpatters" had
thought the subject more than half dead
and were making preparations for the
funeral. One thing that has given i'm
petus to the talk is the detection of the
Pittsburg Gazette, an old and tried Penn
sylvania republican. organ. The paper
in question is felt to represent large
and growing sentiment both east and
west and it is possible that the devotees
of high protective tariff would rather
see the question of revision brought up
under such men as Canon, Payne, Gros-
venor and Dalzell than to wait little
longer and have the question broached in
the camp of the enemy. So Roosevelt
luck" may favor the President as usual
and the matter that is very near his
heart may stand chance of accomplish
ment. If it is considered at all by the
present House and Senate. the result
probably will not be fully satisfactory to
the country at large. But the discussion
in the present Congress is likely to be an
opening wedge for more effective action
IN the future.
4*x
In the same connection, the return of
the Taft party from China and the Philip
pines is awaited here with, great interest.
Nearly all the members of the party ex-
pressed themselves satisfied while in the
islands that closer and more generous
trade relations with the United States
were desirable and the Filipinos were
certainly led to believe that something
would be done in this direction when the
party returned to the United States.
When they get back it is an even chance
that some at least of the party will either
discover that they were misquoted as to
their views on Philippine trade or they
will lay their temporary alteration to a
change of air. 1t is not likely that the
islands raising as they do great crop,
of tobacco and sugar will be given any
better show than they now have at the
United States markets, if the tobacco
trust and the sugar trust can prevent it.
The mere fact that such action would be
highly beneficial to the whole people of
the United States as we'll as to the island
ers will of course not figure in the dis
cussion. Local and selfish interests pre-
vent a broad consideration of many
questions.
x*x
There has in fact been a strong prop
uganda abroad in favor of disposing of
the islands altogether. The idea OF hav-
ing two years tour of duty in the Phil
ippines is not pleasant to a great many
army officers and such as do not see any
benefit to their health in this direction
would like to have the United States dis
pose. of the Philippines in any way it
can. 1t has been suggested that Japan
would be ready purchaser and that the
jFilipinos would prefer japanese rule to
that of the United States OF course
there is some question as to where the
money would come from in Japan's pres
ent financial condition. 1t is possible
that she might be willing to hypothecate
her camphor monopoly in Formosa as
that is about the only unpledged asset
she has left. But the cry just now for
perhaps a small but certainly noisy
faction, is to dispose of the islands in
some way on the score that they are not
worth keeping and will be an expense to
the United States for many years to
come.
Nv
The mystery of the past few days at
the State Department has been the conn.,
ing mission to Europe with which Judge
Pen6eld was charged by the President
This has been exploited as a secret
mission" and considerable mystery made
of it. The whole matter has now been
disposed of by the President who ex-
plains that Judge Penfeld's mission is
not to Europe but to South America,
though possibly his work may take him
to Europe eventually for short time.
He is to help the special agents who are
now in the South American fields to
study the trade relations of the southern
republics as they have bearing on Euro
pean exports. This is large question
and one in which the merchants of this
country should be and probably at some
future date will be much interested.
The reports that have been already re-
ceived at the State Department from the
special agents and the consuls in South
America indicate as in fact nearly all
our foreign trade reports indicate that