The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-12-01
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Cen
eral Topics from
the Capital.

NiHl~ ~ trA u -ErElU4- ulE- SION
20 Brazil. has caused an immeu=e
amount Of speculation amOug
those in Washington not Oh the
inside. And 10 this case there
are very few Who are Oh the inside.
The cOnceu-us Of opinion seems 70
~ that liz vas sent 10 Soath
America for q more serious rec
rea,i0D that the inspection Of con
sglateS. which Is one Of the stand
Ing Jokes Of the departments. and
1t j. ramoFed tnst bis real mission
Eas 70 look into the extent Of
German colonization in Brazil aud
see what effect II auy il was like
~ 70 have on the Monroe Doctrine.
Now this # il was a fact. displays
rather apprehensive attitude on
the part Of the administration to-
ward German dolngs III South
America II i 10 secret that for
generation past Germany has
had cOyetOUs eye on South
America as possible site for
German cOiObies. She would like
10 plant them there if she could
aud failing that, she wants all
the Latin American trade she can
get which is after all only natural.
The administration could have
learned without going 10 the ex-
pen,e Of sending Judge PeBieid
10 Brazil that Germany has
already settled very large num-
Der Of her subjects there. that
they DO not take up the customs
Of the country aud are not absorb
ed as they are 10 the United
States. Also they have the bula
Of the foreign trade there. with
England. France and the United
States coming a good way after.
Of course if Germany ever feels
that she is strong enough, she
may try 10 ignore the doctrine
which SAYS the whole American
continent is for Americans. Any
nation will 60 just so far as she
dares in trenchlng on anOther's
rights if il suits her convenience.
International law is not an exact
science yet and there is little con
science III lnteruatiOal dealings.
The Navy Department since lOug
before Admiral Dewey's brush
with the German Admiral at Ma
nIlla has had plan Of sea cam
paign against Germany all plotted
out and there are great many
officers who would like TO try it in
operation just to see how it would
work. But it will in all prOba-
bility be a very long time before
there is even the possibility Of an
armed clash between the two
countries aud Judge Penfeld's re-
port to the State Department
while it doubtless will be inter
esting is not likely to be OF much
Importance.
There is excellent news for the
manuiactur ers concerned in the
announcement Of Secretary Shaw
that he at least will not jeOpardize
the business interests Of the cOun-
try by recommending any finan-
cial legislation in his coming mes
sage. He has been "seenD by
several important business dele
cations recently and assured them
that the condition Of the country
was perfectly satisfactory from
financial stand point and that so
far as his advice went the Presi.
dent would not incorporate any
financial recommendations in his
coming message. The Secretary
contented himself with general
ties and did not say what the
figures would be, but intimated
thar the financial showing would
be a good deal better than last
year. 1t could be that without
being very much.
There will be another factor
that will have to be reckoned with
however, aud that is the expendi-
lures Of the Panama Canal Com
mission that will have to be met
out Of the treasury till a bill is
passed authorizing the issue of
bonds. The Spooner Act author
lied the issue Of bonds it is true
but there will have to be addi-
tional legislation before they will
be available as the basis of
national bank circulation and un
less they are made so available
it will be hopeless for the govern
ment to dispose of them even at
par.
From one Of the lessons learned
in modern warfare and emphasiz
ed in the late Russo japanese war,
Gen. CrOzier, Chief Ordinance
Officer, has ordered entrenchment
tools for the use of the enlisted
men in the United States Army.
According to this order the entire
army and part of the organized
State militia will be supplied, and
every soldier will have a small
steel shovel to carry with his other
equipment. 1t will add something
to the weight of his luggage but