The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-22
Says Army and Navy Should Be Ready.
TROUBLE IN TIE ORIENT
United States Must Be Prepared
 For Any Eventuality.
Declares Minister Rockhiu Was Intudi- cious in Reminding China That United States Intended to Re-
 turn Boxer Indemnity. /


 Washington, Feb. 2i.--chairman Hull of the Military Affairs Committee. In presenting the Army Appropriation bill to the House today urged the necesst- ty of complete preparedness as to our army and navy for trouble in the Orient.
 He declared that any nation not pre- might as we'll haul down it's flag and quit the Pacific. Incidentally, MT. Hull pronounced Minister RockhiIl at Pekin guilty of indfscretion in indicating to China officials that the United States intended returning the 20,000 pounds sterling boxer indemnity paid. Statements of this kind, he sad, will be taken by the Chinese as an ipdication that the United States was afraid rath- CT than liberal.
 Mr. Hull secuted the idea that Japan was interested in stirring up trouble in China to injure the United States. Japan's interests in China, he said, were identical with those of the United Statse and preservation of peace there was the only manner In which they could be maintained.
 Several Subjects Discussed.
 Speeches on tarif, immigration and the Payne Customs Houses bill con- sumed the balance of the day. MT. Hopkins (Ky) uncovered many meth ods of inducing immigration to the Unt- ted States, much of which he declared to be decidedly undesirable. Mir. Shep- pard CTex.) urged tariff reform t9 ob- viate retaliatoPy tar1ff by other nations.
 MT Hull made an interesting digres- sion to the situation in China to ena- phasize his position that the army any navy should be kept in efficient condi- ton to meet all emergencies. He hoped no trouble would come, but there ex~ ists today conditions in the Orient that make It necessary for us to preserve our prestige, our power and our rights even to the extent of being ready to fight for them. in this connection Mir. Hull had read a newspaper despatch from Pekin which had been sent from the Orient and which he vouched for as entirely accurate" which gave an account Of an interview between Minister Rockhlii and Mir. Ma Tung, president of the Wa Wu Pu Mir Hull said that according tc this dispatch Mir. Rockhtll reminded the Chinese officials that the United States intended to return the 20.0O0,000 pounds sterling which the despatch says wal the United States part of the Boxer indemnity. Mir. Hull characterised these utterances credited to MT. Rock hill as "injudicious.
 Bribe of 2O,OO0,0 900 Bounds.
 q do not believe that the representa- tayes of this government had proper conception of the character of the Chinese people" continued Mir. Hull .awhen he offered them a brihe of 20,. O00. .000 pounds or whatever the United States share of the Chinese indemnttS may have been, to be good. They are people that in my Judgment would take any such offer as that of an in' dication of our being rather more afraid of them than otherwise. And If seems to me that r1an occupying this position should have let whatever information was necessary come from fine government of the United States direct and not have given it to tht newspapers.
 Mir. Hull said he had been informed extensively of the Chinsse situation He read lengthy letter, whose author ship he declined to divulge which re- butted the idea that Japan was causing trouble in China Mir. Hull endorsed this view and also the proposition 1T inc letter that the Boxer indemnity ought to be used to build battleshipi for the United States than be returned to China.
 MT. Hull pointed out that it wal decidely to the interest of Japan tt preserve order in China in roder to re- fain her own market in that country MT. Hull reverting to the bill touched on the provision which would in thu future make 1t impossible to promot' oficers to higher grade for day anC then retire them. This had become aI abuse which ought to end, he said.