Middletown transcript., 1906-03-03
wAShNGTONLETTER

known only as clever, lawyer ant
who has since been Secretary of War anC
is now Secretary of State will withou
doubt take rank, in fact has already
taken rank, with Seward, Hay and Other
great diplOmatists aud chancellors. Not
a week passes but that his intelligent and
expert influence is felt in the great affairs
of this country. The adjustment of our
strained relations with Germany during
the last week is by no means the least OF
his accomplishments. 1t is true we
made in that negotiation an important
concession to German traders. We did
not vary the tariff, but We did arrange
for an apprisal of German goods at the
port OF departure, before the goods are
shipped. This to the mind of anyone
Who knows the importing business and
the ways of American appraisers, was
sheer decency, no more. But out OF this
concession, the State Department secured
an extension of the present trade agree
nlent with Germany for, sixteen months
and placed us on the same footing as the
European nations with whom Germany
bias negotiated new commercial treaties.
1t was Mr.. Roots first big piece of inter-
national diplomacy. To be sure he had
previously headed the Alaskan Boundary
Commission and secured the interpreta-
ton OF the old Russian treaty that came
near disrupting the British Empire. But
that was done by active work as an ad-
vocate. The present triumph was won
by sitting still. OF course Germany
might have elected in the extremity to
declare tariff war. Possibly Secretary
Root knew she would not. Anyhow, he
sat still and let the other man walk the
foor. Baron yon Sternburg came near
taking rooms at the State Department in
the last two weeks. He spent lot of
money in cable tolls to his home govern
ment. And to judge from the result, the
burden of these messages must have
been, Secretary of State says, nothing
doing" Anyone who knows Secretary
Roots placid exterior can imagine his
leaning back behind the broad desk
in his office and saying to the German
ambassador, "AwfuIly sorry, you know,
but you see yourself how Indifferent the.
Senate is. l am afraid there is nothing
to be done. Have another cigar" And
thus great diplomatic triumph achieved.
II the case had called for different treat
ments the Secretary probable would have
been there with the treatment. But the
result in all probability would have been
the same.
~
The Senate is having a lot OF trouble |
over the Philippine tariff bill. Mr.. |
Hathaway who was sent out to the
lslands to make case against the bill |
and notably succeeded, has been followed |
before the Senate committee that is hold |
ing the hearings by Mr.. George Bronson |
Ray who has also made study of sugar |
conditions on the ground and who as
sures the committee as did Governor
Wright, that there is no prospect OF the |
islands swamping this country with |
Philippine sugar. Mr.. Ray assured the
committee that there was neither the
land nor the labor available for any i'm
mense increase in the sugar output and
that before great crop of sugar could be
economically grown there would have to
be an influx of American capital and
American machinery such as was de-
cidedly unlikely till the islands we're at
least decade more advanced. He said
the bill as it had been framed was nec-
essary and iust concession to the com.
nercial necessities of the islands and
there was no harm to be apprehended
from it to the American beet sugar or cane
sugar industries.
~
Another move in the current crusade
to secure fair and equal treatment for all
shippers in the United States, is bill
just introduced by Mr.. Rhinock of Ken
lucky to declare the pipe lines common
carriers and subject them to the iurisdic-
tion of the Interstate Commerce Com.
mission. II this measure becomes law,
it ought to afford great deal of relief to
the oil shippers of the country who have
frequently declared that they are wholly
at the mercy of the pipe lines that trans
port their oil. As the case now stands,
there are many localities where the pipe !.
lines have not even the nominal compe-
tition of the railroads and where they
are able to buy or what is the same
thing, transport the crude oil at their
own price and demand their own price
for delivering it to the refneries. The
pipe lines have always held that they
were not common, carriers within the
meaning of the act, but tile Rhinock bill
purposes to make them so and il it sue
ceeds there will be chorus of rejoicing
from the oil shippers
~
David Ross, the purchasing. agent Of
tile Idilauld Odidl OOulIllleSIOu WIS De-
fore the Senate Canal Committee this
week aud frankly, told the committee
that the commission had bought rails in
this country for from $3.50 to 81. so a ton
less than the mills sold the came rails 10
American railroads. lie said the roads
were familiar with the state OF affairs
and were willing to see the export mar
ket lower for the sake of bringing su,i
ness to this c. ultry. He said the same
hing was true Of many other supplies
purchased For instance, locomotives
we're bought for less than the same COM
panies sold them for in the States. The
American railroads knew this too but
hey were willing tostand it.
A Bit Of Pure sentiment
Alice Browns s'Griet Deferred in the
March McCl,re's is delicious, bit OF
pure sentiment 1t is the story OF