The Hawaiian gazette., 1906-04-06
WRIGHT MAY
MAKE DEAL

WASHINGTON, March 26. - AL
| though Secretary Taft of the War De-
partment saw fit recently to deny
report that Japan had made certain
overtures to the United States for the
| acquisition of the Philippines, corrob-
orative evidence is at hand that the
Japanese Government has been de-
sirous of opening negotiations to that
end, and when former Governor
Wright of the Philippines goes to jas
pan as the first American ambassador
| to that country he will be empowered
| by this Government to enter upon FUR
| Their consideration of that proposition.
| In fact, it is said on what ought to be
| impeccable authority that the selection
| of Governor Wright to represent the
| Roosevelt administration at the Japa-
nese Emperor's Court was clearly
caused by this situation.
The visits of Banker Jacob II. Schifr
of New York and other American
| financiers may have some connection
with Japan's negotiations.
President Roosevelt according to re-
port, desires to dispose of the Phil
| ippines problem before the end of his
present term in the White House. He
| Is represented as being convinced that
| the ownership of the islands is not
acceptable to the American people and
will eventually mean much larger ex-
penditures than have been made thus
| far.
The President recognizes it is not
| the Moros and other tribes that are to
be feared in the future, but civilized
Filipinos, who, educated and armed,
will demand their independence. He is
| of the opinion, also, that the money
wasted in the islands in five years
would reclaim all the arid lands in the
| West and greatly add to the wealth
and general prosperity of the country.
| Americans recently returned from
| the Orient say there is no doubt that
Japan is extremely anxious to gain the
Philippines and has made representa-
lions to the United States that an
amicable agreement could be formu
lated, by the terms of which Japan
would become sponsor for the integ-
rty of the Philippines, with, perhaps,
| a joint protectorate eXerted by the
United States, Great Britain and ia
pan.
| Just what form negotiations should
| OF may ASSUME Is COuJtCluIdl anu
! these steps ii is understood. are to
be left in the hands of ambassador
| Wright
Observation-Disclosures
would have been docile enough. Rep
resentative Babcock, of Wisconsin, the
chief of Republican insurgents, has a
world of trouble in his own district ana
is trying to trim his political sails to
catch the popular breezes in that quar-
ter of the world. The opposition to the
Philippine tariff bill among beet sugar
| Republicans of the West comes from
| the fact that the fear of consequences
among those who elect them to the Ma
tional House is greater than fear of the
House leaders.
The fact that denomination period is
near at hand for many of these Repum-
lican statesmen in the House has also
made them especially shy this winter
of measures likely to be unpopular.
| The middle western states, like Ohio
| and Indiana, are already nominating
candidates and from now on till early
summer nominations for Congress will
come thick and fast in that section.
| East the nominations are generally
made much later, which gives members
more opportunity to explain their votes
and policies as members to their con-
stituents.
There is a great deal of uneasiness,
too, lest Congress still further muddle
the general situation before it adjourns.
The general trend of everything done
by the Republicans since they met here
last December has been to hurt their
| in sn,ninn This
has been added to of late by the atti-
tude of the President. the Speaker ana
others in authority towards the labor
men and towards their appeal for the
enforcement of the eight hour law.
The date generally set for the adj
iournment of Congress has been June l..
But that leaves only about two months
more to complete the work of necessary
legislation and, as things look now,
it will be impossible to get through by
that time, unless some important mat
ters lie greatly expedited. The rail
road rate debate is not proceeding as
smoothly as many have wished. A
week ago the leaders hoped it would be
out of the way by the middle of April.
The obstacles encountered in negotia-
tions during the past week have led
many to believe that the debate may
not end before the middle of June.
But that is not seriously expected.
Probably there will be favorable turn
again.
THE SHIP SUBSIDY.
The shipping subvention bill, which
is of a wide interest, extending TO peo-
pie all the way from Maine to Hawaii,
is probably showed under for this ses-
sion. Great pressure is being brought
to bear upon Speaker Cannon but he is
determined that the bill shall not be
pushed too fast, which means that it is
not likely TO be pushed fast enough to
get through before the session ends.