The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1906-04-05
OUR WASHINGTON
NEWS AND NOTES
ITEMS OF INTEREST BRIETL.
CHRONIOLED.
TO SELL The PHILIPPINES

Disposing Of This Territory Before
the End Of His Present Term Of
Office.
Although Secretary Taft, Of the
War Department, saw fit recently to
deny the report that Japan had made
certain overtures to the United States
for the acquisition Of the Philippines,
corroborative 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
Japan as the first American Ambassa-
dor to that country, he will be en-
powered by this Government to enter
upon further consideration Of that
proposition. In fact, it is said on
what ought to be unimpeachable au-
thority, that the selection Of Cover
nor Wright to represent the Roose-
welt Administration at the Japanese
Emperor's Court, was clearly caused
by this situation. President Roose-
velt, according to report, desires to
dispose Of the Philippine problem be-
fore the end of his present term in
the White House. He is represented
as being convinced that our ownership
Of the islands as possessions, not
parts' Of the United Estates, is not ac-
:eptable to the American people, and
will eventually mean much larger ex-
penditure on the part of our home
Government than have been made
sven thus far.
Secretary Taft discussed with the
Senate Committee on Military Affairs
5he recommendation Of the President
regarding the distribution Of Army
officers among the Army posts. He
:riticised the present system, saying
that it is deficient 10 &AaA it does not
afford od6ceSs an opportunity for ex-
srcising command over the large
forces. He attributed The system to
he fact that IN the Garner days many
posts we're desirable On the frontier,
md said it IS difficult to discontinue
system once established. Yet, he
Iaid, there IS tendency toward an
improvement, as seen IN the establish
nent Of regimental posts IN this coun-
ny and Of brigade posts in the Phil
ppines, Fort Riley, Learenworth,
Russell and Sam Houston in this coun,
ry can, he said, be easily transferred
nto brigade posts. It is not the pur-
pose to do away with the small posts,
laid the Secretary nor would it be
necessary to do so. He said that for
100000 he could buy $1,000 acres of
and near Fort Sam Houston, and he
thought this investment preferable to
further improvement at Fort Clarke,
llso in Texas, and said the money
ould be taken from appropriations
llready made for military posts.
The New Orleans Mint was saved
n the House after hard fight during
The debate on the legislative, exeeu-
i've and judicial appropriation bill.
The sub-treasury was knocked out on
! point of order, and the mint would
lave met the same fate, had it not
been for the passage Of a special rule
brought in by the House Rules Com
nittee, which put a stop to the rails
ing Of points of order against the pro-
visions in the bill and saved the mint
md the subtreasnry. The Democrats
roted against this rule, with the ex-
,eption of the Lauisiana delegation,
I'll seven of whom with the Republi-
sans. This move was decided upon
after hurried caucus Of the Louisi-
anians, and was made with double
purpose. In the FIRST place the mint
stood in danger of being knocked out
Il the rule did not pass, and in the
second place the Louisianians are SOL
ID in favor of special rule for the
Williams quarantine bill. OF course,
they wanted to save S6e mint. AS to
che other reason, they argued that if
they fought this rule they would not
be in q position to urge similar rule
Tor the quarantine bill. Consequent
" they stood up and voted for the in
terests of Louisiana against the rest
Of the Democrats When the rule was
adopted and the consideration Of the
bill continued under it, the attack on
the Denver and New Orleans minis
began. Representative Southland, of
Ohio, chairman Of the Committee on
Coinage, Weights and Measures, let
the fight on the Denver Mint 90 over
his head. Denver was left in the bill,
Southland moved to strike out the New
Orleans Mint. He argued that the
Director Of the Mint had several times
reported against New Orleans and
Paderewsd and Nelba