Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-12-26
TAFT RETURNS,
CUES III WORK
TOO BUSY WITH OFFICIAL LA
BORS TO TALK POLITICS.
BRINGS PEACE ASSURANCE
Says He Knows the Japs Are Not
Counting on Making War Upon
United States-Praises the Gar
as a Well Informed and Inte'li-
gent Man.

New York, Dec 21.-Secretary Taft
returned yesterday from his trip
around the world, bringing renewed
assurance of Japan's fr.endliness to-
ward the United States, but declining
to say anything with respect to the
political situation in this country. He
said that he had been too long out
of intimate touch with political af-
fairs at home to discuss them in
any way Speaking Of Japan, Taft
sad:
ct is the height of fooltshness to
talk Of possible war with Japan.
Japan does not desire war with us
and we certainly do not desire war
with Japan If there was any war
spirit anywhere in Japan. l failed to
find the slightest note of it. Every
where there was talk of continued
peace. I speak very confidently
about this. Our trade relations witt
Japan are extensive and constantly
growing. Japan's exports amount
annually to about $16O,0OOO00, of
which we take about one-third. This
sort of trade is great pacificator.'
"What about the Pacific fleet?"
''The sailing must have been a
magnificent sight We have fine
ships and a fine personnel and Us
long as the Pacific belongs to us as
much as anybody else l see no rea-
son why we should not send our
ships there on a practice cruise. The
Japanese are too intelligent and high
minded to attribute any false motive
to the movement.
my trip had as it's only definite
object, the report on conditions in
the Philippines. My visit to Japan
was only incidental. Travelling by
commercial steamer, we had to stop
there and it was only courtesy Tor
me to pay my respects to the emper-
or. The trip through Russia was
made partly to save time and partly
because l had crossed the Pacific
six times and was rather anxious to
see the new territory. My visit
WAS in no sense official. So many
courtesies were shown me from the
moment | put my foot On Russian
soil that I could not have refused,
vitation to an audience of the Rus.
sion emperor. was much i'm
pressed by the emperor's personality
and his entire familiarity with cur
rent affairs, especially Amer can poll
tics.
81 was much pleased with condi-
lions in the Philippines They were
much better than I had hoped for.
The initial proceedings Of the first
Philippine assembly and it's tendency
to conservatism, despite the sup
posed radical majority, were moss
gratifying"
Taft left for Washington on an
early afternoon train, saying that &C,
cumuIated matters in the war depart,
ment would keep his nose to the Off
cial grindstone for some time to
come, and that tne preparation OF
his special report on the Philip
pines. which would be in book FORM
would also require much Of his time
in the near future.
Back in Washington.
Washington, Dec. 21.-Secretary
Taft arrived in Washington last even.
ing at CPS. At the station to meet
the secretary were a number of Off
Gals of the war department who
gave him a hearty welcome.
Against Filipino Freedom.
Washington, Dec. 21.-Taft met the
newspapermen by appointment at his
residence last night, after which he
called at 10 o'clock at the white
house to discusss with the president
his trip abroad.
On the subject Of the Philippines
the secretary said to the newspaper
men that it would not be advisable to
grant the filipinos independence foI
at least a generation yet. 4 have
been very much encouraged" said
the secretary, las to what We are
accomplishing in the way of training
the filipinos. l think that today there
is more cooperation between the
American government and the flipi
nos in working for the benefit Of the
islands in the matter of education and