Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1907-08-18
BILL" TAFT
 OFF ON TRIP Secretary Leaves Washing ton for His Trip Around the World-Will Return Via Orient. TO VISIT IN TOKYO Will Launch His Presidential Boom at Columbus, Ohio, This Week-Going to Oklahoma After a Visit to St. LOuis-His Plans.
TO VISIT IN TOKYO

Washington, Aug. 17.-When Secre- tary Taft leaves Washington tomor- row evening for Columbus, O., where he will definitely launch his presiden-
 tlal boom on Monday, he will not again be seen in the capital until he
 has completed tour of the world. He has definitely decided to return
 from the Orient by way of the Trans Siberian railway across Siberia and
 Russia, a route which Mrs. Taft is anxious to take on the home trip. Practical politicians of Washington
 see in Secretary Taft's plans more
 than mere desire to "see the coun- try" in northern Asia. They insinu- ate that MT. Taft has not forgotten the joyous reception of William Jen- nlngs Bryan when he landed in New
 York from tour of the world, and that the fat secretary of war is pre- pairing for similar glorious demon stration in his favor when he arrives in New York in December.
 Certain it is that MT. Taft's friends and advisers have been quick to ap- preciate the beauties of such a re- ception, and the political managers of the Taft boom are already planning to take full advantage of all the latent possibilities of the situation.
 Political boomers have always rec ognized the value which attaches to foreign travel, and consider that their candidate already has the nomination in his pocket when he undertakes a world tour at the proper and logical time. Absence" reasons the polit- ical manager, makes the heart grow fonder," if attended by proper public ity tactics at home, so as to avoid
 proving the truth of that old saying Out of sight, out of mind" Such travel stimulates interest in a candi-
 date than stumping tours at home ] If the proper sort of press agents are
 secured to flake" cablegrams from the scenes of their candidates tri-
 umphs.
 It is stated that Secretary Taft will make brief visit to Tokio, where he
 is already known by reason of his
 trip to the Orient in 1905. During his
 stay in the Japanese capital at that
 time MT. Taft quietly accomplished
 much that assisted in bringing the Russo-Japanese peace negotiations to a successful issue. The problem of
 of bringing about an agreement be-
 tween the Washington and Tokio governments that will be satisfactory to both, in the matter of restriction of Japanese laborers from entering the United States, is now one of vi- tai importance, and it is the general belief in Washington that he secre- tary will tackle the question. If he , should be successful in his efforts the Taft boom would get a great deal of free advertising in the press of the country.
 As the secretarys mission to the Philippines is one of great import ance, both to the Philippines and to the people of this country, he will get liberal share of the limelight during his stay in the land of the little brown brother. His return in December, when President Roosevelt has recom- mended to congress the new policies which he hopes to see carried out by his successor in office, will find the time ripe for a general political ut terance by MT. Taft. With such a concatenation of fortuitous circum- stances in his favor, the adipose sec- retary, by the exercise of proper dis cretion, should find himself several laps ahead of the other ospirants by the time the newspaper cartoonists are prepared to give fitting welcome to the newborn year of 1908.
 The most important speech of the western tour of the secretary will be made Monday at Columbus, when MT. Taft will outline his policies for the