The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-10-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.

The Presidents return had its usual
effect of producing great amount OF
news in the national capital and the busy
correspondents have had all they could
do in putting the facts into readable form
and getting the news onto the wires,
while the telegraph companies have been
almost swamped. The President re.
NAMED in Washington altogether four
days, but during that time worked with
his usual vigor.
*x*
Almost the first act of the Executive on
his return was to summon the Attorney
General and review with him the Okla
homa constitution. Then he announced
that when the proper time came he
would formally announce his approval of
that instrument which is the last act
necessary to the creation of the new
State. Personally, Mr.. Roosevelt thor
oughly disapproved of the constitution
and he has made it plain to his friends
that he entirely sympathizes with the
views of Secretary Taft on the subject,
but after looking into the enabling act he
found that Congress conferred on him
discretion to ascertain only (1) that the
constitution submitted had been adopted
by majority of the people of the pro.
posed State; (2) that it would insure to
the people a government republican in
form; 81 that the constitution conformed
to the provisions of the enabling Tor
statehood act. A careful examination OF
the instrument has satisfied the President
that these conditions are complied with
and as result Oaklahoma will send five
Representatives and two Senators to
Washington in time for the converting of
Congress. A new star will be added to
every national flag used officially, and on
July a, next, the national salute as fred
at every military post and on every
naval vessel will consist of forty.six
instead of forty.6ve guns, as heretofore.
*xx
Having disposed of the Oklahoma
problem, the President sent for the Sec
rotary of the Navy and took up with him
the question of employing American
vessels to transport the coal which will be
needed by the feet on its cruise to the
Pacific. A total of $4,000 tons are
needed, of which $4,000 will be trans.
ferred to the battleship aud cruiser bunk.
ers en- route or in South American ports,
and 4o, 900 dumped on the docks at San
Francisco. The latter sum the American
vessel owners claim the right to carry
under the coastwise laws which forbid the
of foreign vessels for the
transportation of passengers or freight
from one American port to another. The
President does not believe that the law
applies to supplies for the army or the
navy and maintains that unless the
American shipowners make reasonable
prices he is warranted in employing
foreigners. He does not, however, re-
gard an excess of, say, 5000, 900 on the
40 900 tons as excessive and the present
indications are that if the Americans will
get together and insure the government
against an excess cost of more than
$500, 900, or total of $3.50, 900 for the
&c, 900 tons, they will get the business.
~
In between times, the President has
found time to entertain small party of
including the Republican
national committeeman from New York
and the national committeeman from
the Episcopal Bishop of
London who stayed at the White House
over night, and to receive and chat with
forty newspaper correspondents, your
own correspondent among the number,
all eager for news. The President ap-
peared to be in the best of health and
spirits and as enthusiastic as boy about
his prospective hunting trip, but he was
more reticent than usual with regard to
news, although he told an excellent story
the achievements of his young
est son, Quentin, and several members of
Congress to whom Quentin exhibited
his collection of pet snakes, including
three of the garter variety and one large
king snake. From the Presidents &C.
count the Congressman, who included
Hepburn and Major
Lacy, ex-member from Iowa, were some
what taken aback and were disposed to |
climb on the cabinet table when they
found that Quentiu's pets were real live
snakes and not rubber limitations, but the |
little boy Gained their fear and they at
least gave fine imitation of bravery
after the first few minutes.
~
incidentally, the President has made
L clear to all his callers that the naval