Middletown transcript., 1907-06-22
WASHINGTON LETTER

SAITTH the President outoftown and tht
" number Of political visitors oonse
quently and increasingly diminishing
there is a dearth of political talk for the
time being at least. The announcement
received this week that Secretary Taft
bad been taken suddenly and seriously III
at &C. Paul on bis western trip, created
uneasiness at the War Department.
There is intense interest taken there very
naturally in the Secretary as presiden.
tial possibility and the news Of his col.
lapse in ST. Paul was great shock, es-
| pecialIy as during the whole of his term
both in Washington and the Philippines,
he has shown the most rugged constitu.
| tion and was the last man IN the Depart.
Ement who was expected to give way ply.
sically. The latest news is that accounts
of his illness have been exaggerated.
The Brownsville inquiry has been drag.
ging along at the Capital and il cannot
be said that there is much more light on
the mysterious events OF last August than
there was when the inquiry first opened.
There has been a cloud of witnesses on
both sides and they have fatty contra
dicted each other, even the army officers
being divided as to the guilt or innocence
of the men, though there was more unani-
nifty of opinion among the civilian wit
nesses that the soldiers Of the 18th were
guilty of shooting up the town. One Of
the most entertaining witnesses OF the
whole hearing was on this week. He
was General Andrew s. Burt, retired, who
had been for ten years colonel of the
25th. He came principally to testify to
the general good character OF the soldiers
as he had known them and to say that
Mingo Sanders in particular was in his
opinion entirely innocent both in know
ledge and deed. Only those who are
familiar With the negro in his confidential
relations with his white officers in whom
he really trusts can know just what sort
of weight must be given to Mingo's pri-
vate assurance to bis old Colonel that he
knew absolutely nothing about the whole
affair. General Burt is Andrew S. on
the army register, but he is known all
over the country and especially in the
west as "Andy" and the bulk of his ac-
quaintances probably would hardly know
him by his longer and more dignifed
name. He has always been great ad-
yocate OF athletics among the soldiers and
organized the first regular army baseball
team. He used to play on it too when
occasion arose and one of the stories con.
corning him was when he was the Colonel
of the 25th and helped to I'll gap on
the enlisted mems team. He batted With
the best of them and when he was COM
ing home as fast as bis short legs could
carry him for the winning run Of the
game, an old negro sergeant coaching
from the side lines jumped up and down
and yelled 10 clarion tones, "Run, Andy,
run, Come on you Blankety blank blank
boWlegged son of a gun, Runln And
Andy" did run and won out on phe-
Monumental slide for home. He got up
and brushed the dirt off his ball clothes
and then said quietly to the sargeant. IT
can scarcely blame you Sergeant for your
remarks in the excitement of the game.
But kindly remember not to let them oc.
cur elsewhere. That was all the notice
he ever took of the incident and made
no reference to it officially. And the en-
listed men thought all the more of him
for il. He never had the least trouble
with the unruly 25th and it is only nat.
ural he should speak good word for
them.
The Treasury Department has just let
the contract:to the Newport News Ship
Building company for the first derilicit
destroyer that has ever been owned by
this government. It is expected that she
will be completed in about year. She
will be stauch, ocean going craft, armed
with light guns and with gun platforms
built into her so that she can be con-
yerted at need into cruiser scout. She
will carry a regular crew Of course, but in
addition she will have number Of skilled
engineers on her payroll. Her fighting
equipment will be dynamite and her mis-.
sion will be to hunt out the derilicts re-
ported by the photographic Office and
blow them up. These floating menaces
to commerce are being continually re-
ported in the great lanes of ocean travel
and heretofore the only thing that vessels
could do was to avoid them Now when
they are reported by incoming steamers,
they will be hunted down and wiped out
to the great joy Of mariners.
The japanese pot is still simmering,
but there has little new developed in the
past week. Ambassador Aoki was at
the State Department this week and
showed Secretary Root copy Of the pri.
vate treaty between Japan and France
merely for the secretary's information.
The Ambassador was less communicative
than usual over the international situa-
ton, which usually indicates that be is
worried. But this government does not
seem to be taking the matter very seri-
ousIy, for on the heels Of his visit, an
order was given to ship 6, 900 tons of coal
to the United States naval depot al Yoka-
hama, There 10 always a big supply Of |
fuel kept there for the benefit OF vessels
on the Asiatic station to relieve them Of
the necessity Of going to Manila to fiji |
their hunkers. The supply ID being kept
up as usual, which Il would not be we're
there the remosest probability Of trouble. |
The Department Of Justice win insti-
tnte suit ina few days against The 90
called Powder Trust. Il is said that this |
is one Of the most powerful and effective |
Of all the trusts and the place wI,ere The |
shoe pinches the government particularly
is that the Trust has suppressed al! but |
II