Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-12-21
Growing American Trade With
Orient Best Guarantee of
Continued Peace in the 0pin-
ion of War Secretary.
WANDERER REFUSES
TO DISCUSS POLITICS
Laughingly Declines Even to
Indicate His Preference in
the Matter of a Successor to
Roosevelt,


New York. Dec 20.--William IL.
Taft, secretary of war, returned to-
day from his trip around the world,
bringing renewed assurance of Japan's
friendliness toward the United States,
but declining to say anything with res
pect to the political situation in this
country. He said he had been too
long out of intimate touch with poll
tical affairs In the United states to
discuss them in any way. One of Mr..
Taft's lntervlewers had the temerity
to ask:
well. secretary tell us who is
your choice for president"
Amid general laughter, in which he
heartily Joined. the secretary replied:
Il guess | VIII have to leave that
to Inference"
Mr.. Taft left for Washington on an
early afternoon train, saying that ac-
cumulated matters in the war depart
ment would keep his nose to the Off
cial grindstone for SOME time to come
and that preparation of his special re-
port on the Philippines, which would
be in book form, would also require
nTuch of his tiast IN the near future
During his two hours stay in New
York, Mr.. Taft was aboard the army
tug General Joseph f. Johnston,
which had taken him from the liner
President Grant at quarantine. News
papermen who had gone down the bay
to meet the returning secretary
reached the steamers side after he
had been transferred and then fol-
lowed lively chase in an endeaVor
to overhaul the army boat with the
crested and four starred flag of the
secretary of war flying at the mast
head. The Johnston had been placed
at the disposal Of Henry w. Taft, The
secretary's brother. General Frede-
rick ID. Grant. commanding the de-
partment of the east. also went down
on the Johnston to pay his respects.
First the secretary was carried To
Jersey City to find out about trains
and there IT was announced that he
would receive the newspapermen AT
West Twenty y-third street. New YORK,
at a given hour. The small army OF
reporters gathered at the pier found
they were again a few minutes late.
on went the reporters again and the
secretary was finally overhauled just
as he was about to take the train for
Washington. He was most cordial in
manner and laughingly remarked that
he was sorry to have been lost so
long I'm the harbor and that he had
caused so much trouble
Lookingly exceedingly well Mr..
Taft said he had taken daily five mile
walks on the deck Of the Grant dur
ing the thirteen days from Hamburg.
II is the height OF foollshness to talk
of possible war with Japan declared
the secretary. Japan does not de-
sire war with us and we certainly do
not desire war with Japan. II there
was a war spirit anywhere in Japan
failed to find the slightest note OF
it, Everywhere there was talk of
continued peace. | speak very conf
IDENTITY about this. our trade relations
stantly growing. Japan's exports
amount annually to about $l5O.0O0,
of which We take about onc-third-
The exports consist largely of mat
tings lace goods. embrodirics ana
other fancy work In the production
of which many people are interested.
We In turn ship vast quantities OF
flour and oil and such commodities
to Japan. This sort Of trade Is a
great pacincator."
What about the Pacific neet?"
The sailing must have been mag
nificent sight We have fine ships
and a fine personnel and as long as
the Pacific ocean belongs To us as
much as to anybody else / see no Tea-
son why We should not send our ships
on a practice cruise. The Japanese
are too intelligent and high minded
to attribute any false motive To the
movement
MY trip had as its only object. a
report on general conditions In the
Philippines My trip 10 Japan Was
only incidental. Travelling by com
merciai steamer we had 90 stop
there and Il was only courtesy to pay
my respects To- the emperor. The trip
through Russia was made partly 10
save time and partly because J had
crossed the Pacific Fix times and Was
anxious to see the territory. The
Visl was in no sense official 50
many courtesies were shown me from
the moment ! put foot on Russian
soil that I could not refuse even had
1 desired 90 do 30. the Invitation tu an
audience Of the Russian emperor
was much impressed By the empc-
ror's personality and his entire famil-
iaritv with public Affairs. especially
American politics.
At Moscow ] mad the rather novel
experience of dining one evening with
an official who next DAY was made
the target of a bomb. This WAS Cow
ernor General eilmam- The
ride through siberia was most en-
Tightening and gave one very dif-
ferent idea OF that country from
suH.s - a. syawararfw conceived ~ be