Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-08-19
TAFT'S WORLD TOUR
Secretary Leaves Capital, Be-
 ginning Long Trip.
IS GOING TO THE PHILIPPINES.
First Stop Columbus, O., Where He Makes Important Political Speech. Will Return Early In
 December

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19.--On a pill grimage that will encircle the globe and in fulfllment of promise to the Filipinos to return to Manila to attend the opening of their first legislative as- sembly, Secretary of War William H. Taft left here on the first stage of the journey. W. W. Michler of MT. Taft's office and an attendant accompanied the secretary. Mrs. Taft and son Charles will join the secretary in the Yellowstone park for the remainder of the trip, and Fred W. Carpenter, secre- tary to MT. Taft, will join the party at Seattle.
 The first stop is Columbus, O., where Secretary Taft will deliver notable speech before the Buckeye Republican club.
 Secretary Taft smilingly acknowl- edged the greetings of those who were at the station to bid him goodby. Gen. eral Franklin Bell, chief of staff, and Chief Clerk Schofield of the war de- pertinent accompanied the secretary to the train.
 Mir. Taft said that he did not feel exactly as If he were going to make a trip around the world because he had so much to do The ocean part os. his trip would afford him practically the only opportunity for rest during the journey. He had nothing to say re- garding what he hoped to accomplish on his trip. Mir. Taft expects to re- turn early in December.
 Conversing with reporters before starting for the train the secretary said that he would discuss the tariff, the trusts and the railroads in his speech in Columbus. He denied that he was embarrassed" by the fact that while being his own candidate for president he had to act as the spokes- man of the administration. He said he was proud of this and would not have it changed. He also emphatically denied that he had any intention of ,resigning in order to be free to ex- press his own views, intimating that the views he was expressing were his own as we'll as Mir. Roosevelt's.
 Mir. Taft approved the sending of the battleship fleet to the Pacific, de- claring it was good practice.
 He was asked whether published re- ports that Japan might buy the Philip pines were likely to be followed by serious discussion of such sale. He said he knew Japan did not want to buy the islands, and America would never sell them. There were only two courses open to this country. One was to hold the islands until the Fill pinos were capable of orderly and sta ble self government, and the other was to turn them over to the islanders at once.
 When asked what in his opinion was the most serious problem before the American people today Secretary Taft said it was the improvement of the enforcement of the criminal law, and when public sentiment was SO aroused as to require prompt trials of the ac- cused who were powerful through riches or organization many of the evils which were creating discontent and hostility toward American institu- tions would be eradicated by the reign of law.
 Throughout the interview and in con versation not for publication the lead ing candidate for the presidency show ed good nature toward his opponents and strongly intimated he would be better pleased on the bench. but left no doubt that he Is enlisted in the con test for the presidency far beyond the point of drawing back.