The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-10-25
WASHINGTON LETTER.

| Much concern is felt in Washington
over dispatch, as clever as it is false,
recently published in a New York news
paper, chiefly noted for its cleverness
and its hatred of President Roosevelt
which affords striking example of the
truth of remark ofa prominent Japanese
diplomatist who sad recently that one of
the most difficult things for the Japanese
people to understand is the absolute free
dom and lack of patriotism of the Amer
lean press. This dispatch is so cleverly
worded as to include few statements sus-
ceptible of fiat denial and seeks to convey
the impression that the sole purpose of
the President in ordering the battleship
i feet to the Pacific is to menace Japan.
and it goes so far even as to imply that
Mr.. Roosevelt purposes to follow this
step by striking the first blow at that
published this dispatch does not for a
moment give credence to the impression
it seeks to convey, and the only con-
ceivable reason for the willful effort so
seriously to niislead its readers is its
desire to bring discredit 10 the President.
Because of the prominence of the paper,
it is felt, in official circles, that the story
will do much mischief. 1t is fact, easily
verified, that the sending of the feet to
the Pacific was not determined upon as
result of the relations of this country
with Japon, and it can be ascertained
with equal facility that the funds being
spent on Notifications in the Philippines
aud other insu1ar possessions were APP
| propriated before the ''San Francisco
incident" and before any trouble with
japan had been even thought of.
| x*x
| Representative Henry Sherman Bou-
tell, of Illinois, is in Washington to con-
fer with Architect Woods of the Capitol,
about his scheme for re-modeling the
seating arrangements in the House of
Representatives. He was interviewed on
the subject and said: "The plan to re-
place the desks in the House of Repre-
sentatives with benches is merely an
attempt to put that body on an equal
footing with the principal deliberative
bodies of the civilized nations of the globe.
I say this because it has been suggested
that this is an attempt to copy after the
British House of Commons. So far as
know we are the only great nation in
which the popular deliberative body is so
arranged as to permit of debate and the
transaction of ordinary Office business at
the same time. The two do not work
we'll together, and now that the new
House Office building is nearly completed
it is time that something should be done
to improve the congested condition of the
House. My plan is practically
the same as that earnestly recommended
by Speaker Reed ten years ago, when
the House was not so large as now"
*4*
An order has been issued by Second
| ASSAotdhb OSlndolCk SCuCIdt mCAlGdTY
to the effect that by reason of their speed
the new Cunarders, Lusitania and Maur-
etanin, will receive from the United
States government from $4 600 to Sc. 600
every time they leave New York for
carrying the frst,class mail destined for
Europe, and the Lusitania took her first
consignment of mail on her last sailing.
No contract to this effect is necessary, as
the rate to be paid-35 cents pounds
fixed by international arrangement be-
tween the postal authorities of America
and Europe.
Notwithstanding the Lusitania and her
sister ship, when in commission, will
receive the irst-class mail, the subsidy to
the American Line, amounting to 81 a
mile on the outgoing voyage, no matter
what amount of mail is carried, will con-
tinue under its contract and it will re-
ceive the mileage pay as usual. The
only contract this government has for
carrying the mails to Europe is with the
American Line.
~
1t is expected that Secretary Cortelyou
will reach Washington by the end of the
week from his summer vacation. and his
arrival at this juncture is of as much i'm
lportance, perhaps. as that of Acting
Chairman Harry S. New, of the Repub-
lican National Committee, who will
arrive in Washington Sunday. The call
for the meeting oijhe national committee
ito fix the time and place for holding the
next national convention probably will be
issued on Monday, as it is necessary to
issue the call for the meeting something
like two months in advance in order to
\ secure the attendance of the Hawaiian