The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-04-08
WAR 5ECRE TARY TAFT
CONTINUED from Page One.)

wishers all over the country hope wi
be the case, he will bring to his offic
|, a profound knowledge of all branche
of the present federal government. n
other Republican in public life ha
visited so much among the insular in
: habitants and he has also gone up an
down the mainland delivering addresses
civic and political, in the President
name and at the President s request
Of late his boom has been growing
apparently It has undoubtedly beer
growing among the politicians, al
though what the general popular opin
ion of it may be is not yet well known
1t has grown enough, however, So tia;
the friends of other candidates are
beginning to throw missiles Taft s way
It is expected that his boom will be
promoted during his absence in the sew
eral islands of the Atlantic and Pa
cific.
His critics are saying that his pro-
longed and frequent absences are to the
detriment of the administration of the
War Department, that warships are
often provided for him-which means
| federal expense-and that what he does
could be accomplished quite as wei
if he remained at home. But in any
event, if the criticism be well found
ed, It should be leveled at President
Roosevelt and not at the Secretary.
who goes at the President S request
Mr.. Roosevelt believes that the appear
ance of high officials of his administra-
ton among the people beyond the main
land stimulates interest in efficient gov
eminent. He likewise has the highest
confidence in Secretary Taft s iudg-
ment and, when he can not get informa-
ton at first hand, prefers to have it
from Secretary Taft.
Had Secretary Root not been in South
taken at the instance Of the President. |
probably he and not Secretary Taft |
would now be visiting Cuba But the
work of regenerating the Cuban govern |
ment last autumn was undertaken by |
Mr.. Taft and, as the oversight of the |
administration there under Governor
ment, it is very fit that the Secretary
of War should return there now and
see how things are getting on. The |
work is not progressing as favorabiy
as the President would wish. European
governments will not sanction the with i
drawal of the United States from the Il
island, for the dangers of revolution
and anarchy are apparent. The Cubans
are grumbling because United States
troops are kept in the island They
have great faith in Secretary Taft and
his visit, even if it does not result in
any change of policy, will probably
have good effect. I'll ID
President Roosevelt himself was IN
Porto Rico for a day last November,
1ut he wants Secretary Taft to take "a
ook around The United States regime
n the island has not been entirely
and it is easy for more
serious conditions to grow out of dis
The President is trying 4
o pacify the Porto Ricans His own
yisit there was to that end and Secre
airy Taft s visit will be to the same
nd, for it will give the Porto Ricans
ONE opportunity to present their
grievances to an official of influence
With the administration at Washington.
t will also enable the Secretary to
ave an eye upon the officials in Porto
iico to determine how they are doing. l
There is also troublous state of af
airs on the isthmus of Panama, where
he canal is being constructed. The
ew chief engineer, Lieut.. Cocktails, is
ust taking hold. About the time Sec
etary Taft is visiting on the isthmus
uish his office and the canal work pass
yer entirely to the charge of army :
Ulcers The President is very soli !
itous that the army officers make
God start. There is some lack of con
dence in the way matters are pro-
ressing on the isthmus. 1t is said that
ivil engineers will not submit to the
uthority of army engineers and that
he present force is likely to quit by
egrees because of unavoidable frlc f
ion. There are many other unpleasant L
lmors, most of them probably exag-
Grated, but requiring attention from
le Secretary of War who has charge
the canal project
He therefore can appropriately look Ii
yer the field at this time and see that
lie army officers start upon their work
There IS need of con-
eminent in the army of canal en-
Ioyes, who are disconsofate over the L
eparture of Mr.. Stevens. They look
pom him as very efficient man and