The midland journal., 1907-06-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.

by another problem arising out ofthe con-
duct of hoodlums of that delectable city.
Ifthe earthquake had swallowed San Fran.
cisco citadel, urbs, suburbs and the Golden
Gate there would probably have been an
end of this Japanese menace. In the
midst of our toasting General Kuroki, a
number of slawless resolutes" in San
Francisco attack Japanese cafe and
presto, an international situation with
the Japanese papers in Toxic limiting
war and all this before the Panama Canal
is finished and while our defenceless
PHILIPPINES are three weeks from our
base of supplies and only about FIVE days
from the Japanese strongholds. The
Japanese papers claim that the outrages
against their countrymen are less
excusablei than the murder of a
missionary in China which resulted in the
occupation of Chinese territory by an
American force. These papers say that
the recent treaty between the United
States and Japan has been treated as
matter fit for waste basket and do not
accept the theory of State rights or the
responsibility of the United States for
barbarous conduct of California, or rather
of mob in San Francisco. We could
doubtless lick the Japanese if that were
the only question; but we are, it is to be
hoped, big enough to loath war in
defense of unjusti6able attacks upon
Japanese sojourners by undesirable cit
liens of San Francisco. The National
conscience will not justify such war.
We have in score of instances come to
the defence of our people when attacked
in foreign countries and the cases are
numerous in which foreign countries
have paid damages for such attacks. We
cannot honestly or consistently deny dam
ages to the Japanese. Granted that we
would come off victorious in war with
Japan such war would add at least a
billion to our national Indebtedness and a
pension list that would handicap the
Treasury for hundred years or as long
as the youngest widow of the Oldest
veteran, married fifty years after the war
should live. We are still paying pensions
to widows who as young girls married
veterans of the war of 1872. So our
prayers should be no less Lord deliver us
from war and carnage and powder than
from war debts and pensions.
~
When Congress appropriated $4,000
for the travelling expenses ofthe President
there was long and spirited debate as to
whether that amount would cover the
expense of his travels or on the other
hand if it might not be more than re-
qnired. With the close of the fiscal year
now near at hand it is possible to make a
calculation of the probable yearly travel
ing expense of the President. This has
not been one of his busiest years in the
travelling line but he has made number
of trips, that is as he wanted to make and
he has travelled in good style, if not in
the splendor of the old days when he
was travelling at the expense of the rail-
roads, and when he has concluded the
trip to Jamestown which he. will take
this week, the total expenditure for his
years travelling will be less than eight
thousand dollars. 1t is true that his trip
to Panama which was the most extended
and most expensive of the year was made
on a War ship and consequently the
amount did not come out of his jaunting
allowance but it will be seen that the
twenty five thousand is likely to prove an
adequate amount for the most restless
President we may have.
x**
Mr.. Bryan made flying visit to Wash
ington last week. He was aceompan-
led by his wife and daughter and the
visit was said to be simply social one
and the fact that he stopped with old
friends in the southeastern part of the
city bore out the explanation but never
theless Mr.. Bryan put in busy day with
some prominent Democrats who happened
to be here. He had long talk with the
Manager of the National Press Bureau
and formerly manager of Mr.. Bryan's
campaign Bureau and with ex-senator
James ]. Jones former chairman of the
democratic national Committe. He also
gave out number of interviews to news
paper men.
The local boom of Senator Knox in his
own state is not without interest in WASH
ington where the little Senator has re-
sided for seven years. living in a fine
house purchased by him from the widow
of George Washington Chiids. The house