Middletown transcript., 1908-03-21
WASHINGTON LETTER

. ! A4AA HIN
WASHINGTON, D. c., March 14th, 1908.
THE arrival of the Atlantic fleet at Mag
> delena Bay, Southern California, with
out accident and four days ahead o
schedule time is the occasion of the ut
most qualification to the President ant
the naval authorities in Washington
This is the longest cruise so large a flee
ever undertook in the worlds history anG
its satisfactory completion is properly the
occasion of qualification. Admiral Evans
has sent an official report to the Navy
Department aud the President has caused
to be sent telegram of congratulation to
the brave Admiral who, in spite of great
physical Affections, has so ably COM
manded the great fleet on its long voyage.
incidentally the forecasters of evil who
were SO certain the feet would come to
grief in Magellan Straits will have to think
Eup some other dire ending for the flower
OF the navy.
The.sub marine boat scandal in theH House
is assuming unfortunate proportions.
Not only has Representative Lilley made
a startling statement of the improper in.
huence exerted by submarine boat COM
pany, but Representative Hobsop, form
erly Lieutenant of the Navy, has testified
that when he first came to Congress a
representative of the company. who had
been his classmate at Annapolis, called
him up over the telephone, after first
writing him several letters to which he
paid no attention, and assured him he
would, if desired, secure Hobson's ap-
pointmeut by Speaker Cannon on the
committee on Naval Affairs Mr.. Hobson
told bin lie did not desire submarine boat
influence and secured the appointment
without assistance On the recommends
ton OF the Democratic leader, Mr.. Will
liams. The committee which Mr.. Cannon
has appointed to investigate this affair
does not seem to be too anxious to de-
velop the facts but with few more wit
nesses like Hohson they will come out
whether or no.
~
Senator Carter is also endeavoring to
secure an investigation in the Senate of
the so-called Bieber land scandal, whereby
one Sidney Bieber, the special protege
and friend of Speaker Cannon, secured
legislation calculated to secure to Bieber
title to about twenty acres of land on the
river front in this city, along that section
Of the Anacostia River on which Congress
has already expended 100000 for i'm
provements and on which it is planned
to spend probably s3,oOO,oOO altogether.
Had it not been for the suspicion
aroused in the mind OF Secretary Taft by
this legislation, Bieber's title would now
be irrevocable, but Mr.. Taft managed to
delay action and Mr.. Carter laid bare the
facts in the Senate which Immediately
led that body to pass repeating act.
What the action OF the House will be
cannot yet be foretold, although there is
obvious effort to~hush the whole matter
up, while Bieber is relying on the fact
that the Pennsylvania railway called the
facts to the attention of Mr.. Carter to be-
cloud the issue. He is trying to make it
appear that Mr.. Carter is acting in the in
terest of the railway, an effort which is
little likely to prove successful. Bieber
is a local politician of some fame and has
recently been engaged in trying to capture
the District delegates for Mr.. Cannon.
A few years ago, through the kind offices
of Mr.. Cannon, Bieber was given life
pension OF 800 month.
~
The Brownsville affair seems finally
about to come to a close. The Senate
committee on Military Affairs has made
its reports. One declares the negroes in
cent of the shooting. This was signed by
Senator Foraker alone. Another, signed
by Messrs. Foraker, Bulkeley, Scott and
Hemenway, declares that the guilt of the
negroes was not proven. The committee
report, signed by IL of the 13 members of
the committee, declares that the guilt of
the negroes was proven, that the bullets |
could only have been fred from guns is
sued to the troops of the 25th Infantry, |
that there was no evidence in support of |
the claim that the shooting was done by |
others, etc. The Republican members OF |
the committee have prepared bill |
the President to restore to the |
army any member of the 25th Infantry
who can prove his innocence, this being
in accordance with the request made in a
special message which the President has
sent to the Senate on the subject.
~
The President has directed the Commits
sioner of Corporations, Herbert Hnox
Smith, to make thorough investigation
to ascertain if the federal government can
by law prevent stock gambling and the
selling of futures in grain and produce,
and if SO by what means. 1t is expected
that this investigation will take some
time, but the President hopes that Mr..
Smith will be able to draft measure, the
passage of which he can recommend to
Congress in his annual message, next De-
cember. He is anxious that the work be
done most thoroughly so that the bill will
stand the test of the courts and may not
be so drastic or impracticable as to be-