Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-06-27
Woodstock business cardS
NOTES from WASHINGTON
(speeial Correspondence.)

Finishing Touches on Bas-Relief-'
For three hours the other day Presi-
dent Roosevelt posed. in order that
the finishing touches might be placed
upon the head of bas-relief figure to
be placed in the peace conferen 0
room at the navy yard. Portsmouth,
N. H. Louis Maynell, an artist who is
executing the work for Daniel Estes,
of Boston. had made the head of the
figure as complete as possible from
photographs, and later he put the t1n-
ishing touches upon the clay.
Admiral cowles Going to Quebec
The battleship New Hampshire will
leave New York June 80 for Quebec,
where 1t is to be present during the
tercentenary celebration of the found.
ing of that city in July. Lieut. Com,
mander David f. Sellers of the bureau
of navigation has been assigned as
an aid to Rear Admiral Cowles. who
goes on the New Hampshire to Que.
bee to represent the U. S. navy. 1t
will be Admiral Cowles' first and last
service as flag officer, as he retires
in August. Vice-President Fairbanks
will go to Quebec on the vessel as the
presidents representative.
President Going to Africa--Presi
dent Roosevelt has planned to go to
Africa on a hunting trip when his
term expires, and there is no basis,
in fact for the statement Representa-.
tive Cobb of New York made recently
that Mr.. Roosevelt will be elected to
succeed Thomas C. Platt of New York
as United States senator, according
to a statement made at the White
House But Mr.. Roosevelt is not now
looking forward to the senatorship or
to the presidency Of Harvard univer'
sity. Unless there is a change of pro-
gram, Mr.. Roosevelt will not tarry
long in the United States after the in
augural ON March 4, 1909.
Flag Day Widely obserVed--Flas
day, the 131st anniversary of the adop'
tion by the United States congress of
the present flag was observed every
where, from the Canada line to the
gu flof Mexico. and from Eastport,
Me-, to Portland, Ore, by spreading to
the summer breeze the folds of Old
Glory. Forty-six stars now, have
place upon its azure field, each indi'
eating state of the federal union.
This number would only need to be
increased by six to make the sum total
of states today exactly four times as
great as the original. When the 1880
luton was adopted on June IA. 1777,
Washington, Franklin, Harrison and
Lynch met and designed the emblem.
Betsey Ross made the first nag, which
was first given to the breeze In Phila.
delphia.
Improvement Of Consular Service
The promotion Of consular officers is
the first striking Indication of the
change for the better which will follow
the passage by congress of the consul
lar reorganization act. The old-tims
practice of naming consuls to foreign
ports with little reference to their
fitness for the positions which they are
supposed to fill is evidently doomed.
Henceforth, the principle of promotion
for proved fitness will be recognized.
1t was announced at the state
department last week that as re-
suit of the presidents action under
the law no fewer than 81 American
consular officers are promoted and
transferred to different stations. This
is in line with the practice Of the most
advanced European nations, and Is In
striking contrast with the too com.
mon custom of dropping q CONSUL
whatever his merits. when some one
with stronger pull wanted his place,
Under the reorganization act there is
now some inducement for young men
to enter the consular service with the
intention of fitting themselves to re-
main In it. and with reasonable ex-
pectation that as they demonstrate in.
creased efficiency they will be adj
Vanced to positions Of greater respon'
sibility. The change cannot fail to be
of great advantage to the service.
sonaparte Not to RosIsn-"The presl-
dent and Attorney-General Bonaparte
intend to go out of Office on the 4th
of March, and Mr.. Bonaparte has just
as little idea as the president Of going
out sooner" This statement was made
ct the White House few days ago In
reply to rumorB that there existed q
serious difference between the preBi'
dent and his attorney-general that
would probably lead to Mr. Bona
parties leaving the cabinet very soon
after the presidential election. The
special difference cited in this conneo-
tion related to the removal Of District
Attorney Ruick and United States
Marshai Rounds of Idaho At the
White House 1t was declared that the
removal OF Ruick and Rounds was de.
termined on six months ago. "a sam
pie OF the ludicrous Inconsistency in
these stories" it was said at the
White House, 'is shown by what was
said by the papers representing the
Wall street views in the Mellen case,
in which 1t was first Of all asserted
that a suit had been brought by Mr..
Bonaparte against the New York, New
Haven & Hartford railroad company
aasinst the presidents wish, and that
the attorney.general threatened to re-
sign IL he could not bring 1t. Two or
three days later It was asserted the
president had forced Mr.. Bonaparte to
bring the suit to punish President Mel
len because the Connecticut member
of the Republican national COMMITTEES
had not voted for the Administrations
policies. The fact was exactly the re
verse, the president and Mr.. Bona