Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-01-02
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(yRoN OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 2STH.
Friends of Secretary Taft who are
in position to know that gentleman's
plans say that he will soon be found
taking much more aggressive atti-
tude than formerly in his fight for
the Presidential nomination. tits
generally known that he was not
much taken with the idea of the
presidency when it was first suggest
ed to him. He said frankly that he
had been too close to the President
and seen too much of the work OF the
office to care for such a strenuous JOB
himself. He preferred the Supreme
Court and there was every probability
for long time that he would land
there. But he was practically forced
into going for the nomination by his
brother Charles Taft and the Presi-
dent and some Of his personal friends.
Then came the row with Senator For
aker in Ohio and the prospect arous-
ed Secretary Taft's fighting blood 50
that having once been launched in
the fight he proposes to 60 in and
make it interesting for all concerned.
He is going to tour the country max
ing series of speeches that will de-
fine his position on number of i'm
portant national subjects. The first
of these will be made at the dinner Of
the Merchants Club in Boston on the
night of Dec. Both. After that he
will take in some points in New Eng
land and then at intervals the west
and south. Secretary Taft is fairly
sure of the most Of the southern del
egations. He is also strong in New
England and the far west. 1t is pos
sible that if he decides on a compre-
hensive stumping tour he will resign
from the Cabinet so that the political
activity will not interfere with the
regular work of the War Department.
One of the greatest pieces OF sur
veying ever attempted now is being
done under the auspices of the Car
negie Institution of Washington. 1t
started almost three years ago and
consists in thorough magnetic sur
vey of the whole of the Pacific Ocean.
A dispatch received this week from
the expeditin states that they are now
in New South Wales, having covered
over IS, 900 miles since their start.
The work is being done from special
schooner, the Gallilee, that has been
fitted up especially for this class of
work. There is a great deal of scien-
tifc interest in the survey all over
the world, but the most immediate
and practical benefit to be derived
from it is the data it furnishes for
correct magnetic charts of the Pacific.
The variations of the magnetic field
in the Pacific are very irregular and
have never been scientifically studied
before. From the work the expedi
ton has done already the Hydro
graphic Office has been able to issue
some new charts showing the devia-
ton of the compass for this ocean as
it never has been shown before.
The final figures of the Bureau of
Statistics for the year have not YET
been compiled, but they show enough
to indicate that the business of the
country is still progressing to higher
levels despite the recent financial
panic. The exports for the month of
November broke all previous figures,
being 1904, 100000.
They are pretty well distributed
over the whole world but Europe con-
tinues to be the largest market, the
exports there for the ten months Of
the year showing total of $1,0O2,-
600, 600 against less than billion in
the same period of the preceding
year.