The Elbert County tribune., 1908-04-30
CONGRESS AND THE CAPITAL

Senator Guggenheims bill for the re
survey of certain sections of land in
Routt and Rio Blanco counties passed
the Senate Saturday.
Again replying to an inquiry, Sen
ator Hale said the President, as com
mander in chief, had command of the
fleet and may order 1t where he will in
the absence of law and regulations, but
of course. Congress. If it desired. could
regulate the control of the fleet.
The London postal authorities have
learned that two bags of mail from
London, containing securities and val
uables worth s500.00e were stolen IL.
New York the latter part of March.
Both bags disappeared in transit be-
tween the steamers and the postoffice.
Arguments in favor of the Presi-
dents program for four battleships
consumed most of the session of the
Senate Friday. Senator Piles of Wash
ington. opened the debate declaring
that the Asiatic situation affecting the
Pacific coast was a menace to that sec
ton. as war clouds might quickly rise
there over some clash between Amer
leans and the Japanese. He wanted
a feet kept IN the Pacific.
THE story is wholly unauthorized -
declared Secretary Taft when his at
tention was called to the statement
from Havana and Thomas p. Egan of
Cincinnati, in an interview, was quoted
as saying that Taft would resign imme-
diately II nominated at Chicago and
that Governor Nagoon of Cuba would
succeed him as Secretary of War. The
Secretary added that SO far as he
knew there was no foundation for the
statement.
A strong recommendation for the
appointment of an officer to be known
as chief of cavalry" has been made by
a committee of cavalry officers at
tached to the army staff college. II is
argued that the chief should be mem
Der Of the general staff and head of the
committee considering questions relat-
ing to the cavalry, having power to
inspect that branch of the service for
the purpose of ascertaining and of bet
tering where the standards of efficien-
cy recommended may be obtained.
An earnest appeal was made by Sen
ator Piles of Washington. in favor OF
an authorization for four battleships
This. he declared, was a measure of
peace and not of war He came, he
said, from the section of the country
that must be the storm center OF any
conflict in the Pacific ocean. The peo-
pie of the Pacific were in favor of four
battleships. He sent to the vice presi-
dents desk a statement of a vote of
162 editors attending a meeting in
New York, which he said showed 126
in favor of four battleships and the
Presidents policy for naval expansion.
Senator Guggenheim has been MAX
ing an earnest effort to have such an
additional sum allotted to the work OF
completing the Gunniscn tunnel !rriga-
tion project as would ensure beyond
all doubt that water will be available
for the irrigation season of 1909. In
addition to calling personally upon the
director of the reclamation service, the
secretary of the interior, and writing
them, the senator called upon the
President and urged an increased allot-
ment for this work. In response Sen
ator Guggenhesm has received letter
from the President. enclosing report
from the secretary Of the interior,
which indicates that 1t will be impos-
sible to expect the desired increase OF
allotment
Seven. and possibly eight, new bish-
ops will be elected at the approaching
session of the Methodist General Con-
ference at Baltimore. Only twice be-
fore has SO large a number been
chosen-in 1872 eight, and In 1904
seven. During the last quadrennium
four of the active bishops have died:
Joyce, McCabe, Fitzgerald and Fow-
Ier One man chosen bishop at the
last general conference declined to
serve, and as his place was not filled
there now are five vacancies in the
episcopacy. In all probability one or
two Of the present bishops will be put
on the retired list next month, and 1t
is customary to elect an emergency
bishop-hence the prospect for so
many new bishops.
Mr.. Hale laid before the Senate a
statement of battleships and other fea-
lures Of the American naval program
which he said showed that as large a
fleet as is now in the Pacific can be
kept there and at the same time there
would be ships for still larger feet
for the Atlantic. He said that there had
been authorized. including the author
izations of the pending bill. thirty-one
battleships and great many cruisers.
many of them as large as battleships
Il do not Think said Mr.. Hale, that
senators and representatives have ap-
preciated these facts. We are not COM
PEELED to build another great feet in
order TO have protection on either
coast"