The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-04-06
TAFrs SECOND DAY IN CHICAGO.
Round of Receptions. Lunches and
| Speeches Ends With BANQUET.

Chicago, April 6.-William H. Taft,
secretary of war, spent his second busy
day In Chicago Saturday. with another
round of receptions. luncheons and
speeches, winding up with the BAN
quet OF the Commercial club of Chi
cago at the Congress hotel.
In all his talks the secretary care
fully avoided politics, although in the
evening address he touched lightly
upon few questions of public import.
About 800 members of the CONNER
cial club attended the evening function.
Mr.. Taft was given a hearty reception
when he was introduced.
The bulk of Mr.. Taft's speech was
devoted to a discussion of conditions in
the Orient, especially as they affect
American trade in China, Japan, Korea
and the Philippines. He led up to this
by discussing briefly the progress of
telling the members of the club that IL
they should repeat their tour Of in
spection to the canal zone they would
find that tremendous strides had been
made In the big task there. He called
the attention of his auditors to the in
f1uence that the canal will have upon
the Asiatic trade of the United States,
traced the growth of the exports of
this country to the Far East and then
said:
-Four hundred and sixty million
people on the other side Of the Pa
cific will soon be within comparatively
easy reach of both coasts of the United
States. The question is whether we
are going to take advantage of the
condition favoring us in competition
for all this trade.
"Our sales to the Philippines have
increased from comparatively nothing
fifth of the total imports of those
islands. This is by no means what II
should be, but it is due to the very
backward and blind policy in respect
- 20, ,psf s4I -;,,
cerely hope may be changed in the
near future"
The secretary then turned to China,
referring briefly to the "energy and
anxiety that Japan and Germany are
showing with reference to the Chinese
trade
Where we have one consular
representative at work." he said,
Japan and Germany have thirty or
forty He added:
''I stop for moment to point out
the utter faulty of the policy of the
United States in respect to the salaries
and the housing of her consular and
diplomatic representatives through
out the world If the service rem
dered by such representatives is use-
countries seems to demonstrate that
it is-then 1t as worth while for this
country to give it's representatives a
respectable establishment in every
country in which our nation is repre-
sented.
could anything be more unre-
publican, more plutocratic than a sys-
tenn of salaries and allowances that
bar from the diplomatic corps every
one save millionaires? The erection
of a suitable embassy. legislation or
consulate at every important station
in the world, would not only enable
the poor man to assume a suitable
position, but it would limit the rich
man to the same kind of an estab-
lishment and prevent that ostentation
to which some of our representatives
are tempted"
Mr. Taft then turned his attention
to China again. but little later di-
gressed once more to urge the pro-
priety of a ship subsidy for a line of
steamers between the Pacific coast,
Japan and China.
''If the protective principle is
wise," he said, eff 1t is wise to expend
government money in the develop
ment of internal waterways, am un-
able to see why the improvement of
our merchant marine by subsidy is
not justifable, provided the subsidy is
open to all who will comply with it's
prcyiSiOnS''