Middletown transcript., 1908-04-25
WASHINGTON LETTER

A most interesting and animated party |
= OF visitors are in Washington, this
week, guests OF the Asahi Shinbum, and |
q representative of that newspaper ac-
companies them. The group is making |
tour of the world, sightseeing. gathering |
information. and making observations in
spired with the ambition TO aid in making |
Japan one Of the worlds great powers
and with desire to contribute to the |
general welfare of the nation. There are
about seventy in the party, representing
the scientific, commercial and financial
life Of Japan, including three dainty little
women, wives OF members of the delega-
ton but of these three only one Nine.
Nomura, wore her native garb with etraw
sandals and no head covering. With the
exception of the foreign sounding names
aud their yellow pevil compilations there
was nothing TO indicate that the tourists
we're not of this country. Their attire is
European and their travelling appurte.
nances of the most up to-date design and
of the best material, bearing in plain
| English letters the names of their owners.
| The visitors were received by the Presi
dent at the White House and after doing"
Washington in three or four days de.
parted for their further travel which will
include visits to London, Paris. Berlin
and St. Petersburg.
~
| Secretary Taft denies the story printed
in the East recently to the effect that it is
bis intention to retire from the Cabinet
at the close OF the present session of Con-
gress in order to be unrestricted in the
prosecution of his Presidential canvass.
1t is the Secretary's purpose aud has been
for sometime, to resign il he is nominated
at Chicago next June, and the proprietY
of such a course will commend itself to
ALL The Secretary has felt il to be his
duty not to relinquish his portfolio be-
cause of certain legislative matters affect
ing his department. and the Philippines
which demanded his attention and in
order to bring to termination certain i'm
portant questions of admi listration.
~
President Roosevelt is confident that
Secretary Taft will be nominated by the
Republican convention two months hence
and it is understood that he is giving the
succession to the War portfolio some con.
sideration. It is not unlikely that the
appointing n will take the form of per-
sonal compliment to some one OF the as
sstant secretaries who has done we'll in
his present position. 1t is strongly
rumored that Assistant Secretary OF State
Bacon stands better chance for this ex-
preston of regard and appreciation
on the part of the President than does
Assistant Secretary of War Oliver, As
sistant Secretary OF the Treasury Win
throp or Charles E. Magoon, provisional
governor of Cuba, though each OF these
men has qualities which commend them
selves to the President, aud each has been
talked OF as likely successor to Secretary
Taft in July.
Il ~
Mr.. A. M. Herring, aninventor of New
: York, is under contract to deliver to Gen.
} James Allen, chief signal officer OF the
government, before August 18th, au aero
, plane that will carry $50 pounds, travel
, l25 miles without touching the ground,
and make forty miles an hour. The Of
fetal test is to be made at Fort Myer, Va.
On Thursday last Mr.. Herring took a
model of the machine T., i"s furni-hrd the
J army to point close to MontcIair, N. j.,
, and sent il twenty miles without an acci-
dent, in the presence of two witnesses.
MIR. Herring is still young man and has
} been busy making airships and aeroplanes
for the past ten years, having speut more
than 100000 it is said, of his own money
in demonstrating the different methods
by which he hopes to navigate the air.
~
The long existing controversy as to
whether the United States should have
submarine torpedo boats CT the Holland
type, as recommended by the Naval Com
mittee, is at an end after a somewhat
stormy debate in the House of Represen-
tatiyes The proviso limiting the secre-
tary OF the Navy to the purchase of boats
, of the Holland type only has been
stricken from the naval appropriation bill
and this gives the Secretary free hand
to select such submarines as he may be-
lieve to be best fitted for the service.
80
Representative Madden, of Illinois, has
introduced bill authorizing the expendi-
ture Of 500, 600 toward the building of "a
national patriotic shrine, which shall con-
sist OF memorial hall costing not more
than $3.50, 200. of which Sl5O, 600 shall be
| supplied by the Lincoln Farm Association,
OF New York" to be placed on the farm
in Kentucky where Abraham Lincoln
, was born. The bill provides that within
this memorial hall shall be housed "the
humble weather-worn log cabin in which
| Abraham Lincoln was born, and all other
relics which tell the story of the early
woman life out OF which Lincoln came !"
This hall, according to the bill, must be
completed sin time to be dedicated to the
American people on February 18th, 1909,
. the centennial OF Lincnln's birthday"
: The Lincoln Farm Association has already
) raised $l00, 900, by popular subscription,