The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1909-12-17
OUR WASHINGTON LETTEl
Washington, D. c., December II, 19

Inc Hrsb week OF tne congressional
session has been uneventful. Both
Houses have adjourned from day to
day and next to no business Of legis-
lstiye character has been transacted
The fact that two large conventions,
one the Southern C.mmercial and In
dustrial Congress and the other the
Waterways Congress have been in ses
sion in Washington has detracted from
the National Congress by drawing to
its sessions Members and Senators,
Cabinet Ministers, and the President
himself, who made a speech at the
opening of this convention. President
Taft spoke discouragingly with refer
ence to the scheme for the issue of
United States Bonds to the amount of
half billion dollars to be used for the
improvement Of the Navigable water
ways of the United States. This phrase
of the question, however, is so dear to
the three or four thousand delegates of
the convention who are now in Wash
ington and is urged with so much force
and earnestness by distinguished men
throughout the country that it IS diff
cult to understand how the bond issue
can be successfully opposed. The
present generation can scarcely expect
to see the completion of an enterprise
SO vast. The enjoyment of the advan-
tages Of the Improvements in the water
ways, undertaken now, must be mainly
by posterity, posterity that will be as
much wealthier and abler to pay the
half million Of . dollars as the United
States of today is wealthier and ADLER
than it was before the Civil War.
In the Presidents message to Con.
gress and in the Departmental reports
of the various Cabinet officers much
stress and emphasis has been given to
the subject of economy. Economy is
no doubt good in national affairs as it
doubtless is in household management,
but it is more beautiful and easier as
theory than as practice. Every one
remembers how recently the chant of
the simple life" was on the lips of
everyone. 1t was promulgated from
the White House; but Mr.. Roosevelt in
the interest Of peace urged the building
of Dreadnoughts at the cost of many
millions of dollars So it has been with
past Congresses and doubtless will be
with the present, that when the budget
is finally made up in June. July or
August next the billion dollar mark will
have been passed.
The Secretary of the Navy is making
| most commendable efforts to improve
conditions in the Department over
which he presides and it is given out
that the young and brilliant Naval OFF,
GERS who have graced the ball rooms
| and salons and clubs in Washington,
New York, Boston and other Naval
Stations must actually 60 to sea. Naval
statisticlans have Just discovered that
Germany has taken second place among
the worlds naval powers and that this
place which we appeared to hold year
or eighteen months ago when our great
| feet encircled the globe, is ours no
longer. 1t is further shown that al
though we spend many more millions
than Germany in the building and main
tenance of our navy that of Germany is
stronger in ships and guns and men
than is ours. These are not pleasant
facts but they are stubborn ones and
we would better face them now than
after it will be too late.
With the information that the Panama
Canal will be finished in probably less
than five years arises the Importance Of
it's proper defense. Military engineers
have recently reported that it's protec-
ton will not be difficult 1t will not be
necessary to build Notifications On the
island or breakwaters extending at one
end into the Pacific and at the other
into the Atlantic. 1t is thought that it
will be only necessary to dredge the
approaches to the Canal SO that they
will be narrow, net more than 500 feet
in width, permitting the approach of
not more than two ships abreast and
these, if unfreindty war ships, would be
able to fire not broadside discharges but
only with the stem guns. Batteries
could lie placed commanding the long
and narrow approaches to the entrance
of the Canal so as,to be destructive to
vessels coming within five or six miles
of any part of the Canal that might be
injured by them.
Another question of interest with re-
gard to the Canal relates to the petty
republic Of Columbia through which
the Canal passes Columbia is, of
course, Republic; or nation only in
name or as the French would say pour
rire. The real Government there is the
of the Canal Zone. All
that there is of law or order of santa
ton or Of prosperity is an importation
from the United States. Before the
Canal enterprise transfgured it it was
3 yellow fever pest hole, a neck of
and over which travellers hurried
tearing to breathe. Now it is as
healthy as any place in the United
st ates. The American Minister, MIR.