The National tribune., 1909-05-06

'4NG. w aOI11ANd d1OA1 Os VI, II
| subjected, the trials of the campaigns
| in the tropics, the Slf-r@traint and
power of initiative re9pirea in the in
dividual soldier, all entitled the vet
Grams of the SpanishdWar. including
those of the Philippine Islands, to the
lasting gratitude of the country.
| With my knowledge eRf the diff
entities that the armies of Cuba, Porto
| Rico and the Philippine Islands had to
contend with, / am othe last man to
minimize the debt owing to them or
the work which has been done.
Yours sincerely swIaH Taft.
| Have a Flag.
| Pennsylvania is fast dotting over the
surface of the old battletields of the
South with monuments to her war
heroes. The last statue to be dedicated
for a short time will be that of Gen.
| John p. Hartranft. and it is to be erect
ed at old Fort Malone. near Peters
burg, Va The cost of the monument
is to be $4,000. Gov. Swanson. of Vir-
ginia, is to be one of the speakers, and
| is going to Petersburg TO open up one
| of the historic old mansions there in
which to entertain President Taft, who
| is to be the orator of the day. Gov.
Swanson is going to send his personal
staff to Washington to escort the Presi-
dent to Petersburg. My. but they will
be sight! That Gubernatorial staff
sports more gold lace and brass buttons
| than a Rear-Admiral in the United
States Navy. The members of the staff
! were selected with a view to personal
| beauty and courtliness of manners, and
they can hide champagne by the gallon
and not show it. They are real two,
three and four-bottle men, don't you
know. The affair takes place May 19,
and all the Confederates in the coun-
| try have been invited and few prom
| inent men from other places have been
| invited.
Men, for the Pennsylvanians. Re-
member that the Confederates will have
plenty of rebel flags along. and try and
have at least one American Flag to
march under on the way to the un-
vailing. At the unvailing of the statue
to Gen. Humphries at Fredericksburg
| the Union veterans trailed their way
out to the cemetery. led by men in gray
and carrying the rebel flag, while the
| band played Dixie" The Stars and
Stripes were nowhere in evidence in
| the line of march. 1t was awful. The
| old town itself ran riot with the rebel
colors, red and blue, blue and white.
| white and red, but the Union combina-
ton was not to be seen once in block.
Gen. Hartranft was Commander-in-
Chief of the Grand Army of the Re-
public before he died, and he loved the
| Flag he fought for.
"A Presidential Train.
Representative Dwight. of New York.
has got hold of very good idea If he
can just work it out. He wants the
United States to own a complete rail-
way train. consisting OF a baggage car,
sleeping car. and private car. for
the exclusive use of the President of
the United States. The sum of $60.e00,
to be expended by the Secretary of
War, is provided, and The Is authorized
to annually enter into contracts with
railway companies for hauling the
train #+' 1t
travels Of the President his guests and
attendants the sum of $4,000 is ap-
propriated, to be Immediately avail
able. itE ts1.
Mr.. Dwight said that hesexpected to
have the bill passed this session.
There is no reason on earth why this
should not be doneh The President
rides now in any old'car that the COM
pany may give him. ffIt may be hand
some enough and commodious enough:
but who knows what disease turks in
its curtains. carpets and cushioned
seats? Its last trip may have been to
carry rich tuberculosis patient across
the continent, or there might be small
pox germs-oh. there might be most
any kind of geNn waiting to be
breathed in by the President. II we
have a Presidential train 1t will be
known exactly who has been in it at
all times. @
A Depew Story.
Senator Depew had a birthday din
ner given him at the Montauk Club on
his 18th anniversary. last week. and
birthday cake. The cake was a record
breaker in size. II bore Is candles and
IS pennies, brand-new ones. After the
dinner Senator Depew made the only
speech. This has been the custom of
he club for II years. He-the Sena-
tor-reminisced good deal. and he
told the following story, which is pretty
new:
"A veteran English statesman who
was attached to the British Embassy
during the civil war told me last Sum-
mer an incident never before pub
lished. The British Minister at that
time accredited to Washington was
Lord Lyons. He was an English diplo-
mat of the old school, dignified, formal.
able and a bachelor. He often dined
alone with full courses and full cere-
ident Lincoln would be announced, fol-
low the servant into the dining room,
and take his seat at the table. OF
course, with his ideas. the Minister
was as astonished an complmented
as If it had been the King in the coun-
tries where he had before served.
''He would urge the President to join
him in the dinner, but the President
would answer. according to my inform
ant, No, Lyons, / have had my dinner.
If anything comes which l.: inviting I'll
browse around, but before the Presi-
dent departed the ever-present, danger
ously acute situation and fear of Great
Britain's recognition of the Confeder-
acy and the means of averting ii were
under discussion. No one knew of these
visits and informal talks. If the his
torian could know he would probably
| say that the information thus conveyed
| to Queen Victoria by her Minister, COM
| ing directly and confidentialiy from the
| President of the United States. was the
most potent factor of all the influences
brought to bear in that crisis in keep
| ing the Queen and her consort, Prince
| Albert, always alert and cordial for
friendly relations with our country"
Admiral Miller Dead.
| Rear-Admiral Joseph N. Miller, U.
S. N, retired. died at his home in East
Orange. n. J.. last week Of a complica-
| ton of diseases. gf,.-la