Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-11-26
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent


Washington, D. c., Nov. 20.-There
is an adage that s'large bodies move
slowly This adage is negatived in
the example of the greatest in one sense
of Presidents of the United States.
After Is, 900 miles of railroad travel, 800
miles of automobiling, mingled with
several hundred dinners, luncheons and
breakfasts and spiced by variety of
speeches, the President of the United
States is still on the move and is, at the
present time, in Norfolk, Va, whittier
he went in the yacht Mayfiower and
where he is entertaining Mr.. Carnegie
and other distinguished guests. After
this week, however, he will be at home.
The time is very close for the beginning
of the next session of Congress. Home
at the White House means more TO
the President of today that it did to the
Presidents prior to Mr.. Roosevelt, or
even to him, for during the absence OF
the President this summer his offices
have been greatly extended and much
has been added in space and comfort
and convenience. The entire area OF
MIR. Roosevelt's tennis court, made IA
NOUS as the arena of his kitchen cabi-
net, has been built over and is now oc-
cupied as reception hall where the
President receive members of Congress,
foreign ministers and others by appoint
ment. 1t will be remembered that the
White House offices were extended
during Mr.. Roosevelt's second term
and that extensive alterations to the
Mansion were made. These improve
ments gave rise to much criticism, but
after practical test, both as a residence
and as place for entertaining great
number of guests, it was recognized
that the changes had added much to
the comfort and convenience of the EX-
ecutive Mansion without interfering
with it's original architectural effect.
The criticisms of the New White House
offices were mainly directed against
their enormous cost and petty architec-
tural accomplishment without regard
to the fact that their virtue and value
consisted in the fact that as editices
they were minimized or almost effaced
IN order that they might not interfere
with the architecture of the old Execu-
tive Mansion or White House. The
architects, McKim and White, were
those who built the Boston Library
and the new Union Station in Wash
ington. They are, perhaps, the most
distinguished architects in America.
1t has been said that man must
serve his time at every trade but critics
are already made, and the average SEN
ator or member of Congress is not al
ways competent to lntelligently criti-
else works of art or architecture. A
Senator, speaking of the additions to
the White House, made the remark
that they had but one advantage and
that was that they were not fireproof.
Much hard work has been accumulate,
ing during Mr.. Taft's absence and, in
addition to the writing of his annual
message to Congress, there are many
pressing and perpleXing problems to be
solved during the early winter. The
Ballinger-Pinchot controversy is one
of these. The Sugar Trust frauds have
assumed an enormousness from Mr..
Loeb's Investigations unimagined be-
fore. Many important appointments
must be made as for instance, a Justice
of the Supreme Court of the United
States, the Ambassador to Great Bri-
tain and ministers to other important
posts. Important, if not serious COM
plications are likely to arise from the
execution of American citizens during
the last week in Nicaragua.
1t is said that the system of the Navy
Department is likely to be changed and
that this Department will probably
undergo as thorough an oyerhauiing as
did the War Department during the
time that Secretary Root had charge
of the War portfolio. No doubt, there
will be SENSATIONAL opposition to the
changes contemplated by the President
and by his Secretary of the Navy, for
these changes contemplate the aboli-
ton of useless Navy Yards. These
Navy Yards, however, are in States
represented by powerful senators who
have been in the senate from twenty to
thirty years and who look upon these
Navy Yards as their special prequisites.
1t must be understood that these Navy
Yards are worse than useless. They
cost the Government hundreds of thou
sands of dollars yearly but the port en-
frances to them are so shallow that
they will not admit the modern heavy
draught war vessels. They were estab-
lished two generations ago when there
were no iron-clad vessels and when
light wooden null war vessels alone
were possessed by the Government.
Every voter in the United States I'M
derstands the utter uSelessness OF the
maintenance with retinues of officials
and clerks drawing heavy salaries OF
these Navy Yards, and it is almost in
conceivable that intelligent senators
will selfshly insist on continued appro-
priations from the Public Treasury to
keep them up.
Distressing Accident.