The National tribune., 1909-06-10

Sometimes you get an awful jolt over
your precOnceived opinions, and the
clfild-labor objectors got one here in
Washington the other day. The health
officials of the United States have been
holding their seventh session, ami were
discussing child labor, which, OF course,
every rig1t-minded person condemns
, off-hand, and lets it go at that. Dr.
Stiles, an eminent physician, who has
= studied the matter thoroly, astontshed
the convention by declaring that child
labor in the South was going TO be tie
saving of that section. He declared that
instead of being a misfortune, child
labor down there is a blessing. He said
1t is uplifting the children, improving
their condition and the condition in the
homes and of the poorer population. He
declared that employment of children
in factories was decreasing the death
.ate among children and improving
their condition generally.
And now it is our fmiddies' who are
coming in for a going over The special
board appointed to examine into the
physical condition of the naval cadets
finds whole lot of fault with the make
up of the youngsters who are to man
our warships some day.
Poor physiques among the recent
graduates and the Midshipmen now at
the Academy are common" says the
board. THE Midshipmen, as body
do not give the appearance of rugged
health. Many Midshipinen, even of the
first class. are stoop-shouldered, have
not an athletic carriage, and their bear
ing is anything but military
Now. isn't that awful? And what's
to be done about it? The board recon-
mends daily regular exercises in all con-
ditions of weather; the hour from IL
a. m. till noon as the best for physical
development indoors. an afternoon out
door period for drills and exercises in
= all weathers, and the development of
lifelong liking for sports, as well as that
peculiar courage of contest and of de-
feat that is particularly helpful to mill
tary men.
Capt. Badger, the Superintendent of
the Academy, does not approve of this
recommendation, as he says that it will
lower the educational standard of the
Academy from 20 to 80 per cent, with
out compensating advantages. The
board and the Superintendent seem to
be at hopeless variance; but as the Su-
perintendent is soon to be changed the
recommendations of the board are to be
turned over to the incoming Superin-
tendent, Capt. BOwyer, for final decision
as TO the best method for working out
President Taft, who is very fond of
hts brothers. had Charles P. Taft, of
Cincinnati, as his guest last week, and
they spent an afternoon on the golf
links. with Capt. Archie Butt, Military
Aid to the President, to complete the
party. The President won over all.
Last week Tuesday the rank of Lieu
tenant-Generai of the United States
Army ceased to exist, and We have no
one upon the active list who bears the
rank. Lieut.-Gen. Arthur Macarthur
retired June 2. In March, 1907, Con-
gress passed q. law providing that the
grade of Northumberland should
cease to exist on the retire nent of Gen.
Macarthur. The principal reason for
this action was that the rank had ceased
to have any particular status. The War
Department had just selected Briga-
dier-General to be Chief of Staff, the
position heretofore held by the Lieu.
tenant-Gcnera1. 1t was said at the time
Congress wished to abolish the grade
to prevent President Roosevelt from ap-
pointing Gen. Wood to succeed Gen.
Macarthur, the story at that time being
that Gen. Macarthur would voluntarily
retire before President Roosevelt left
Office.
The grade of Licutenant-General was
revived in 1900 for Gen. Miles. 1t had
previously been held by George Wash
ington, Ulysses S. Grant, VIM. Tecumseh
Sherman and Phil Sheridan, dying with
the last. It was revived for John NJ.
Schofield, and lapsed again with his
death. Since Gen. Miles retired the
rank fell successfully upon Gems. Young,
Chaffee, Bates, Corbin and Macarthur.
We are apt to think of China as a
walled-in Nation, even tho we know it
isn't. Chinese women who have come
to this country and who desired TO re-
turn to their own country have held
themselves aleof from us, had their
feet bound, and wore their native cos
TUNES. All this is changed now, how
ever. Minister WI paid visit to Coney
Island last week, and he took with him
his wife and his daughters. They shot
the chutes, took trips thru Wonderland,
went to the circus, and il there was
anything in the way of novelty that
they did not try it was because some
body forgot to mention it. Nine. H-u
wore her native costume? Yes. But
she looked no odder in Il than some of
the fashionable freaks who were there
in their adapted costumes of the
Directoire period. The wus had LOT
of fun, and the Chinese Minister says
he will try it again some time.
President Taft touched a golden key
which opened the Alaska-Yukon Expo
sition. the only Expos ton ever given in
his country which was ready TO open
when opening day came. You would
have supp0sed-that the Exposition had
been completed for months and had
Just beeH swept and busted for the
opening day, SO spic and span was
everything. They know how t. do these
things out West.
Speaker Cannon at some time or an
other has trained himself for fistic en-
counters. tho il is not recorded IN his
biography that he ever had to use his
fist. He has recently put on the gloves
with "Philadelpfia Jack" OPrien. at
the latter's training camp. and gave q
very good account cf himself The
pther day he bante=ad Chiei Clerk Nc
Dowell of the House. TO round" but
punched Mcdowell in thu rios at the
first biff, taking the wina out Of him,
and thus ended the firsG round. Speaker
Cannon is quick on his feet
Congress worked merrily away on
Memorial Day, exactly As tho this coun-
try had never had a a'ar- Tie Flag was
not even put at half mast on the Capitol
in honor of the brave men who saveI
1t from destruction and the Nation [, ,eil
disintegration. Ii is a pretty tough
proposition trying to teach strenuous
Young America 10 be patriotic and cu-
thusiastic about Memorial Day, and 10
keep II sacred for the Nations dead
when the Congress OF the United States
sits all day and haif the night FOR hear