Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1909-10-06
Prom Washington.
ICorrespondencs Of the Alexandria Gazette. ]
Washington, Oct 6.

Washington TO-DAY that Minister Orane
may never use bis steamship ticket to
the Orient. Everything hinges upon
the conference between the secretary of
state and the prospective minister on
Saturday. Secretary Knox will arrive
10 Washington on Friday aud Minister
Crane will be here at the same time.
This meeting will determine whether or
not Minister Crane will carry his port
folio to Peking. 1t lie freely admitted
that probability lies 10 the direction Of
his remaining at home. There Is no
Diplomatic situation, unless it Is secreted
10 Secretary Knox's mind, which would
provide sufficient reason for the hssty
summons OF Minister Crane across the
ntinent Just az be was about to sail.
On the other hand the amazing frank.
ness with which he has discussed the
political phases of the Oriental situation
is undoubtedly embarrassing to the
administration. Even 10 case Secretary
Knox merely chose to administer
counsel on diplomatic propriety in public
ulteTances, it Is nov taken to be doubt
fol that Minister Crane would be willing
to start for his post under such evil
auspices. Therefore, whether they will
or no, tits possible that President Taft
and Secretary Knox will be obliged to
take up again their long quest for
suitable minister to the imperial court
which, for a long time, seemed fruit
less until Mr.. Crane was found.
Minister Cranes reference to the nego-
tiations for a portion of the Chinese
loan as ga new form of hold-up which
the State Department has recently been
engaged in forcing money on China" is
pointed out as striking faux pss. This
was uttered in q speech in New York Oh
September 20. Other equally pointed
references TO political conditions 10
Russia and other countries are quite as
striking from the reserved point of view
of diplomacy. AS yet there is 20 az.
tboritative announcement that Minister
Crane is to be held up or that he is even
10 be chited for bis public speeches, and
S ate Department officials retain their
Imperturbabe front in commenting Oh
he case. A statement from Secretary
Knox will probably be forthcoming,
however, as the premonitions Of storm
are too apparent to be ignored.
Although the Monetary Commission,
which is composed o. senators aud mem.
bers of Congress with some outside ex.
perts, bas fully decided to recommend
the establishment of central bank, 1t is
quite certain that there will be no at
tempt to secure legislation on this sub
iect at the coming session of Congress
Il is even possible that nothing will be
done In the matter during the entire life
of the present Congress which will ex-
pire in March, 1911. The earliest time,
according to some authorities, at which
it would be possible to make an earnest
effort to push through bill for the es-
Enlistment Of the proposed bank will be
10 the first session of the 62nd Congress
Having decided upon the general ont.
line of the bank which 1t desires to see
established, a. announced yester-
day, the commission has yet to
work out many of its details. Some |
of the obvious ones are as to
whether state banks should be allowed
IN subscribe to the stock of the Central
Bank on the same basis as to the ma
liODal banks, and whether 1t would be
advisable to allow the general public |
also to take stock to a limited amount |
There are many other questions involved |
which it will take time to work out,
and it is more than likely that, when /
the commission makes its preliminary /
report to Congress this winter, or early
next spring, it will make only casual
reference to its hope of being able, at
some future time, to present q carefully
considered plan for the organ cation OF a
central bank of issue. Senator Aldrich, |
chairman of the commission, wants to
have an extraordinary session of Congress
called next year for the special purpose
of considering this legislation. But the
elections occur next fall
and II is msuifestly impossible to hold any
special session prior to those elections.
1t is now Prof. Wilbur Wright, in.
siruclor of aviation in Uncle Sans
school for Signal Corps officers. The
Dayton sky pilot, 1t. Lshm, who is to
be bis first pupil; detachment OF en-
listed men from the Signals Corps, and
the aeroplsne which the government has
purchased from The Wright brothers, all
moved out to the aerodrome at College
Psrk, Nd, today. Wilbur announced
that If wind conditions we're favorable
and the machine In good working order,
be would probably make practice fight
or two this afternoon. He figures that
10 couple of weeks time be will be able
10 impsrt the requisite knowledge for
guiding the aeroplane to the two officers
selected for that purpose by the govern
ment. Lieut.. Humphries will probably
take the place OF Lieut.. Foulois, who is
now in Europe, IS one OF the pupils.
Two thousand packages of internal
revenue stamps OF all kinds were shipped
yesterday from the internal revenue
buresu of the Treasury Department to
he collectors throughout the country.
This is the largest shipment ever msde.
The total weight was seventeen tons ADD
svery package Was sent through the reg
s,ered mails. The value of the stamps
was between 81, 900, 600 and IS, 900, 900
Besides the general improvement of bus
ness it is thought that the unusual de-
Dand is 10 some degree occssioned BY
he fact that the tsx on tobacco, cigar
,ttes and small cigars will be increased
lext July under the new tariff law, and
he dealers are stocking up in anticipa-
ion of that.