The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-12-07

beneficiary OF the fraud. bur there was
an excess reservation In the contract
Of settlement by which the settlement
should not interfere with or prevent
the criminal prosecution OF every one
who was found to be subject to the
same.
Criminal prosecutions are now pro.
ceeding against number Of the gov.
eminent officers. The treasury de.
partment and the department Of jus.
tice are exerting every effort TO dis.
cover all the wrongdoers. including the
officers and employees of the compa-
MES who may have been privy 20 the
fraud II would seem TO me that an
Investigation of the frauds by con.
gress at present, pending the probing
by the treasury department and the
department OF justice. as proposed
might by giving immunity and other
wise prove an embarrassment in Sc.
curing conviction Of the guilty parties
Maximum and Minimum Clause In
Tariff Act.
Two features of the new tariff act
call for special reference. In order
that the maximum duty shall be charg
ed against the imports from a country
II is necessary that the executive shall
find on the part of that country not
only Determinations in its laws or the
practice under them against the trade
of the United States, but that the dis
ordinations found shall be undue
that is. without good and fair reason.
No one Is seeking tariff war or a con-
dltion In which the spirit of retaliation
shall be aroused.
Tariff Readjustnent.
The new tariff law enables me to APP
point tariff board to assist me In con-
nection with the department Of state In
the administration of the minimum and
maximum clause Of the act and also to
assist officers Of the government in the
administration of the entire law. ! be-
lieye that the work of this board will
be Of prime utility and Importance
whenever congress shall deem II wise
again to readjust the customs duties.
If the facts secured by the tariff board
are Of such a character as TO show gen.
orally that the rates of duties imposed
by the present tariff law are excessive
under the principles of protection as
described In the platform of the sue
cessful party at the late election l
shall not hesitate TO invite the atten-
ton of congress to this fact and TO the
necessity for action predicated there
on. Nothing, however. halts business
and interferes with the course Of pros
perity so much as the threatened revi-
sion of the tariff. and until the facts
are at hand. after careful and deliber-
ate Investigation. uron which such re-
vision can properly be undertaken, 1t
seems TO me unwlse to attempt II.
War Department.
In the interest of Immediate econ
omy have required reduction in
the estimates of the war department
for the coming fiscal year which
brings the total estimates down to an
amount forty-five millions less than
the corresponding estimates for las
year This could be accomplished only
by cutting Off new projects and sus
pending for the period of one year al
progress In military matters. For ths
same reason / have directed that tn,
army shall not be recruited up to it:
present authorized strength. These
measures can hardly be more thar
temporary, for | am sure that the In
terests of the military establishment
are seriously in need of careful con
sideration by congress.
The secretary of war calls attention
to a number of needed changes In tn,
army. in all of which concur. but tn,
point upon which ! place most EN-
phasis is the need for an elimination
bill providing a method by which th'
merits of officers shall have some eff
feet upon their advancement and by
which the advancement of all may b,
accelerated by the effective elimination
of a definite proportion OF the least
efficient.
have unanimously agreed that it would
be unwise to make the large expendi
lures which at one time were contem
plated in the establishment of a nava
base and station in the Philippine Is
lands and bave expressed their judg
ment. in which fully concur. in ia
vor Of making an extensive naval bass
at Pearl Harbor. near Honolulu, ant
not in the Philippines.
The Navy.
The return of the battleship heei
from its voyage around the world IL
more efficient condition than when Il
started was a noteworthy event of in
terest alike 10 our citizens and the
naval authorities of the world. The
marked success of the ships in steam
ing around the world In all weathers
on schedule time has increased respect
for our navy and has added TO our ma
tional prestige.
II is a regrettable fact that the
higher officers are old for the respon
sibilities of the modern navy, and the
admirals do not arrive at flag rank
young enough to obtain adequate train
ing in their duties as flag officers.
Owing to the necessity for economy
in expenditures, | have directed the
curtailment of recommendation for
naval appropriations so that-they are