The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1909-12-24
Determined
TO END CRAFT.
Cabinet Members DenOunce
Custom House Frauds.
MAC VEAGH TALKS OF RATS.

In the Diplomatic Servioe-Arm,
Officers Trying to Modify Roosevelt
Physical Tests.
Washington, Dec. 16.-That the adj
ministration is determined to end the
custom house graft in New York and
elsewhere is indicated not only by At
torney General Wickersham's annual
report, but by Secretary MacVeagh's
speech at the Pennsylvania banquet in
New York the other evening. 1t is a
rather striking fact that at this dinner
to native sons of the keystone State
were three members of President Taft's
misunderstanding of State Knox, who
is still a resident of Pennsylvania
Secretary of the Treasury MacVeagh,
who was born in Pennsylvania, but is
now a citizen Of Chicago, and Attor-
ney General Wickersham, who is also
native Pennsylvania, but now lives
in New York. This is the dinner at
which Andrew Carnegie, who is a
Pennsylvania by adoption, though not
by birth, hailed as the discoverer of
the north pole Commander Robert E.
Peary, who is a Pennsylvania by
birth, though not by adoption. 1t was
here also that Secretary Knox took
dip into the future and gave a hint of
the new diplomacy of the flying age.
MacVeagh kept closer to the earth, de-
voting his attention to '1and rats"
water rats" and other vermin that in
fest the federal larder. MacVeagh
has a pet aversion like Ballinger, only
Ballinger "hates a snake" while Mac
Veagh hates a rat. With the help of
Collector Loeb he ought to prove
good rat catcher.
Army Tests la Roosevelt.
1t is evident that the pace set by
Colonel Roosevelt in his physical tests
for army officers is just a little hotter
than those gentlemen want to carry
out. The slashing cross country rides
may be all right for a president, they
think, but are a trifie stiff for a mere
army officer. Anyway, Chief of Staff
Bell recommends notifications in the
tests, and everybody in Washington
knows what that means. AS a matter
Of fact, number of the shoulder
straps have long been chatting under
the requirements for doing physical
stunts imposed on them by their for
ner commander in chief, and, now
hat they have a president who takes
lis exercise more mildly, they think 1t
/ good time to move for a change.
rhe idea is not to abandon the tests,
)ut to spread them out, as 1t were.
instead Of taking the whole thing In
me heroic dose they will divide it up
md administer it at intervals. Con
inuous practice" is the new dope. 1t
s more pleasant and does not require
70 long to get over.
Passing of tho Naval Ring.
Members Of congress returning to
this winter found change
n the navy that may mean much. For
ears the bureaucratic system in the
lavy, usually known as the naval ring,
las been one of the most conspicuous
nd one of the most censured features
f Washington official life. The new
ystem being worked out by Secretary
Ieyer promises to end many of the
buses and to place the navy, like the
rmy, practically under the control Of
general staff. There Is also a move
nent in both branches of the service
or promotions on merit instead of the
seniority system that has so
Ong been in vogue. If mere age and
ength OF service are to be made the
ests, instead of brains and efficiency,
hen the tortoise should make an ideal
Military or naval officer, as 1t some
ines lives to be hundreds of years
Id. The tortoise is also conservative
nd opposed to change, retreating into
IS shell with the timidity of its class. |
( the tortoise system is to be aban- |
oned, however, and manhood and |
rorth recognized, it will be a good
hing for those who think more of re- |
ults than of forms. BY the way, why 1
OF also abandon the seniority system .
! congress? There are those who .
link that mere length of service has .
DO great weight in our national leg .
Stature and ability and devotion to
ublic interests too little.
;ivil Service In the Diplomatic Field.
A reform that is most gratifying and
nat Il is hoped viii end an abuse al
lost as bad as that IN the navy is the
ItensiOn of the civil service over all
ne lower grades Of diplomatic posi-
ons. The Importance Of our consuls
i fostering American trade should in
ire that we have the highest class Of
lleut i'm these places and that there
lould not be wholesale changes for
lere political reasons. In any branch
I diplomacy training is invaluable.
Thy should the government be de-
rived Of the benefit Of this training
" partisan reasons? a consul I'm a
Istant field has nothing to do, or
lould have nothing 20 do, with party
Dlitics at home. He stands for the
merican nation. not for any faction
! It. He is In Office to promote our
,mmerce and our interests. to report
reign conditions that may be Of
,i,,, for m "a i-r,ov,- ar,d 20 10 % aar-r- |