Middletown transcript., 1909-03-06
WASHINGTON LETTER

t WAsHfNoTON, D. G., February 27sb. 1909
I is not usual for the cabinet ii ! presi
dent to be announced before bis n
2 augnrasion. To the bestof my knowledes
shere has always been doubt ana unear.
tainty until alter the official announce.
: meut Of the President from the White
House. Il il, however, characteristic II
. the candor aud non-secretiyeness Of The
: Presidentelscs sIiet The country now
knows that With tile acceptance by MI.
MacVeagh, a merchant, Of Chicago IF the
Treasury Portfolio, thecabinet Of the new
President is arranged and dxed. There
are only two holdovers from President
Roosevelt's cabinet-men Who have sal
with Judge Taft as souncil table Of the
nation. They are Mr.. Meyer, at present
Postmaster General, who will BE- Secretary
OF the Navy 10 the Taft administration:
and Mr. Wilson, the venerable Secretary
OF Agriculture who will remain at his
present post. The present cabinet Willbe
distinguished for a remarkably strong
battery Of eminent lawyers, with the
President himself on the bench as il we're
in the cabinet room. Five members of
she present cabinet are distinguished
members Of the legal profession, men Of
ripe learning and experience in various
branches of the Law.
The Presidentelect who is now in New
York, is expected in Washington on Sat.
urday, the 9Th inst, and will remain here
as q guest Of the Boardmans until after
March the fourth, when he will transfer
his activities to the White House. II is
announced that soon after his inaugura-
tion, he will visit the ranch Of Charles p.
Taft near San Antonio, Texas, where
residence for him is building and golf
links are laid ont.
~
Interesting information comes from
China in The form Of an official private
letter to the President-elect in which the
attitude Of the Chinese Government as
represented by the Regent concerninR
vital Chinese questions, is explained at
length. This letter confa intenE,
ton Of she Chinese Goge. to carry
out the reforms and the pro .ssiye policy
which The world has understood to have
depended mainly on the recently deposed
Grand Counselor. 1t also expresses the
wish that the japanese may withdraw en-
tirely from Manchuria and that they, az
some future time, may find it advisable to
relinquish their occupancy of Korea.
The President-elect is peculiarly we'll in
formed in matters relating to China. His
long residence in the Philippines; bis
visits to China and Japan and bis tour
through China, Siberia and Manchuria
has given him an insight and a sympa-
thetic interest In questions relating to the
policy and the progress Of this great
Oriental Empire. This letter Of the
Chinese Regent is doubtless a recognition
Of bis interest and bis expected influence
IN vital matters pertaining to Oriental civ
ilization and is another indication Of our
prominence in world politics.
~
; Daring the past week, went to Old
Point Comfort to see the incoming feet
returning from its around-the.worI yoy.
age, accompanied by eight big iron-elads
that bad been sent ont on the Atlantic to
meet and to conduct it home. / cannot
say that the spectacle was very impress
sive. Sixteen large white iron.clads
moved up the still waters of Hampton
Roads at a speed of only seven knots per
hour and saluted with COON Of ca n1n the
Presidents yacht, the May flower, as each
ironclad passed, It is something for con-
graduation that SO powerful feet has
circumnaVigated the globe without iir-
ing destructive shot at anything except
a harmless target. The ships had any
thing but warWorn or weatherbeatena ap-
pearance and il is hoped that they are
worth as much as they cost and that in
preserving peace according TO the idea OF
The President, they will pay for their
enormously expensive upkeep.
ApFopos Of the Navy, the President has
sent another message TO Congress urginga
greater Navy, advising radical changes,
recommending more authority for the
Secretary of the Navy and favoring con-
tinued preparedness for war. He insists
on the cooperation OF the
Navy Department. and the War Depart
nent as recently Fe-oTganized in defensive
preparations and in the establishment Of
naval stations, calling attention to the
good work done in the reorganization Of
'he Army under the plan formulated BY
Root. He urges remodeling
llong the same lines, the naval establish
neut and administration.
~
The Presidents interest and activity up
o almost the last day Of bis administra-
ion is not unexpected, He has, how
'yer, stopped making appointments, an
bouncing that petitions for places must be
to bis successor after March
be Ath. Congress is isnotpaying muchat-
ention to the Presidents recommends
ions, treating them very much as James
!, Hill treats the Presidents Farm UpliIt
nterprise, ''as Of little more Importance
bat the swittering Of the frst robin in
pging, TO which Mr.. Hill says we might
3 we'll listen as to the report Of the Farm
commission appointed by President
Roosevelt