The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1910-06-10
WASHINGTON LETTER.


capital on three or four days iaunt, ad-
dressing seminaries and universities at
their commencement exercises. 1T is no
small thing for one of these institutions to
have the President of the United States
on the platform. He will make Monroe,
Michigan, the limit of his tour, where be
will deliver an address at an.inauguration
of an equestrian statue of General Custer.
No President has travelled as much and
made as many speeches on so many
different subjects as has President Taft.
He is not what is called great orator
and Is not always happy speaker. He
frequently tells anecdotes that lack
elegance, although they cannot be classed
as low or coarse, but he is always good
humored, never bitter or vindictive, and
the audience is invariably impressed with
his good faith, and that he is the very
antithesis of Cassius in that he hath no
'slean and hungry look,' and is not
dangerous.
~.
1t is reported that it is the intention of
the President to appoint ex President
Roosevelt as the head of Peace Com.
mission which some members of Congress
in the Senate are disposed to authorize by
an appropriation bill for that purpose.
The idea is that the Peace Commission
shall tour the world in an endeavor to
have the soverigns and chancelleries of
the great powers agree toa limitation Of
armies and armaments with view to
limiting the staggering expense of mill
tary and naval establishments and in the
interests of peace. II is said that Russia
is on the eve of expending 81, ooo 600, 900
for the army and navy This win necess.
arily arouse Japan to like effort. Ger
many, Notwithstanding her colossal mill.
tary and naval establishments will GER
tainly not quietly sit by while Russia is
organizing such preponderant force.
and Austria, France and England will
also bestir themselves until, as someone
has said, ''every laborer of Europe will
have soldier or sailor on his back An
army is productive of nothing but de-
struction. Every soldier and sailor is so
much taken from the field Of productive
work and made to swell the ranks, not
only of consumption. but of destruction.
If the millions of soldiers now in armies
throughout the world could only be con-
verified to workers in the fields, in the
factories. and the mines, the cost of living
would be greatly decreased and that ques-
ton would cease to agitate Congresses
and bread-winners. Think of what
Russia might do with that one billion in
the way of railroad building. That
country has millions of square miles of as
fine agricultural land as can be found
anywhere, and cheap transportation
would quickly quadruple their value and
bring prosperity toa hundred million of
very poor people. But Russia Is under
the immediate necessity of expanding
her millions in preparation to destroy in
stead Of produce. IF the great powers of
the world-the United States, Great
Britain, Japan, Germany, Italy, Russia
and France would agree to settle the
exact ratio as tomilitary establishments,
they could reduce expenditures probably
seventy-five per cent and still be ON the
same relative basis that they are now, aud
these millions could be turned to the
material development of the unimproved
parts of the world, so that thrift and
prosperity might gladden. the continents
and the islands.
The appearances in Congress at present
are decidedly in favor of legislation giving
the country postal savings banks. The
Republicans have agreed on bill which
viii probably be passed at an early date.
This bill fixes at IS per cent the amount
of the money deposited In these banks.
The amount of funds that may be with
drawn by the board of trustees for invest
ment in United States bonds is go per
cent. There remains per cent which
must be held as permanent reserve in
the United States Treasury. II is the
opinion of 5uanciers in Congress that the
bill Is more advantageous to the local
banks throughout the country from
which the postal savings funds are drawn,
than was the bill recently proposed by
the House Committee. That bill limited
the amount to remain in local banks at
lax per cent. 1t Is probable that the
bill will have hard road to travel before
1t is enacted into law. 1t must pass the
lower house and through conference COM
mittees be made acceptable TO both the
House and Senate. but it is held that
there are no such wide differences as will
prevent its final enactment before the
lend of the session.