The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1910-05-06
WASHINGTON LETTER.

W ADuAN01UN LII Lib
The past week in Congress has been
rather tame-a little oratorical badinage
by Senator Raynor of Maryland urging
insurgent Republicans in a playful way
to align themselves where they belong,
with the Democrats. This was answered
by Senator Dolliver of Iowa, who ia.
sisted that the insurgent Republicans
were the real party" and that they
would continue to uphold the banner.
Debates on various bills representing the
administration conception of the Roose.
welt policies are proceeding languidly in
both Houses, but more is manifested in
the Piuchot- Ballinger investigation where
Mr.. Ballinger himself has recently APP
peared as q witness, than in the debates
in Congress.
~.
The President has left the city for a
few days. It no doubt affords him great
relief to get away from the care and
strain of Office. Accompanied by his
military aid, Captain Butt, he left Wash.
ingtou at 7 O'Clock Friday for weeks
tour, during which he will visit Buffalo,
Pittsburg, Cincinnati and ST. Louis.
Twelve or more important engagements
have been made at these places, and
the President will deliver number of
addresses. He gave ont Friday that
there would be no discussion Of politics
and that several Of his speeches would be
for the benefit of the farmers. He will
be IN Buffalo early Saturday morning and
will reach Pittsburg on Sunday, where he
will be the guest Of his sister-in.law, Mrs.
Latin. whose husband recently died. 1t
is said that the coming undertaking Of
the tariff board in ascertaining the cost of
commodities at home and abroad, will be
the subject of several of the Presidents
speeches while away. 1t is also said that
he will not apologize for the Payne. Aid.
rich law and will point ont that be is en-.
deavoriug to follow scientific method Of
arriving at future tariff revision down.
ward in accordance with the Republican
platform on which he was elected.
~.
Idle and social Washington is at this
moment much interested in horse show
which will be held in the Monument
grounds and near Potomac Park, which
locality is becoming point Of interest
throughout the country as the probable
site of the international Exposition to
celebrate the completion of the Panama
Canal, which it is now said will be com.
pleted in 1874 instead of 1915. There is
much interest in military aud naval
circles, with reference to the proper pro-
lection Of this Canal by Notifications.
The ex-Secretary of the Treasury Shaw
and other writer's on military and naval
subjects urging ship subsidies, have shown
by figures that the United States is
lamentably weak as compared with
Japan. not actually in fighting ships, for
in this special respect we are much strong.
er than the little island kingdom on the
other side of the Pacific, but in trained
sailors of which Japan has at least a hun
dred thousand more than we have, and
10 supply and transportation ships for
our army and navy, of which she has a
hundred to our one. She greatly over
matches rs. 1t is not every one that
knows that when our great feet Of
battleships recently sailed around the
world. they were supplied with coal and
provisions by the ships Of other conn
tries. This could not be done in time of
war. No neutral ship under the inter-
national code would dare to help as in
any way. and thrown on our own re-
sources neither odr army nor navy would
be able to reach the Philippines in two
years, while Japan could land one hmm.
dred thousand men there in two weeks.
Our situation will be improved as far as
home defense is concerned when the
Panama Canal is opened and when our
feet can get into position to defend the
Pacific slope harbors without the circuit
of Cape Horn. 1t has been understood
all along that the Canal viii be amply
fortified. The few who think ii should
be unguarded might look into what
Germany 10 doing for the Kiel Canal and
England for the Canal at Suez and also
for the Strait of Gibraltar. The Medi.
terraneau Sea at its entrance at Gibraltar
and its exit at Port Said may be said to
be one long British canal or strait. In
case of war no enemy would either enter
or leave the great Mediterranean Sea.
The great guns mounted high on Glib
raltar fully command that magnificent
entrance, while powerful searchliehts
tnrn night into day and make 1t i'm
possible for an enemy to sneak in by
nugRing the Morocco coast. not more
than eighteen miles away. Our govern
ment will dnnhlleaa hl,ild ......a.l..f -