The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1910-06-10
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Gen.
eral Topics from
the Capital.
June 4, 1910.

uuS =, 1910.
The President is again absent from
the capital on three or four days iaunt,
addressing 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 he
Will deliver an address at the Inaugural
ton OF an equestrian statue of General
Custer. No President h travelled as
much and made as many speeches on so
many different subjects as has President
Taft. He is not what is called a 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 lean and hungry look" and is not
dangerous
1t is reported that it is the intention of
the President to appoint Ex-Presdent
Roosevelt as the head of a Peace Com
mission, which some members of Con-
gress and 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 sovereiqns
and chanceleries of the great powers
agree to limitation of armies and arma-
ments with view to limiting the stag
gerlng expense OF military and naval
establishments and in the interests Of
peace. 1t is said that Russia is now on
the eve OF expending $1,000, ,ooo, 600 for
the army and navy. This will neces-
sarlly arouse Japan to like effort Ger
many, Notwithstanding her colossal mil
itary and naval establishments will most
certainly not quietly sit by while Russia
is organizing such preponderant force,
and Austria, France and England will
also beStir themselves until as some one
has said, Every laborer of Europe will
have soldier or sailor upon his back"
An army is productive of nothing but
destruction. Every soldier and sailor is
50 much taken from the field of pro-
ductlve work and made to swell the
ranks not only OF consumption, but also
OF destruction. If the millions of soldiers
now in the armies throughout the world
could only be converted into workers in
NhN hOlNio. III lliC ldNiOIlCS, anu Ill lilc
mines, the cost Of living could be greatly
decreased and then that question would
cease to agitate our Congressman 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 agri-
cultural land as can be found anywhere,
and cheap transportation would very
quickly quadruple their value and bring
prosperity to a hundred millions of very
poor people. But Russia is under the
immediate necessity of expending her
millions IN preparation to destroy instead
of TO produce. If the great powers OF
the world-the United States, Great
Britain, Japan, Germany, Italy, Russia
an France would agree to settle the ex-
act ratio as to their military establish
ments. they could reduce their expend-
itures probably seventy-five per cent,
and still be on the same relative basis
that they are now, and these millions
could be turned 10 the material develop
ment 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 Civ
ing the country postal savings banks.
The Republicans have agreed on a bill
which will probably be passed at an
early date This bill fixes the amount
at 65 per cent. as the sum of the money
deposited in these banks. The amount
OF funds that may be withdrawn by the
Board of Trustees for investment in
United States bonds is 80 per cent
There remains 5 per cent, which must be
held as permanent reserve in the
United States Treasury. 1t is the opin-
ion of the financers 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 pro-
posed by the House Committee That
bill limited the amount to remain in the
local banks at Az per cent. 1t is prob
able that the bill will have a hard road
to travel before it is enacted into law.
1t must pass through the Lower House
and then through the Conference Com
mittees be made acceptable to both the
House and the Senate, but it is held
that there are no such wide differences
as will prevent its final enactment before
the end of the session.