The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-04
Taft Orders w ithdrawal
of 8,495, 731 Acres
of Land.
THUS CONFIRMS
ROOSEVELT'S ACT
Secretary Ballinger Is Summoned
to Summer Capital for Confer
ence Concerning Different
Phases of Work-President
Keeps in Close Touch
With Washington.

Beverly, Mass, July 3.-President
Taft to-day took the first steps in his
conservation policy by signing orders
of withdrawal covering s.4e5,7a1 acres
OF power site, phosphate and petro-
leun lands.
The President also appointed the
five engineer officers of the army who
are to constitute board which will
pass upon the reclamation projects to
be completed under the recent appro-
prfation Of s20,00o,000. 1t is hinted
that there are other important an
nouncements to come with regard to
the conservation policy of the present
administration. The President has
summoned Secretary of the Interior
Ballinger for n conference on Tuesday.
when various phases of the work to
be done In the near future Will be
gone over.
The withdrawal orders signed by
the President to-day are the first spe-i
cially authorized by law.
President Taft signed orders of with
drawal covering public lands and lands
in national forests in Alaska, in which
workable coal is known to occur. thus
ratifying. confirming and continuing
in full force and effect the order Of
withdrawal made by direction of for
mer President Roosevelt on November
II, 1906.
The water power sites Withdrawn by
President Taft cover total of 1454, 499
acres. The phosphate lands Withdrawn
total 2.ss4,113 cpes, and the petro-
leum lands, 4.447.1i9 acres.
The phosphate land Withdrawals are
as follows: Florida. 27.40o; Idaho. L.
1o2.317 acres. Utan. 1o7,545 acres; Wy
reels 80 s.
The board of engineers Is headed by
Leutenant-C Colonel gIohn Biddle. The
other members of the board are Lieu
tenant-Colonel William c. Langftt. and
Major William w. Harts. Charles w.
kutz and Harry Burgess. all of the
Engineer Corps of the army.
In Close Touch.
Washington, d. c., July 3.-.Althoush
the President and most of the members
of his official family in tho Cabinet are
absent from Washington. few of the
Cabinet officers are out OF close touch
by telegraph and long distance tele-
phone with the assistant secretaries
who are looking after the routine busi-
ness of the respective departments
This Is particularly true OF Secretary
Knox. who from Ms home at Valley
Forge. is keeping close watch on the
daily happenings in Washington. as re-
ported to him by Acting Secretary
Huntington Wilson.
Several matters Of negotiation are
For instance. there is the Hankow
Railroad loan. America is joined with
Germany, France and Great Britain in
what the foreign Offices are pleased
politely to term a request" upon the
Chinese government, but which actual
ly amounts to a demand, for the Issue
OF decree accepting loan of $780,
0o0,0 900 from financiers of the four ma
tions to be used In the construction OF
the Hankow Railway. The Chinese
government does not care particularly
to do this though 1T may seem odd for
nation to refuse to accept loan
Its reluctance is based upon the fact
that the great Mceroys and mandertns
of the provinces through which the
projected road will run are strongly
opposed to it. These officials having IL,
mind the bitter experiences OF China
following the concession to the Rus
slams Of the right to build the South
Manchurian Railroad, are fearful that
the building of the Hankow road Will
mean the ultimate domination of their
country by the foreigners.
So they have offered to finance the
= otAo sslIlciliSelNeS,a out II lS pTOOdDle
that their protests will be unavailing
and that some time this week the ex-
pected decree authorizing the loan will
be forthcoming.
Concession Held Up.
Within the same period it is possi-
BILE that some agreement can be reach
ed between the State Department and
the government of Turkey regarding
the projected 1.00O-mile railroad
through Asia Minor, A group OF en-
terprlsing American flnanciers has OBJ
tanned a concession from the Turkish
government to exploit that ancient
country for the virgin minerals con-
cealed below the sands and arid hills.
But German corporation which has
already constructed a road leading out
of Bagdan, of arabian Nights" fame,
has lodged an energetic protest with
the Turkish government on the ground
that there is not room enough for
two in that part of the world, and has
succeeded in having the concession
held up.
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