Middletown transcript., 1910-01-15
WASHINGTON LETTER

| EX-PRESIDENT Roosevelt has finally
= decided to make the address which
custom dictates mnst be made by she re-
cipieDt Of q Nobel peace prize. Mr.
Roosevelt has until recently stontly resist
ed all efforts to induce him to comply
with this formaIity aud it is probable
that even now only bis regard for Senator
Root has induced him to abandon his de-
termination to disregard the custom.
Andrew Carnegie has nominated Mr.. |
Root as proper recipient OF the prize and
sone OF the trustees were so sensitive be-
cause Mr.. Roosevelt had declined to com.
ply With the custom that they advised q
friend of the former President that If he |
persisted in his decIination there would |
be no chance of the prize being conferred |
on another American. When Mr.. Ronse-
welt learned that his reluctance might |
result in depriving his former Secretary of
Stale vi this honor he reconsidered bis de- |
termination aud while again expressing his |
reluctance to appear before the footliRhts !
lie has instructed personal friend to In |
form the Nobel trustees that he has re-
considered aud has asked that the neces-
sary arrangements be made for the de-
livery of an address at Christians about
the time Of his visit to Berlin.
-
That President Taft is still convinced Of
the necessity Of a public loan Of probably |
$50, ,0O0, 600 TO complete the irrigation |
projects now under way is asserted by
thoee who have recently discussed the |
the subject with him. There will be, un.
questionably, considerable opposition TO |
this program but it will be heartily en-
dorsed by the committee on Irrigation |
WHICH visited the various projects during |
the summer It has also been recon-.
mended by Secretary BAllinger and Nill
be favored by most of the Senators and
Representatives in whose states the pro.
jects are LOCATED
-
The Secretary of she Treasury has |
struck responsive chord in the breasts |
Of all of his colleagues by the suggestion |
that Congress should authorize members |
Of the Cabinet to designate secretary to |
sign for them the mass of routine papers
which occupies so much time aud is ex-
OeedinRly irksome. The story about the
Secretary who once inquired the contents |
Of paper presented for his signature and |
was told by bis negro messenger ''to just |
put his name at the bottom, that was all |
he need do" while possibly a slight ex.
aggeration is founded on fact. There are
few members OF the Cabinet who have |
any adt qnate idea OF the contents of !
documents to which they attach their
signatures. They are compelled by ths
great number Of these papers to rely al
most entirely on subordinates to whom
their preparation is entrusted and there
seems to be no good reason why ''sign-
ing secretary" should not be appointed.
~
One oil the most difficult phases OF the
negotiations growing out of the maximum
and minimum secticn OF the tariff law
which confronts the Tariff board and the
Department OF State concerns. the so-cslled
sanitary inspection by Germany Of Amer
ican food products Germany has always
insisted on a system of rigid inspection
especially Of American meats which sys-
tenn has been regarded by the authorities
of this government as form Of protection.
Indeed the 6rst steps tskr' By this govern
meUt toward inspections Ul livestock and
meats were instituted with view to
counteracting the course OF Germany.
Germany citiEens were believed to be
unalterably opposed to heavy tariff on
food products but so rigid were the sani'
tary laws that shey seriously interfered
with the importation Of American prod.
ucts. American Inspection resulted in
some modification of the German laws
but not sufficient TO satisfy American
livestock raisers and there is disposition
on the part of the Tariff board to regard
the existing regulations st German ports
as undue discrimination. The situation
is taxing The diplomatic abilities Of she
German Ambassador aud the State De-
partment to the utmost.
~
Representative Paul Rowland has inn
pressed upon the Rules committee Of the
House the necessity for immediate action
on his resolution calling for an inyessisa- ,