The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1910-05-06
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER

washington, u. u, Aprll 81, 4slU.
Mr.. Editor:
The past week in Congress has been
rather tame-a little oratorial bandinage
by Senator Raynor of Maryland urging
the insurgent Republicans in a playful
way to align Themselves where they
belong, with the Democrats. This
was answered by Senator Dolliver OF
Iowa, who insisted that the insurgent
Republicans were the "real party,
and that they would continue to uphold
the banner. Debates on various bills
representing the administrations con-
ception of the Roosevelt policies are
proceeding languidly in both Houses,
but more interest is manifested in the
Pinchot- Ballinger investigation where
Mr.. Ballinger himself has recently
appeared as a witness, than in the
debates in Congress.
The President has left the city for a
few days. 1t no doubt affords him
great relief to get away from the kark
and care and strain of Office. Accom-
panied by his military aid, Captain
Butt, he left Washington at Z o'clock
Friday for weeks tour, during which
he will visit Buffalo, Pittsburg, Gin
cinnati and St. Louis. Twelve or more
important engagements have been
made at these places, and the President
| will deliver number of addresses. He
gave out yesterday 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. Laff1in, whose husband
recently died. 1t is said that the
coming undertaking of the tariff board
in ascertaining the cost of production
| 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-Aldrich law and will
point out that he is endeavoring to
follow a scientific method of arriving
at future tariff revision downward in
accordance with the Republican plat
form on which he was elected.
Idle and social Washington is at this
moment much interested in a horse
show which will be held in the Monu-
| ment 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 completed in 1914 instead
of 1915, There is much interest in mill
tary and naval circles with reference
to the proper protection 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 re-
spect we are much stronger than the
little island kingdom on the other side
| of the Pacific, but in trained sailors OF
which Japan has at least a hundred
thousand more than we have, and IN
supply and transportation ships for the
army and navy, of which she has
hundred to our one. She greatly over,
matches us. 1t is not every one that
knows that when our great fleet OF
battle ships recently sailed around the
world, they were supplied with coa
and provisions by the ships of other
countries. This could not be done in
time of war. No neutral ship under
the international code would dare to
help us in any way, and thrown on oul
| resources neither our army nor navy
would be able to reach the Philippines
| in two years, while Japan could land
one hundred 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 fleet can get into a position
to defend the Pacific slope harbors with
out the circuit of Cape Horn. 1t has
been understood all along that the
Canal will be amply fortified. The few
who think it should be unguarded might
look into what Germany is doing for
the Kiel Canal and England for the
| Canal at Suez and also for the Strait OF
| Gibraltar. The Mediterranean 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
Gibraltar fully command that magnifii-
cent entrance, while powerful search
lights turn night into day and make it
impossible for an enemy to sneak in by
hugging the Morocco coast, not more
than eighteen miles away. Our gov
ernment will doubtless build powerful
defenses with disappearing guns of
heaviest calibre and high powered
search light apparatus at both ends of
the Panama Canal.
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