The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-15
TAFT STARTS TODAY ON WESTERN TRIP Will Not Talk Politics Un-
 less Compelled 54 YEARS OLD TODAY President Will Celebrate Birthday Quietly and Leave Tonight on
 What His Friends Consid-
 CT Important Trip
54 YEARS OLD TODAY

Beverly, Mass, September 14-Presi- dent Taft leaves here tomorrow on his second swing around the circle. In the opinion of many friends the trip promises to be one of the most inn portant ever undertaken by a chief executive.
 He said that he will Indulge In little political discussion. It was admitted opportunity for such discussion will not upon him. That he would accept the gage of battle if several Electors shed their castors on the platforms from the audiences Is hardly doubted That the Presidents political fortunes may de- pend to some extent on this journey is agreed by many men close to the administration.
 Two years ago Friday, MT. Taft started from here on his cross country trip. He had been six months in of flee, and the Payne Aldrich tariff law had been five weeks on the statute books. On that trip he delivered his famous address at Winona, Mnn., a datribe of that law on which most of the criticism of the administration s tariff policies has been based
 On the list for the present journey the President has set down the tariff and tariff board as two subjects for set addresses alone. His vetoes of the wool bill, the cotton bill and the farm CTS free bill have not been set aside for separate speeches. but that they will be dealt with in two general addresses is highly probable. The tariff may prove after all the leading topic, al- though that is not the Presidents plan.
 Other subjects to be given consideration include reciprocity, conservation, the peace treaties, marriage and divorce, the trust problem, financial reform tn Pan anna canal, reform in judicial pro sure Alaska, and the governmental ueoart- ments.
 The President contemplates spending most of his speaking hours in talking of the lesser political subjects on his list Doubt to follow full programme has been expressed in some quarters already
 The itinerary beginning tomorrow vii be about 1900 miles. Twenty-four states will be visited In Kansas, Nebraska Iowa, Missouri Idaho. California. Ore gon, Washington, South Dakota, Mnneso- ta and Wisconsin he will spend many of his busiest hours. These states going tc make Up IS in all ar. Iatelied 'insnr- sents.''
 New York, Pennsylvania and Illinois ol the larger states will not be sighted. as also Utah. but in those states the Presi- dent will not have to work so hard. The same political bookkeepers credit them to the progressive wing of the republican party.
 Michigan, which has been called Taft insurgent' will get a lot of the Presi- dents attention. The trip begins here to- morrow and Boston will be left at night. Syracuse will be reached and then Wash ington state November 31 will end one leg. Secretary Hiles, Maj. A. w. Butt Dr. Thomas L. Rhodes, the Presidents physi- elan. two stenographers, three Secret Service men, and nine newspaper men will accompany the President.
 The train will run as a special ve- hicle much of the time. It will con- Tsist of three Pullman sleepers, a din- ing car, a baggage ,ar and a day coach. The President will do little work preparing for the trip. Tomor- row Is his fifty-fourth birthday ami versary and he planned to spend the time quietly on the links at Myopia and at Paramatta.
 Mir Taft starts for Boston by motor about o'clock. Mrs. Taft proba bly will go with him to Boston, but will return to Beverly later. She expects to remain in Beverly through October.
 On the eve of the Presidents de- parture. John Barrett, director general of the Pan American union, who at tended the ground breaking ceremon : ies of the Panama exposition at San Diego, and travelled up the Pacific coast. brought him cheerful news. Mir. Barrett told the President the Pacific coast was intensely interested in his visit; that 1t did not consider it a po- litical pilgrimage. and that everywhere he had stopped the people were anx- ious to see the chief executive again.