The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-03
 POLITICAL BATTLE . BEGINS TOMORROW IN THE CAPITAL Coming Congress Will Be Most Significant in
 Years
PRESIDENT TAFT
 AND THE TARIFF
Report of Special Investigating Con- mittees Will Be Interesting While Stanley -Littleton Feud Att
 tracts Attention
By EDWARD MARSHALL

Fly EDWARD MAhsHABb
 Washington. December 2.--(speciaD Politics, then politics. and after that, more politics, will comprise the bus mess of the Sixty-second Congress first regular session. That sounds like football. doesn't it? Well, I have seen some football games this fall which were less interesting than the polit- teal game will be here at the capitol this winter. And less brutal, probably. There is more mercy in serimmaGe than will be shown in some coming caucuses.
 No imperative Legislation, save the appropriation bills, is pending, bue there are a great gross of imperative axes waiting to be ground. As soon as some of them are sharp enough they will be used upon those craniums which. in the opinion of the men who wield them, need them most There has been lot of tomahawking done on Penn sylvania avenue, first and last, tli.s winter promises to gleam in history a carnival of gore-all metaphorical, of course, but very fatal to the victims. despite it's metaphoricism. Of course l the tariff will be argued and some fine l fights for preservation, reduction, and increases will be made: changes in the interstate commerce law are wait ing for considerations; the antitrust law will occasion some official gossip on the fioor-well, some; and consor- vation will undoubtedly be argued with not little rancor; but, first, last and all the time, the coming session will be earnestly political.
 Taft's Interview Mir Taft's Outlook interview, given to Francis E. Leupp at Virginia Hot Springs. in which he admitted he had done things during his administration which, had he an opportunity to do aagin. he might do differently, occa-
 stoned no very great excitement. His statement that he did not look for much reduction ip the cost of living
 was a disappointment to his friends.
 Republicans and democrats alike agrse 1 that the cost of living is beginning 10
 be political question of enormous mo- ment.
 l It is generally believed there will be 1 no great surprises in the presidential message It will attract more atten- l tion as MT Taft's last appeal, at least during this administration. than be- cause of any sensational features in tfS subject matter Federal incorporation. amendments to the sherman act and u strong plea to the Senate for the
 ratification of the arbitration treaties will be the most important of.the suh- jects 1t will deal with. The Panama canals administration is beginning 10 loom large. now that the great ditch is approaching its completion, and the ,.+fII l.a noticed with interest. To my mind his army reorganizati tion plan which will provide for the elimination of exist ing departments and the substitution of divisions therefor. will be among its most important features: but then am assured by friends that l am m army crank. l glory in the reputa- tion. His recommendation of military administration for the Panama canal zone may meet opposition but tho army's records down in Cuba and in Porto Rico and the Philippines were so fine that his opposition will quite possibly be early quelled
 Mr Ta1t's main argument for new trust legislation will be. l am informed, the fact that the existing law seems to baffle all
 interpreters his tariff recommendations may, of course be easily predicted in ad- vance.
 The meeting of the national republican cO1nnlltee Here DeceInDef IS not cOnSlu- cred likely to develop anything at all sen- sational. In all human probabilities ltte will be done save the selection of the con vention city. No one seems quite willing to prophecy what will be done with Sen ator Bourne's two suggestions, which may be voted on, and then, again. may npi. One of these deals with presidential pri- maries, the other calls for state represen- tation in the convention .proportioned on the states total vote during the last na- tional campaign. I am told Ralph Will Hams, state committeeman from Oregon, will refuse to present the propositions of his senator, and that task will be per- formed by Alfred T. Rogers from Wis consin.
 Taft's Enemies
 Mir. Taft's friends have expressed their firm belief that only three members of the committee-Rogers of Wisconsin. Thorson of South Dakota and Borah of Idaho are really hostile to the President, are even possibly hostile to the President, and that Borah's hostility is doubtful But I have been informed by some that this is sad underestimate. The talk of the selection of national chairman at this meeting is regarded by the wise quite unjustfied. A somewhat unexpected development of the last few days has been the inspired statement tlat MT Taft will not insist on the selection of Collector Loeb for tho position.
 The suggestionthat definite effort will be made to bring about presidential pri- maries may be regarded as having been almost officially contradicted by the em- phasis with which Secretary to the Press- dent Hiles hastens to deny that he per sonaily favors such U plan. He says that at present as there is no law to govern such primary, the matter would be diff ficut of arrangement. Such primaries held now would invite repeaters, demo- crats could not be excluded, the deuce, generally, would be to pay if the attempt should now be made, he seems to think, and who would pay the cost? There arc no public funds available.
 For time it was believed Chicago had the lead of the cities now competing as possible convention sites, but nearly all the talk I heard today emphatically fla vored Denver Cincinnati and St. Louis seemed to be distinctly in the running, have undoubtedly lost friends of late. And one thing is -almost-that Is. that the convention will be carly. The President and his friends are anxious for long campaign.
 Chairman Underwood of the House ways and means committed. himself Il presidential possibility of moment if not
 
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