Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1911-12-01
TAFT DEFENDS
ALL HIS ACTS
Takes People Into His Conf
dence in Interview Regard
ing His Administration.
WOULD CUT WOOL DUTY
The Outlook This Week Con-
tains the Presidents Own
View Frankly Expressed.


In an authorized interview which he
gave to Francis ID. Leupp and which
viii appear In this weeks number of
the Outlook has taken the public into
I his confidence regarding many of his
policies. The article, which Is entitled
president Taft,s Own View" gives
for the first time the inside history of
the hurried concentration of troops on
! the border when the revolution in Mex
ke was assuming serious proportions.
The president defends the acts OF bis
administration that have aroused criti,
efsm and tells OF the occasions on
which be was compelled to compromise
on measures to which he was commit
ted. He discussed with frankness his
reasons and plans and declares that his
acts have not been influenced by the
possibility Of a second term.
Discusses the Tariff.
Some other extraets from the inter
view are:
Il think that even the inner circle of
protectlonists concede that the wool
and wooden tariff needs trimming
down, the only question being IS to
the amount and method. / had no
fault to firal with either Democrats or
insurgents for trying to reduce any
duties they chose What I object to
Is disturbing the business of the coun-
try today. when there Is nothing bet
ter than guesswork to proceed upon.
and In disturbing It afresh SIX months
later when the best available informa-
ton Is before US. do not Join fn the
charge Of Inconsistency against the
Democrats for compromising with La
Toilette on the wool schedule instead
Of standing by their own figures. II
they could not get all the reduction
they asked for they were quite insti.
fed IN taking what they could get
Obtained Some Reductions.
.'In spite of such handicaps | did Sc.
cure tariff radraetfens On d number OF
frems. Including several raw materials.
] induced Aldrich to cut down his
nmende6 cotton schedule about 10 Der
cent. made like attempt with
wool. but 1t wouldn't work La either
house. ! got hides on the free list and
lower duty on coal, iron ore and
scrap iron. IL the Payne bill had
passed the senate In the shape in
which 1t passed the house there would
have been little serious censure of 1t In
the country at large, realize NOW
though that I made one mistakc- ]
ought to have nude as strong point
on paper as did on hides
Mr.. Taft told the story OF corpora.
Gon tax, Of which tax he says be is
9ery proud.
Favors Alaskan Development.
Fer another thing we ought to OBJ
Ain some legislation which will en-
0ble Alaska to develop without infring-
ing on our broad policy Of conserya-
ton. Then there is the question OF
ratifying the peace treaties with Eng
land and France and the fiscal treaties
with Honduras and Nicaragua, which
in their way are peace treaties also, as
their purpose is to remove one of the
most prolific causes OF war"
TO the question Have you ever pub
lished your reasons for concentrating
troops on the Mexican border last
spring7'' Mr.. TAFT replied;
The whole thing was done between
two days Congress was In recess,
and Secretary Knox was out Of town.
had no one to counsel with on for
eign matters. Disquieting rumors from
Mexico were reaching here, and as Mfr.
Wilson, our ambassador, who had been
called north by the Illness OF bis
mother, came to see me and revealed
his fears in full became convinced
that the rebellion was much more seri-
GUS than we had suspected and that
no matter how 1t might end, for the
time being good many Americans in
Mexico were in danger. 1t seemed to
me my duty was clear Under all tue
conditions 1t was quite within my prov
fnce as commander In chief to order
fhe army out for maneuvers. so | put
that phase en- 1t and ordered $4,000 to
the southern frontier
simultaneously took care to assure
the Mexican authorities that the move
had no significance which could be tor
tured into hostility to the government
or Mexico. also forbade cur own OF
fieers 10 permit the slightest thing to
be done By their men which would
bear such construction Tile action
was Il complete success"