Yellowstone monitor. [volume] (Glendive, Mont.) 1905-1928, 1911-02-09
THURSDAY. FEB. 8. 1911.
WASHINGTON LETTER


good fruit. China has since regar-
ded this country as her best friend,
and has sought advice and guidance
from US on matters affecting her in
ternational relations. At the pres
ent time the Chinese government is
defraying the expenses Of upwards
of one hundred students every year
in American universities. These stu
dents, as they graduate, return to
China and are scattered among the
different provinces of China for the
purpose of gradually Americanizing
the people and customs of that
country.
The formation of the National
Progressive Republican League in
the fight betMeen the insurgents
and standpatters to control the Re
publican party is exciting consider
able comment. The President is
said to be concerned over the mat
ter and to regard it as an attempt
to contest his denomination in 1912.
He is undecided whether to appear
Indifferent to the League or to pre-
pare to oppose its activities. The
attitude of Theodore Roosevelt
toward the League is also causing
much speculation. From his utter
ances in the Outlook and on the
platform, he is thought to be entire
1y in accord with the principles of
the new organization, but whether
he endorses its reported intention Of
urging the nomination Of Senator
LaFollette for president is an open
question. The principles of the
League are brief. It aims to restore
government to the hands of the PEG
pie; to prevent corrupt use Of money
in elections; to provide for popular
election of senator's; to secure direct
primaries; to simplify presidential
elections, and to establish the initia
tive referendum and recall. This
enunciation of so-called Republican
principles sounds like a political
platform written by Williom Jen-
nings Bryan. and demonstrates how
much political lines have been shift
ted in recent years.
Politics, foreign relations and
ship subsidies seem to be strangely
mixed in the new and great Amer
lean Idea'' in which the leaders Of
the Republican party are seeking to
interest President Taft and the peo-
pie Of the United States. This idea
is to build railway throug North,
Central and South America, so it
will be possible to transport mer-
chandise by rail from this country
as far as the Straits of Magellan, if
desired. Politics are involved in it
because the leaders Of the Republi-
can party seek to follow the exam
pie Of Bismarck who, when the Ger
man Empire was torn with internal
dissensions, preclpitated the Franco
Russian War in order 10 take the
eyes of the German people from
their troubles al home and direct
them toward foreign conquest. For
eign relations are involved in the
idea because the apparent failure Of
the favorite plans Of President Taft
and Secretary Knox to capture the
Far East as an American market
makes it necessary to provide an
other outlet for American manufac-
lures. Ship subsidies are involved
because if American products can be
distributed throughout Central and
South America without ships, the
necessity for a subsidized merchant
marine will disappear. The vast
ness Of the undertaking is realized,
but the American people are
thought to be capable of carrying it
through
This question of ship subsidies is
being agitated again before Con-
gress with the backing of President
Taft. 1t is insisted that all Ameri-
can business which appears or ships
for the transportation Of either its.
raw materials or finished products is
paying to foreign ship owners a tax
or tribute greatly in excess of tariff
duties and that a constant stream Of
revenue which should remain in this
country to fill the arteries of COM
merce is drawing off to other coun-
tries. The project IS encountering