The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1912-03-01

dent Taft, contained two letters from
Mr.. Taft giving his reasons for not
permitting Major Ray to Be court
martialed on charge brought against
him by his personal clerk, who &C.
cused Major Ray of misconduct in
volving his. the clerks wife. The
president said that, In his opinion,
"the honor Of the army and the good
name of a woman" would suffer IL Ma
3or Ray were courtmartialed.
Washington, ID. c. The tarin
legislation program in the senate will
be framed at conferences which the
Democrats. the progressive Republi-
cans and the regular Republicans are
planning to hold very soon after the
finance committee concludes its hear
ings on the house steel revision bill.
That will be early in March.
Democratic leaders virtually have
decided to make a firm stand for the
house measure with perhaps a modifi-
cation which would not interfere with
party solidarity in congress, and then.
having gone on record for the straight
Democratic bill to endeavor to reach
some common ground with the pro-
gressive Republicans.
The regular Republicans have not
yet had a final conference on the
committees procedure, but In all prob
ability will rest on the absence OF a
report from the tariff board and sim
ply bring In an adverse report on the
house measure. They are not unani-
nous on that point. however. Some
insist that the committee should re.
port Republican substitute for the
measure passed by the Democratic
house.
Progressive Republican senators
have talked over the situation infor.
nally and while there has been no
general conclusion reached. the plan
of some of those most active is to
make some concessions for the Demo
Gratis II the concessions asked are not
too great. The progressive demand is
for a reduction Of the duties, but not
such a reduction as will carry the
tariff below the protective point.
Some of the more conservative pro-
gressives. however, are already dis.
GUESSING the advisability of waiting a
reasonable time for the tariff boards
report.
The finance committees hearings on
the steel bill were enliyened with an
| attack by w. u. Follansbee, a Pitts
burg tin plate manufacturer, on the
house subcommittee which framed the
bill. Mr.. Follansbee who also repre-
scented IA other independent tin plate
manufacturers. denounced the bill as
! too drastic. lie said the ways and
! means committee was not competent
to deal with an industry that had mil.
lions of dollars invested and employ
ed thousands Of men.
Washington, ID. G. - Colombia yir.
tually repudiated the action of its
minister. Senior Pedro Mel Ospina. by
sending through American Minister
Du Bots, at Bogota. a cordial invita-
ton to Secretary Of State Knox to
visit Colombian shores on his present
trip to the republics on the caribbean
| sea.
The invitation was forwarded
promptly to Secretary Knox. who is
aboard the cruiser Washington, on
his way south. With him rests the
decision whether he will change his
intinerary to include a call at the
port of Cartagena. This, 1t is ex-
pected here. he will do.
The action Of the Colombian for
eign Office was received here with sat
isfaction. 1t closes "A disagreeable Incl
dent.
Minister Ospina protested against
the proposed visit of Secretary Knox
because Of feeling in Colombia
against the United States, said to be
attributable to the acquisition by this
country of the Panama canal zone.
Although press dispatches from b.
gotta announced that Minister Ospina
had been recalled because OF his let
ter. no official notification OF the
action has reached Washington
/ Marble .. c. c. Secretary.
Washington. ID. c. - John II. Mar.
BILE. chief of the division Of prosecu-
tons of the interstate commerce COM
mission. has been appointed secretary
of the commission, to succeed Edward
A. Mosely, who died last April.
| Turk Warshjp Sunk; 30 Die.