New-York tribune., 1912-02-03
From Thr Tribune Bureau
Washington. Februsr

iErom Th' Tribune buifh"'l
Washington, February :.
THE PRESIDENT LEARNlNd.-Presi-
dent Taft fold his friends to-day that We
believed he had learned the secret ol max
ing popular speeches. lie said that ne hau
discovered that as soon as ne oesah ~
talk about the peace treaties or other I'M
nortant matters OF national interest ne
ncvspaner men present lost interest, bu'
that II he talked politics and tne M
portance of restoring the Republican parry
to power In the Horse and continuing re
publican administration of both the Seha'e
and the executive branch OF the govern
uent The correspondents and reporters tooR
an intense interest and his words carried
far beyond those within reach OF his voice.
As consequence, the President declares
that he purposes to make ringing poitlcal
specchcs hereafter whenever he has oc-
casion TO speak at all and he has no
doubt that his words will be seized upon
and telegraphed to the four quarters OF
the country The Presidents experience
on his recent trip proved an eye opener 10
him. and Ee has learned the important les
son that important as certain subjects may
be 20 the welfare of the nation az a whole.
tics and an application to those conditions
with which they are familiar.
THE ARMY DEBATE.-Th liyelies, sort
Of debate on the army appropriation Dill -
promised at the House. The determination
of Chairman Hay. Of the Military Aha'rs
Committee, Ito bull through" his own
ideas with regard to the army. especially
the nvC-ycar enlistment proposition. has
aroused the minority 10 determined opposl-
ton. and while Democratic members pf
the committee are reluctant To oppose their
chairman. there is little doubt that many
Of them share the views Of tie minority on
this subject The scheme Of cnlisting men
for five years Is so foreign TO all the Ideals
and policies which have dominated the
government for years in It's control OF the
army that Republicans propose 10 protest
most vigorously, and they will do so with
absolute confidence that the people are
with them and that the Democrats are
making as serious mistaE" in this IN
stance as they did when they gave the formal
expression OF caucus mandate to their
hostility 10 the navy. In his report on the
army bill Mr. Hay has taken occasion TO
describe the views of the War Department
as "thoorctical and revolutionary views,
Championcd by an officer who has had no
experience whatever as a company off rer.
and whose entire experience IS a field or
iicer was limited to the Few days In 1898
when he COMMANDED a volunteer regiment
That Is, of course, a direct slam at General
Wood, chief OF stan, but Mr.. Hay appears
TO have forgotten that the views expressed
before the committee are those of Secretary
Stimson quite as much as those Of General
Wood, and that Secretary StimsOn ma le
remarkably favorable impression on 'he
members of the committee, who were
amazed at the mastery manner in wnicn
he had graspcd the problems Of his depart
mcnt and at the remarkable facility with
which he was able TO present them.
WEST POINT VACANCIES.-Spcak
Of secretary StimsOns views II is Of inter
cst 10 note that he has taken occasion To
urge on Congress the cXpedicncy of permit
tiIs the authorities at West Point to COM
mission altcrnatcs when the principals do
not pass the entrance examinations. In
order that the prevalence Of incomplete
classes may be avoided. This reform was
suggested as being in accord with the views
Of naval officers a. applied 10 the Naval