Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-04-02

PRESIDENT Wilson will interDose his
veto. The friends of the test clause
IN congress, however, are insistent in
their belief that the measure will get
the presidents signature.
This division of opinion with friend
On one side and foe on the other
makes it appear that the wish is
father to the thought in each case.
Perhaps it is, but the accommodating
evidence is that while the president
personally is opposed to submitting
aliens to the reading test. he will
sign the bill with the Objectionable
clause included
Ask Reading Test.
The legislatures of Ohio, Tennessee,
Virginia and Vermont and of several
other states have adopted resolutions
asking congress to impose a reading
test on adult aliens seeking admission
to this country. The great labor or
CARNATIONS, the largest organizations
of farmers both of the North and
over the country have been petitioning
the lawmakers for years to put the
reading test" on the statute books.
1t is said in Washington that Pres1-
dent Wilson, while personally opposed
to the literacy test, has made up his
mind that he should pay heed to the
wishes of congress and especially to
report made by the commission
which spent four years investigating
and studying in this country and in
Europe the whole immigration sub
ject. The report of the commission
was made to congress some time ago.
The majority of the commission IA
vored not only writing test as "the
most feasible single method of re-
stricting undesirable immigration.
Strong feeling, bitter feeling, in fact,
is expressed by some members Of
congress against the reading test. The
basic argument of opponents of the
l1teracy clause is that this country
will be untrue to it's traditions and to
the spirit in which the republic was
founded if it shall refuse admittance
to men and women otherwise fit for
citizenship simply because they can
not read. These opponents of the lit
eracy test say that economic consider
atoms ought not to weigh against an
effort to maintain true democracy.
Great Naval Pageant.
1t finally has been definitely decided
by the navy department that the six
teen most formidable American battle
ships, the dreadnaughts of our navy,
shall be designated to lead the great
procession Of vessels through the Pan
Pacific on the occasion of the big cele-
bration marking, although some
months afterward, the completion of
the waterway
There has been no change of in
tention with regard to giving the place
of honor at the head of the line to the
old battleship Oregon, now almost out
Of date, but with a record which
makes it fitting that old as she is
and feeble by comparison as she is,
that she shall lead the way as she has
lead it on battle occasion once be-
Iol LII lHC lLl1IAlSulclCC w CiIAC Vi liz
Oregon will come the sixteen war
monsters of the American battleshtp
fleet.
The dreadnaughts of the navies Of
the world will pass in procession
through the Panama canal early next
year 1t will be power on parade"
The mountains back Of Culebra and of
Empire will look on a scene which
will diminish to nothingness the
scene of the sweep of the Spanish
Armada toward Marlborough Head.
Rapidly the preparations are max
ing for the gathering of the warships
in Colon harbor. 1t may be that the
great event may be set forward from
January to March, for it is possible
that the operating force of the canal
will not be trained to a point of eff
fciency to make it absolutely safe to
entrust it with the safeguarding of
the great fleets in their course from
ocean to ocean, but within twelve
months the procession will pass, and
1t will be such a one as never before
was witnessed in this world of ours.
Many Nations Promise.
Washington officials already have
been definitely informed that IS war
ships of foreign nations will take part
in the Panama canal parade. Tenta-
tive promises have been made that
| other ships of the alien" will be add
! ed to the list and that when the
great day comes there will be 10
foreigners in Jine to take the wake
Of the American craft.
While the American battleships will
lead the procession other American
vessels will be distributed at different
points along the line of parade. One
Yankee detachment will consist of
% torpedo boats and torpedo boat de-
stroyers.
Every nation on earth which has
navy, or enough Of a navy to supply
vessels for other than home guard
purposes, will be represented in the
sailing line.
1t is AZ miles from Colon harbor
to Panama harbor. The first eight
miles of the canal from the Atlantic
first of the flight of three locks built
by Lieut. Col. William L. Sibert will
be reached and each battleship must
be locked up the stairway separately.
Only one ship will be admitted to a
lock at a time, which means, how
ever, that locking operations for three
ships can be going on Simultaneous
". for the flight of three locks at
Gatun is so arranged that one vessel
can be on each one of the three steps
at once.
1t needs only an appreciation of the
huge number Of ships that are to be
locked through the Panama canal on
the day Of the great procession to
make one understand the delicacy and
res possibility of the work Of the ope-