River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-02-04
WASHINGTON LETTER
from James A. FreaF, Member OF Conuress.
10Th District.

!
merits of the bill under considera.
ton Senator Gallinger of New
Hampshire, the Republican leader,
who is seventy-seven years 0 d,
spoke seven hours at a stretch one
day last week. Eastern lingo pa.
pers say that a vote against the bill
is in favor of the shipping trust,
but it is familiar course for such
papers to ascri5e improper motives
to legislative acts. Many vessel
owners are anxious to sell their
ships to the Government, and are
pursuing he usual means of influ
encing public sentiment, but it is
! significant that never has the pur-
chase question arisen, and that al
ready several of the European coun-
tries have in semi.oficial way in,
Dictated that such purchase will in
evitably involve h S country in
International complications wi h
the warning nations across the sea.
Representative Richard Pearson
Robson of Alabama, in spectacu-
lar speech delivered last week ia
the House, declared that the United
States IS to release the Philippines
as price of peace with Japan, and
that England will help Japan against
the United States if Jailed upon to
do so. 1t was remarkable state
ment to make, but Mr.. Hobson has
been accredited With IS e ing
things" relating to Japan for many
years because of his big navy pro-
gram. Possibly he has secret sourc-
eS of information which he will not
make public, but from personal
knowledge | can say the members
of the Insular Affairs Committee of
the House when acting Oh the Phil
any Japanese dem 4nds as claimed
by Hobson, His charge involving
the Wilson administration in a sec
ret agreement with Japan were i'm
medlately denied by Secretary Of
State Bryan.
X X
On the same day that Hobson
made his attack on the Administra-
ton, Representative WitherspOon
of Mississippi, an authority on nav
al affairs, demonstrated on the floor
that the American navy is far more
powerful than any navy in the
world, E gland alone excepted. He
made detailed comparisons between
German and Japanese vessels and
gave abundant official authority for
his statements. With nearly one
hundred and fifty millions spent an
nually for our navy, it does not
seem to be niggardly policy, al
though naval officers demand larg
er expenditures, and fabricated war
rumors are always sprung when the
naval bill is before the House.
X X X
Old Uncle Joe Keifer of Ohio en-
loved debates in the House during
last week and promises to come
back TO the next Congress, although
he has just reached MS seventy
ninth year, thereby disproving Or
Osler's theory that old men are on
ly subject to death a burial.
When | was youth attending law
school here in the city, Keifer pre-
sided as Speaker for a term, and
when | told him l was frequently
anchored up in the gallery in those
days, he launched into reminiscens-
es of Alexander Stevens, Vice Presi-
dent of the Confederacy, and other
Southern mem oers OF that date, in
Guiding Tom Reid, Garfield Ran
dali, Carlisle and others who have
become famous in later years.
A Jim Crow bill requiring sepa-
rate street cars in Washington for
colored people has been reported
out of the com mittee. 1t is another
move toward segregation; althoug
the cars are required to have equal
furnishings aad service with those
furnished white people. Every Sec
ond and fourth Monday the House
organizes itself into a sort of city
council and legislates for Washing
ton. Thus the capitol city becomes
sort of experimental o p for
legislation on the same theory that
the sick man first tried all proposed
| remedies on his dog in order to