The Republican journal., 1916-04-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.

WASHINGTON, D. c., April "a, 1916 A semi
secret rush order from the War Department
for bids for military tractors for road scrapine
and road grading in Mexico is causing great
speculation. Coupled with Carranza's atti-
tude, the War Departments move is taken in
some quarters to imply that the United States
troops will stay in Mexico long while. Any
how, the War Departments depot quarter
master at New York has wired several big
tractor manufacturers to send in bids immedi-
atey.
The recent need for motor trucks for trans
porting supplies to General Pershings invad-
ing forces was great that two motor truck
companies took big consignments of trucks
already aboard ship and destined for the AL
lies, unlocked them and sold them to the United
States at $500 less on each truck than they
were to receive from foreign purchasers.
A quick run of the Mayfower, the Presi-
dents yacht, into port, last Sunday, did not
save the presidential party from bad storm
and some seasickness. The President and
Mrs. Wilson are accustomed to take little
weekend voyages down around Hampton
Roads, where the old Monitor and Merrimac
fought. Sometimes the yacht noses its way
up little river and the President and Mrs
Wilson go ashore and visit old Virginia land
marks. On their last trip, of the Chesa-
peake Bay squalls struck the presidential
yacht and stirred things up badly for all on
board.
The early opening of the Washington base
ball season is expected to bring out the usual
large number of distinguished fans, one of the
most enthusiastic of which, in Washington, is
Vice President Marshall.
When the statue of Admiral Barry was I'M
yelled in Washington the Vice President was
asked if he were not going to be among the
galaxy of other high dignitaries.
NO. said he 81 never had the honor of
the acquaintance of the distinguished admiral,
but do know Walter johnson and he is going
to pitch today, so l am going to the ball
game" And the Vice President went to the
game.
No other set of men were more interested
in the outcome of the Willard-Mora fight
than the crew of the Presidents yacht, on
which few years ago, Frank Moran was an
able seaman. Down at the Washington Navy
Yard, where the Maybe ties up, Moran is
remembered good clean man with host
of friends and two clever fists. as many men,
bers Of the Mayfower's crew can test,fy-and
they like to do it. From the stories they tell,
M oran must have pommeled the entire crew.
The national law makers are speeding up.
With calendar as full of big measures as any
other Congressional calendar has been in
years, the legislative program is being pushed
forward with great rapidity as the many
snags will permit. Washington is beginning
to guess adjournment. There is much
speculation that July and August will see the
end of the long session, yet there are well
known Senators and Representatives who de-
clare that Congressman will still be sitting
when the snow flies next fall.
Washington notables are fighting over two
smokestacks. Senators and Representatives
and such men as Alexander Graham Bell, in
ventor of the telephone; Samuel Gompers,
president of the American Federation of La
Dor; Frank Carpenter and Fired" Haskin, we'll
known newspaper writers, doctors. lawyers,
judges. bankers; Mrs. William Cumming Story,
Revolution. and general COMMITTEE of One
Hundred" have started fight against the
erection of two tall smoke stacks on the pro-
posed central heating plant down by the Po-
tomac. This vigilance committee" declares
the smokestacks will obscure the view OF build
ings and would be exactly contrary to the
original plans of l. Enfant, EN- ployed by George
Washington and Thomas Jefferson to plan the
Nations future capital The fight is raising
lot of smoke.