Evening star., 1951-10-21
Big Job
Elder Toft Had 1t
Easy in 1909 ..
By J. A. O'Leuy

Senator Taft. Republican Of Ohio
is following in his fathers foot
steps in seeking the presidency,
but if he wins he will find the job
far bigger than it was when Will
liam Howard Taft took ONCE 42
years ago.
When the elder Taft was inau-
gurated in 1909. the population o.
the United States was 81 million.
The President today guides the des-
TIMES of more than $50 ,millioa
Americans.
When 20-year-old Robert watched
his father take over the reins of gov
ernment, total expenditures were
$693, TAB, 1886.
In the current fiscal year the bill
for River, Harbor and Flood Contro,
work alone is between $500 and $500
million. The Government will spen:,
between $68 and $40 billion for al.
purposes this year.
The daily routine of President Tai.
was leisurely compared to that of the
Chief Executive today.
In his first message in 1909 Presi-
dent Taft found it necessary to speak
only Of fortifying the newly buils
Panama Canal. Today the United
States is engaged in huge defenss
build-up to prevent third world war
and to halt Communist aggression in
Korea. and the Panama Canal is
only one small segment of the defense
set-up.
MiIitoy Expansion
At the end of his first year in the
White House President Taft advised
a military expansion-60 more OIL
GERS for the Army Engineer Corps,
Today the world situation is making
it necessary to draft men by the
thousands each month.
In the era of the elder Taft there
was no atomic bomb to worry about,
and the airplane had not yet become
an instrument Of war.
Even in President Taft's adminis-
tration there were scattered out
breaks of hostilities, but they seemed
remote with wide oceans, and the
necessity of crossing them in surface
ships.
In 1912 President Taft reported
to Congress that war between T,r-
Key and Italy had just come to a
close, but had been followed almost
Immediately by hostilities between
Turkey and Bulgaria. Greece. Mon
tenegro and Servia. Under the condi-
lions which then prevailed in the
world, President Taft was able to
add:
The United States has happily
been involved neither directly nor in.
directly with the causes or questions
incident to any of these hostilities
ana mas maintained in regard to them
an attitude of absolute neutrality and
complete political disinterestedness."
lie pointed out that the Red Cross
was helping to relieve the suffering
ana that he had dispatched two
cruisers to Turkish waters to protect
the lives of citizens.
Trouble in China
In some respects, however there
was closer parallel to present-day
conditions. In 1911 and 1912 there
We're political disturbances in China.
CHINA again today is one of the trou-
ole spots, except that now it is part
OF the worldwide struggle between
communism and the free nations.
In the domestic field, as well as in
foreign affairs. the job of being Presi-
oent was far simpler then. The big
home front issue in 1909 was enforc-
ing the ANTITRUST laws. This issue
now is overshadowed by many more
acute problems which flow from the
upset world condition. Today the
Dig domestic problem is how to curb
imitation which is famed by the ne
cessity for big defense outlays.
Control OF prices and wages. and
the ALLEGATION Of basic materials as
between defense and consumer needs
-unheard of then-present the
Government with major problem
today.
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