SKETCHES FROM AMERICA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2761, 13 February 1907, Page 86

SKETCHES FROM AMERICA.

Bt Maorhaxba.

(For the Witness.)

Little of moment has occurred here during the past week, so the appointment of President Roosevelt as a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize and the attack on him by Bellamy Storer, the recently-recalled American Ambassador, have been welcomed as forming topics for conversation as well as subjects for newspaper articles. Few Americans are surprised at the choice of the Norwegian Parliament, for many expected that the honour would have fallen to their President last year, and we were disappointed that it should have gone instead to Baroness yon Suttner, the writer of the book that influenced the Tsar to call the Peace Conference.

There may be two opinions as to the fitness of the "Rough-rider" President — who, with the Kaiser, is often regarded as one of the world's firebrands — for the recipient of the gift known primarily as the "Peace Prize," but there cannot be two questions as to the admirable manner in which he has arranged for its bestowal. It is to form the foundation >f a fund (which others many contribute to at will), the interest of which, is to be employed to bring together representatives of capital and labour to enable them to discuss on equal terms the problems affecting the mutual welfare of the two great classes. Roosevelt himself will retain no power of conti'ol over the fund. This is to be vested in the "Industrial Peace Committee," as the 6ix trustees are to be collectively named. Four of these are already chosen — the Chief Justice of the United States, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce and Labour, and John Mitchell, the Englishman (but a. naturalised American citizen), whose name became famous during- the terrible coal strike of 1902. A capitalist, "a man conspicuous for his fair dealing," is yet to be chosen. There is to be an annual conference, but special meetings may be called when a crisis creates a demand. The committee is open to suggestions, and will publish accounts of its discussions and deliberations. The representatives of labour and capital are to serve for a year, and upon their retirement are to select men to replace them. At the end of the second year the four_will take part in the choice. When six have been retired, the two oldest ia peTk)d of service shall resign, so that noir more than six will take part in the choice. Any vacancy among the other members of the board will be filled by the then President of the United States.

Roosevelt is the first American to share in the grandly-conceived plan of the justlyfamous scientist, Dr Alfred Bernhard' Nobel.

The public attack on the President by Bellamy Storer has made a considerable amount of stir, and the newspapers have cotnfr out with gigantic headlines, such as "President Accused of Double-dealing," "Roosevelt Denounced as Headstrong," and "President Brands Storer as a Liar." But there are few whose faith in Roosevelt has been shaken, despite the mud slung. For the most part all agree that the publication of his letters concerning the case has but heightened his reputation. Those in which his advocacy of the choice of Archbishop Ireland as a cardinal was voiced! in such a way that use could be made of his words and opinion were written, before the tragey at Buffalo had lifted him from the nominal position of Vicepresident to that of Chief Executive. When once he entered the White House and took the Presidential oath, Roosevelt wrote definitely to Storer, pointing out that the President of the American Republic could be neither Catholic nor Protestant, and that as his position would now weight his words with undue authority, they must not now be used to advance the cause of the Archbishop, though his friendship and admiration for the man remained the same.

Unfortunately, Mts Storer in particular, who seems to have looked upon her position as quite as "official" as that of her husband, preferred to follow the previous "instructions," as she called Roosevelt's private views. Her actions and moves in the matter quickly became common talk, and the discovery that the lady was concerning herself in diplomatic and ecclesiastic intrigues (backed in a large measure by tbe authority of Roosevelt's words), when her position was such t hat people found it impossible to differentiate between her and her husband's private and official acts, caused the President acute <iiio\jucp. Ho wrote emphatically, sawn.: that such moves must be discontinued. Not receiving answers as speedily as he had counted upon, he then wired asking for Mr Storer s immediate resignation. Upon the ex Ambassador's return he published in pamphlet form all the letters on the eontroversv, and supplied copies not only to the Pr« bident and -members of the Congress hut to several newspapers.

•'As some of Mr Storcr'b sUU-ments ap-t-oar to have stretched and distorted the truth, and it was possible that the peneral public might not consider the letters in their proper order of d.ite, Roosevelt judged it widest to make the brief statement, the priiiuiiJ.il points oi uhkh I have hero outlined. His conception of his office ib high, hence he must not use it to further the interests of any individual — particularly in an indirect war. — though his peisonal opinion of the individual in question lemaincd as high as when, being but little more than a private citizen, Roosevelt could openly state his views ■« ltkout fear of misconception. California lias not been able to keep the eyes of the rest of the States upon her somewhat vaudeville-like affairs. For th most part people are content to await with, patience the outcome of the test case now under way. The plaintiff in the suit is a 10-year-old little Jap, and the battle is over "his right to an education among Californjan children in California's publicschools. Behind him, are great forces :, the

Federal power, stirred to action by theMikado : s envoys, against the strength of Caliromian feeling and the slogan of "State rights."' Few lave Califomians ;an be stirred to interest over the other troi'bles on the Pacific coast. What care they that daily mord discoveries and ""gigantic graft schemes"' cora& to light s " That Mayor Schmitz, erstwhile the earthquake hero, cams hastening back from Europe to meet the wretchfd charges his enemies hr.d preferred against him in his absence? That thi 1 chief of the police force is under arrest for perjury, and a score nrore prominent officials indited for various frauds from the stuffing of ballot boxes to the wholesale looting of tire treasury? Tne anli-Japanese movement has been endorsed by San Francisco's women, ard when one '"emembers the stand they took during the war with Spain, and how they i\i»oluLely declined to eat olives because those d-eiicaciea came from that country, no" would purchase Spanish onions, one is not surprised to hear that over 1500 Japanese servants have lost their posts since lasi week. 1-L.e- Japs themselves wait, undismayed. They are keenly alive to the dearth of "hired help"' and the unfitness of the Americans for such posts, and are also well, aware of the value of theix own deft lingers. ■ -

The fight agaiiist -the- Standard Oil Company promises to toe- a. fierce battle this time. Up to the present it is an American proverb that.no. one. o{ the Standard officials have erer been punished in a court of iv.w.

The .imoTmt rf tire Rockefeller weal h is one of the questions' the inquiry has brought up, and the actual figure has been stated for ths first time— ifc counts *o 60,000,000d0l a year, which means that it is accumulating at the rate of almost £150,000 % day! This certainly leaves Carnegie, with his 15 to 18 million per annual, far behind in the race >f wealth. Speaking of the fight now. being waged against the trusts reminds one of the extraordinary evidence regarding the methods of combines which has just been tendered before the Inter State Commerce Commissioner in the faction against the Utah Pacific Railroad, the Rio Grande, Western, and the allied coal companies, which have secured control of the coal deposits in Utah, wd by virtue of their dual powers are now absolute controller of the coal situation *rhroTiglio--afc fcHat Stace. The methods are spectacular, for the land was guarded by armed men, while shooting affrays were common, and the law of ihe courts openly scoffed at. A typical young Westerner, formerly the owner of %. large tract of valuable coal hind, was the star witness, and graphically described hotr his property had been wrested from him. He had opened the mine and prepared to work it, and was in actual possession, when members of the 3oal company arrived to say that he must accept 200dol and leave the place, or he would be driven out of the district. The dispute was unsettled when the miner was obliged to go to Alaska. A. telegram M>nbaininff the- news that his land had, been jumped again recalled him, and he returned to find the combine in occupancy, and to be warned that an attempt to go on to his property would mean certain death. He went; armed guards were on the ground. Shots were interchanged, but no one was actually wounded. A twoyears' legal fight then took place, and the combine finally offered terms when the young Westerner contrived to get a change of venue, and arranged to have the case tried elsewhere. He would be paid 22.000d0l if he would yield up undisputed possession of the ground. The miner would have held out, but, foreseeing death and ruin, hi& associates obliged him to yield. To-day the value of the property is estimated at hundreds of thousands of dollars.