| THe, ; 
National Capital 
Events of Interest from the Seat of 
Government 
By J. E. Jones 
The Breeze Bureaa, 
Washington, Dec. 29, 1914. 
THE IssuE oF 1916. 
The Democrats claim that they 
have a walk-away in 1916. 
The Republicans assert that the 
country is already tired of the Dem- 
ocratic administration, and _ they 
charge that the low tariff has been 
producing hard times. Their theory 
is that they will have a walk-away in 
1916. 
Progressives confidently assert that 
the only strength in either one of the 
old parties remains in the pledges to 
the people that they will carry out 
Progressive principles in the future. 
They assert that notwithstanding the 
fact the they slumped nearly three- 
- fourths of their strength in the recent 
election, that the reason all laid in the 
fact that the Progressives joined with 
the Republicans simply to lick the 
Democrats. These Progressives in- 
sist that in a national election where 
a President is to be voted for that the 
most progressive members of both the 
old parties will stand together for 
real progressive progressism under 
the Progressive party banner in 1916. 
The Prohibition party is “perking 
up,’ and its members assert that the 
country is coming around their idea 
by leaps and bounds. Their joy 
knows no bounds since they attained 
a majority in the House of Represen- 
tatives on the question of a constitu- 
tional amendment providing for na- 
tional prohibition. 
Who will deny that America is 
next door to political utopia, since 
nearly every one interested in politics 
can figure out their coming victories? 
THe Post OFFriceE SuRPLUS 
Former Postmaster General Hitch- 
cock claimed to have achieved a sur- 
plus in the Post Office Department, 
but no sooner did he lose himself in 
the mining regions of Arizona than 
his successor, General Burleson, chal- 
langed the statement, and claimed that 
there had been a deficit of nearly a 
million dollars. Now the Postmaster 
General asserts that he has a real sur- 
plus of receipts of $3,500,000 or more, 
over operating expenses. Perhaps it 
serves Mr. Burleson right to have the 
critics refuse to admit his claim. They 
declare that if all the general ex- 
penses were paid from postal receipts, 
and not from the Treasury direct, 
NOR DH ORE) Ban Zi 
that the surplus would vanish into 
thin air. Postmaster Generals have 
been juggling with the puzzles of sur- 
plus and deficits for years, principally 
because there has never been an in- 
telligent accounting in the Post Office 
Department. They do not know, and 
neither does anyone else know, the 
true state of Post Office finances. 
Millions of dollars worth of public 
property and buildings owned and oc- 
cupied by the government appear to 
obscure the power of the Department 
to arrive at a true balance. 
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS 
The evidence is strong that the peo- 
ple who would dig into conditions 
surrounding the lack of national pre- 
paredness are losing ground. Presi- 
dent Wilson and the “War Ministers” 
of the Cabinet promptly discouraged 
a Congressional investigation, and 
former President Taft came to the 
support of the Administration in say- 
ing that such investigations are use- 
less. The result of the agitation indi- 
cates that the numerous investigations 
which have heretofore been had along 
these lines produced more informa- 
tion than the country is willing or able 
to use. Uncle Sam apparently has a 
lot of cards up his sleeve which he 
could use in the war game if it really 
became necessary. 
Tuer CALIFORNIA EXPOSITIONS 
It has been announced that the 
opening of the San Diego Exposition 
has been postponed for several 
weeks. The San Francisco Exposi- 
tion*apparently has become a sort of 
side issue for the San Diego affair, if 
one is to judge conditions by the rep- 
resentation given to the two shows in 
the public print. Both Expositions 
claim, as the reason for their exist- 
ence, that they are commemorating 
the completion of the Panama Canal, 
and while in these troublesome war 
times the Panama Canal is remaining 
neutal, yet there appears to be little 
neutrality among the competing ex- 
positions. The California people are, 
to outward appearances, working 
without friction, yet it is a well 
known fact that one of the big trans- 
continental railroads is backing the 
San Diego proposition as a competitor 
of the San Francisco fair. The ex- 
periences of past years has demon- 
strated that one great expostion has 
been sufficient to satisfy everybody 
for a period of several vears, but Cali- 
fornia is defying the fates and is at- 
tempting to pull off a double-header. 
Of course it is unfortunate for the 
promoters of the Expositions that 
there should be a great war to detract 
attention from the magnificent fairy- 
lands they claim to have created. Per- 
3 
haps the most disastrous feature will 
be the discouragement of exhibitors. 
The California people are keeping 
mum about this important phase of 
the situation. The schemes by which 
people are induced to save up their 
money, or enter competitions to secure 
transportation to California, are not 
producing much enthusiasm.  Cali- 
fornia is a great state and a wonder- 
ful show in itself, but the indications 
are that it has an overdose of exposi- 
tions. 
Firty YEARS AT THE WHITE House 
Colonel William H. Crook is chief 
disbursing officer at the White House. 
On January 5th he will complete his 
fifty years of service as a White 
House employee. Colonel Crook was 
the bodyguard of President Lincoln 
and he has known the family life and 
habits of every occupant of the Exe- 
cutive Mansion for half a century. At 
one time he wrote his reminiscences, 
and they were published in the Satur- 
day Evening Post. Through chivalry 
he made it appear that all our Presi- 
dents were fine men. Colonel Crook 
was the bodyguard of President Lin- 
coln and was constantly with him in 
the Civil War. He was off duty t’:e 
night Lincoln was assassinated. He 
is the grand old man at the White 
House lot. 
Tue Lireracy TEST 
The Washington government real- 
izes that now more than ever 
there should be intelligent legislation 
in reference to immigration. Presi- 
dent Wilson reiterates the contentions 
of President Taft, who vetoed an im- 
migration bill just before the close of 
his term, that the literacy test is fair 
neither to the immigrant nor to the 
country. While the United States 
has held open its doors to desirable 
immigrants, yet there has been a 
strong sentiment that more restrictive 
methods should be adopted. Evvident- 
ly President Wilson and his predeces- 
sor believe that all other conditions 
being favorable, it is time enough for 
immigrants to learn to read and write 
the English language after entering 
upon their residence in this country. 
PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE 
A Committee of the United States 
senate has been holding hearings upon 
the bill designed to give ultimate in- 
dependence to the Philippine Islands. 
It is determined that such a policv 
will be carried out; but there appears 
to be a great deal of lack of decision 
as to the manner in which this is to 
be brought about. 
The Breeze $2 a year postpaid. 
