The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-02-14
CREAM OF THE PRESS.
COMMENTS AND CRITICISMS IN
THOUGHTFUL WRITER'S.

bitclN tuulplhln1 justly ol iu' d''iotHn'
q furnished him in the Signal Service
=, Bureau He has had sixteen second
licutenants appointed for this work. and
? Of this number only two have proved
competent Three have NOT yet been
4 thoroughly tested, two have died, and
the other nine have proved incompetent
physically or professionally.
o The officers OF the Signal Service
C Bureau should be the very best men that
"a can be obtained The duties that de-
4 volye upon them require q special traln-
ID ing rs well as good sense and intelligence.
The bureau is still in It's iniancw its
r methods are, 10 certain extent, crude.
p and the results, in many respects. un-
satisfactory. The system needs to DE de-
velOped i'm many essential particulars.
j but that can never be accomplished un-
G. less the officers in charge are men with
, brains enough 10 recognize the mistakes
made and to devise methods for prevent
u ing their recurrencc-N !. star.
70 CUBA-Tne strategic importance of
, Cuba. commanding as 10 does the en-
trance 20 the Gulf of Mexico. wc have
often indicated Dui Whatever may Doe
it, present usefulness on that score, thi.
{ would be signally enhanced after lho
completion OF trans-isthmian canal.
whether al Panama or Nicaragua. The
possession Of Cuba wOnid in time of War
be apt TO carry with 10 the control Of tle
) inter-Oceanic waterway This is so OBJ
. vious that. bad the project of VI. DE Les
seps been carried out and the lsthmu- q.
Panama passed under French influence
an overture from France for The pur-
, chase of the island might have followed
as q natural event
That the development OF Cuba agIi-
cultural resources would be immensely
stimulated by American enterprise and
capital is unQuesiiOnable Indeed, tine
mere abolition of the Spanish fiscal sys-
tenn might suffice to revive tic prosperity
Of the island.-Aetc Iork Sun.
GERMANY AND AAiERICA-The United
Empire of Germany and the United Eu-
pire of the United States are drifting in-
to position toward each other which
may have results which the regrets of
hundred years VIII not wipe out And
what about About Samoa; about an
island group lying in a distant ocean. of
limited area, insignificant popula ion
and small and remote commercial or poe
litical importance.
This Samoan question is just The Kind
Of quest on to form welcome stock in
trade Tor a gift enterprise politician u
offers a chance for somebody 90 make q
noise and Claiicr for his own benefit. au
opportunity for a political Bauum 90
make himself conspicuous DIS gulI.n-
the public. IL oilers a tempting 0ppOr-
tusity for the party presently To- come
/ into power 10 fix the public attention
upon themselves and develop what 10 is
hoped may look like greatness.
hat is ALL For how are we going to
/ fight Germany Are We going 90 in-
wade Germany Or is Germany going
TO invade the United Staies-N }
HeraM
A SENSIBLE WOMAN.-Nrs Harrison.
who will soon be The lady of the White
House is O sensible woman, andis likely
20 prove q worthy successor OF The
universally beloved Mrs. Cleveland
She has announced that If She wishes
TO see any of her friends in Washington
she viii call on them, regardless of court
etiquette, and why not; II is necessary
TO observe the rules of ceremony ON
ceremonious occasions but that is no
reason why MIS- Harrison can't De
social woman and have friends and
enjoy them.
Then Mrs. Harrison proposes 90 wear
her dresses reasonably LONG 40 The TOP
and reasonably short 40 the bottom as
shall suit her own sense of mOdesty and
Droprety, and The public Will again say
that she is a sensible exemplar Tor Amer
can women Philadelphia Times
A RAID BY sromsMrN.-It is not
Democratic but Republican authority
which describes President-elect Harrison
as oyerrun by horde of oiiice-seekers
The thousands OF Otlice-seeking letters
and applications which have poured in
upon him since his election, writes The ,
IriJUHes correspondent, "haye eugrossed +
much of his time and about all of Pd. p
yate Secretary Haliords' An even q
more serious encr0achment upon the b.
time of the President.elect "has been in. d
hicted by the personal visitation of those =
seeking something themselves or urging D.
the claims of their favOriie Cabinet can. .
didates. " T. World
BIC JIM BLAINE. lis SAY.-C0l0nel .
Julian Allen, OF StatesyiIle, n O., related .
to-day a conversation be had in Wash 81
iugtOn with Mr. James g. Blaine, who is
an intimate friend of some years stand g.
ing Mt. Blaine said of the South Thai 4.
IL would have 10 work out the solution d
of the race problem for itself in the f..
selection of Federal officials for the o
Southern States. Mr. Blaine led ColOnel l
Allen TO think that be would j.
favor the appointment Of conservative c.
Republicans-men who had laid aside "a
the hatreds and bitterness of war times 81.
and were aiming al the development Of Oh
the country and the happiness and The D.
welfare of the people. In many WAYS 81
Nj Blaine expressed his concern for the Oil
welfare of the South. He convinced
Colonel Allen that when he took bis b.
seat in President Harrison Cabinet be CT
would prove as good friend of the a.
south as that portion OF The country ,
aver had. D4
Mr. Blaine also spoke with freedom a
about his acceptance OF the Office of Sec o.
etary OF state IN General Harrison o-
cabinet, and said that the President d.
lect rendered him the place very few
lays alleI the eleclOui ana ola 10 ia --
uch a cordial way that be at once ac- 81"
epted Il ia the same spiTit.-N. !. o.
FOrld L.
d.
AsfATIc YANKEEs twenty years ago
be MikadO of Japan was regarded Dy
lis subjects as @ divinity When he re-
eiyed his courtier5 or statesmen a screen ul
'as drawn down so as 10 hide bis face -
meant death for any native who dared ID.
> raise his eyes from The ground In the L..
imperial presence, and when dis Majesty Us
assed through the streets of bis capital --
very blind was drawn and every win III
wv clOsed.-kachange '-
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