Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-09-07
THE SHIP OF STATE.
Doings Of the Government
at Washington.
PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS,
The Question of Preventing Deser
lions From the Army Receiving
Some Attention.

Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.
WASHINGTON, September 6.-The Pres
ident has appoint ed the following named
postmasters: Wilbur T. Norton at Alton
Ills, vice 7. Fl. Perrin, removed; Johr
A. Childs at Evanston, Ills, vice George
W. Hess, removed Jacob Freindlich
Mount Sterling, Ills, vice George W
Mcmillan, removed; Howard Wells
Rock Island, Ills, vice August Henising
removed; Harry Sanderson, at Win
chester, vice Samuel Berry, removed A
B. Roberts at Montrose, Colo, vice A
E. Budd, removed.
Levi w. Naylor, of Wisconsin, has
been appointed Postofice Inspector of the
Money Order Service, by transfer from
the Treasury Department.
The following Consuls were appointed
today: Joseph T. Mason, of Virginia,
Mann helm, Germany; Bernard g. Ma.
cauley, of New York, at Managua, Mica
rsgua; Allick Palmer, of the District OF
Columbia, at Dresden, Germany; John
D. Delittle, of Texas, at Bristol, Eng
land; Thomas H. Anderson, of Ohio,
Minister Resident and Consul General to
Bolivia; Edwin Dun, Secretary of Lega-
tion of the United States to Japan; Ar.
thur W. Barrett, of Massachusetts, Sec
rotary of Legation of the United States
to Venezuela; VIM. r. Gardiner, of In
diana, Second Secretary of Legation OF
the United States to Japan.
The President returned to this city
from Philadelphia this afternoon at
O'Clock.
SAN DOMINGO IN SULKS.
An official statement of the action OIL
the American nations upon the invita-.
ton to participate in the Congress next
month, was issued by the State Depart
ment today. 1t shows that every one
accepted the invitation except San
Domingo. The reason given by the
Government of that country for declin.
ing to participate, was that the treaty
negotiated by the representatives of the
latter country several years ago, failed
OF ratification by the Senate of the United
States.
PoSToFFICE STRIKE AvERTED.
The Acting Postmaster General today
received telegram from Spokane Falls,
W. T., conveying the information that a
majority Of clerks and the postmaster
had concluded to remain at their posts
and not strike on account of alleged in
adequate allowances for salaries, as they
threatened to do yesterday.
THE BELL TELEPHONE SUIT.
The suit of the United States Govern
ment against the Bell Telephone Com
pany has assumed a more definite
aspect. A paper filed in the Patent
Office assigns Senator Frank Jones, John
R. Bartlett and H. G. Andrews as abso-
lutte trustees. Absolute control of all
rights is held by the Peoples Telephone
Company. This means a uniication of
all the interests which formerly fought
Bell separately. The Bell patent is to
be fought on the ground of priority of
the patent of Daniel Drawbaugh.
HOW TO PREVENT DEsERTIoNS.
The subjectsof desertion from the army
will be treated at length in the forthcom-
ing report OF the Secretary of War. 1t is
one that has had Secretary Proctor's
earnest consideration from the beginning,
as well as that of the Adjutant Generals
staff. Various changes in camp and
barrack life with view to increasing the
soldiers comfort and interest in his COM
mand, have been instituted, notably con-
solidated mess and canteen systems.
These have worked well wherever tried, ,
and the result has been that the percent
age of assertions has been decreased
since 1888.
OF assertions 95 per cent. occur among
men serving their fret and second year
of enlistment. In May last Major Theo.
Schwan, Assistant Adjutant General,
under Instructions from Secretary Proc.
tor, made tour of inspection of the re-
cruiting depots at Davin's island, New
York, Columbus, Ohio, and Jefferson bar.
racks, Missouri. The Major is himself a SOL
der who came up from the ranks, and
his report to the Adjutant. General con-
tains numerous suggestions, including
the draft of bill prepared by him last
winter, after close study of the situa.
ton, calculated in his opinion to lessen
the evil of desertion. Major Schwan
says:
whatever causes of discomfort may
at one time have existed, such as a lack Of
provision or care for the physical com.
fort and needs of the enlisted soldier, or
unreasonable demands upon, and unfair
CT harsh treatment of him, have been re-
moved, 80 far as it is in the power of the
military authorities to do 30, and cases
are few where the failure of the Govern
ment to make good its obligations can be
truthfully alleged as affording even a
semblance of justification for dssersion. !"
Among other things Major Schwan' s
bill provides safeguards against the re-
admission to service Of "repeaters" or
professional deserters. Another pro-
vision of the bill is that one-third of the
soldiers pay for the first year shall bo
retained until his discharge, and forfeited
if he does not serve out bic term. 1t
also provides for the adoption of the
British custom of permitting enlisted
men to purchase their discharges.
Acting Adjutant General McKeever
and other officers of his staff have, at
Secretary Proctor's request, submitted
memoranda on the subject of assertions.
Acting Adjutant McKeever says in his
opinion the causes of desertioH are
disappointment at the realities Of
military life; the employment of
soldiers on labor work without extra
pay; the inequality of punishments az
inflicted by court-martial by company
administration; tyrannical conductsome-
times exercised toward enlisted men by
officers, and more especially by First
Sergeants; above all, too often uuneces.
sary restraints imposed on the soldier.
He also believes the largest number Of
deserters are American born. The fol-
lowing remedial measures are suggested