Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1895-11-15
DEPENDING ON THE POWERS
Why No More Vessels Have Been
Sent TO Turkey.
BIRMINGHAM WAS HONORED
BY tt Election of DR.. Davis as Secretary of
$ the GynecoIOgists.
! csKATAHDlN MAY YET BE ACCEPTED
: stmaster-General Wilson Is After For
eign Lottery Concerns-Captain How
y gate Must Serve Eight Years
imprisonment.
BIRMINGHAM WAS H0NORED
!, KATAHDlN MAY YET BE ACCEPTED

Washington, Nov. 14.-It is learned to-
day that the reason why this government
has not sent more vessels to the Syrian
coast Is that 1t depnds on the assistance
| of Great Britain, France and other Chris
tian countries sinprotecting American mis-
sionaries and other citizens of the United
States in the sultans possession. The
well-known policy of the United States
to avoid foreign alliances precludes the
idea that there is a formal agreement be-
tween this government and the European
nations, but an understanding has prob
ably been reached that will permit Amer
lean representatives In Turkey to call
on the commanders of foreign vessels for
cur. This has been done In similar in
stances, particularly where no American
naval vessel was available. If the rioting
Is renewed and the many Armenians
who are citizens of the United States are
placed in danger of life and limb, 1t Is
likely that the navy department will or
der other vessels to augment the naval
force of this country assigned to the Sy-
rian coast, which consists of the flagship
San Frisco and the cruiser Marblehead
There is some hesitancy, however, about
TAKING tnlS course DeCduSe no FeSStlS arc
available for making a quick passage
to the scene of trouble. 1t will take at
least three weeks for any vessel on the
China station to proceed to Turkish ter
ritory, and nearly, If not quite, that
length for ship or ships to proceed from
this country.
The reports of the chiefs of the naval
bureaus Of construction and steam engi-
neering concerning the failure of the ram
Katahdin to make the speed required by
the contract with the navy department.
have been made to the secretary of the
navy It Is understood that they recon-
mend that the vessel be accepted by the
government despite the Requirement that
If the vessel failed TO develop an average
of seventeen knots per hour during her
trial run she should stand rejected.
The ground for the recommendation Is
that the arbitrary contract requirement
was not made under a provision of law
but at the volition of the secretary OF the
navy and that therefore the secretary
is not bound to compel adherence to the
letter of the contract, but may modify
IL as he pleased. In addition to this 1t ia
urged that the provision for the rejection
of the Katahdin, If she failed to develop
certain speed, had not Incorporated In
contracts for other vessels, and 1t Is said
that the chiefs Of the construction ana
steam engineering bureaus think that the
Katahdin could be accepted without In
Jury to the government at reduction
from the agreed price proportionate to
the falling off in the required speed.
The Southern Surgical and Gynecologi-
cal association closed its three days ses-
lsion in this city by electing a new list Of
officers for the coming year. as follows:
Ernest F. Lewis Of New Orleans, pres
ident: Joseph Tabor Johnson of WASH
ington, D. c., first vice-president; Rich
ard Douglass of Nashville Tenn, second
vice-presldent; DIR. Cartledge OF Louis
md q I'M
vis of Birmingham, Ala, secretary. Geo.
]. Engleman of st. Louis was elected to
succeed himself In the council. Nash
VILE, Tenn, was chosen as the place OF
meeting next year.
An interesting feature of today's ses-
sion was the presentation OF a gavei maue
from the operating table of ]. Marion
Sims of New York by his son, DR.. Harry
Marion Sims.
The afternoon session was abandoned,
owing to the desire of the members to
leave the city at an early hour.
Secretary Davis says the session just
ended was one of the most successful in
the history Of the associat ton and that 1t
was largely attended.
Postmaster General Wilson has Issued
a general order to postmasters through
out the United States in reference to the
various foreign lottery companies whose
matter Is transmitted through the United
States mails. He says 1t has been made
to appear to him through satisfactory
evidence that the Honduras National
Lottery company, Paul Conrad, presi-
dent, and number of other lottery COM
panies in Mexico, Canada, San Domingo
and San Francisco are engaged In con-
Quoting lotteries or similar enterprises
through the mails in violation of the
nti-lottery law of the United States. He
forbids postmasters to pay any money
orders drawn to any of the parties
named, and directs that the remitter be
SO informed. He further directs that any
mail received by postmasters from these
parties sent to the Office of mailing to
be delivered to the senderS marked
fraudulent. If the name of the sender
cannot be ascertained the matter shall
be sent to the dead letter office marked
fraudulent.
The district court of appeals today. In
an opinion delivered by Mr. Justice Nor
ris, sustained the verdict of the criminal
court in the case of Capt H. w. How
gate, the former disbursing officer of the
signal service The criminal court fixed
his term Of Imprisonment at eight years.
Captain Howgate 10 now In the custody
Of the marshal OF the district. He can
carry his case no further. unless his at
torneys should discover some constttu-
tional question not now apparent, upon
which they can ask decision of the SUI
preme court of the United States.
Colonel Worthington, counsel for Cap
tain Howgate says the last act has been
performed so far as the courts are con-
cerned and nothing can intervene but ex-
ecutive clemency to prevent Howgate
serving his time In the Albany peniten-
t!ary The prisoner was removed to the
district jail, where he will remain q few
days to permit him to close up his busi-
ness affairs prior to his removal to Al
bany to begin serving his sentence.
Postmaster-Genera Wilson has denied
the privileges Of the mail to an unau-
tho,ized concern calling itself The Ex-
position Information Bureau OF Atlanta,
Ca" 1t issued a pamphlet purporting
to give information TO visitors to the exc
position, but which the postoffice author
itses eopsfrued az being intended for