Birmingham state herald., 1895-12-26
RUSSA'S COFFERS READY To Furnish the United States $4O0,OOO,OOO of Gold, SAYS WASHINGTON RUMOR se''s'.'y 2 k'Io Declines to Say Anything on
 v the Subject. ARMY s'HCERS SEVERELY REBUKED
 z
 PcrsoT z Letters From MT Lamont Say Th .- Certain Expressions Are Harm- $ to the Army's Reputation
 and Discipline.
SAYS A WASHINGTON RUMOR
s9flCERS SEVERELY REBUKED

Washington, Dec 25.-Sacretary Car lisle today declined to say anything for publication concerning d story that Rus sia stood ready to loan the United States S400,000,000 in gold and that the United States was considering the acceptance of the offer.
 The story goes further and says the offer has been pending since early in the present administration. A high treasury official, possessing the entire confidence of Secretary Carlisle, says he never heard of the original offer and does not believe such an offer is in existence. The treasury officials say this story is ab- surd, as the United States has already, during the past two years, sold $164, 4,315,- 900 of bonds to obtain gold. upon which it is now paying a high rate of inter- est, and if our policy permitted it the United States had certainly rather have borrowed from a friendly power than to have increased it's national debt as 1t has.
 It is pointed out, too. that the appli- cation of the Monroe doctrine, which prevents our interference in European political affairs, as wells as 1t prevents the united powers from interfering in territorial affairs on this continent, would estop the United States as nation rom dealing Wltn RuSSla aS q nation III financial matters
 Russia Is on a paper basis, but the government has, according to the official report of the director of the mint for 1885, about $500, 900 visible gold, be- sides large credits in London, Paris and Berlin.
 During the past two years Russia has accumulated through gold production and by excess of gold imports over gold exports about 255,000000
 Certain army officers, who have ap- peared in recent interviews in the news papers in the discussions of the possi- bilitieS of war and outlining their ideas of what should be done in such an event. have received personal letters from Sec retary of War Lamont severely depre- eating such talk
 Expressions sseza&uch sources. he says. are not only given undue significance, but they. are also injurious to the good reputation of the decipline of the army and harmful to this country in contrib uting to an unwarranted apprehension.
 It has been practically decided by Sec retary Herbert to award the contract for the construction of the battleship Kearsarge and her unnamed sister ves- sel to the Newport News, Va, Ship Building and Dry Dock company, in ac- cordance with the recommendation Of the naval board of bureau chiefs. The bid of the Virginia firm was $2,2 900 for each ship. It Is understood that it was the suggestion of the board that the sec retary give the Union Iron works of San Francisco an opportunity of securing the contract for one of the ships by scaling Their bid was rejected by MT. Herbert on account of a precedent es- tablished by Secretary Tracey that bid- ders should be allowed to scale down only when their proposals came within per cent of the bid offered by the successful competitor The alternate proposition of members of the board that the Union Iron works and the Cramp company of Philadelphia be given an opportunity to secure two ships each, through an ap- propriation by congress, on the recom- mendation of the secretary for four more battleships, is said to be still under con- sideratiOn.