The Press., 1897-08-05
Washington Letter.
Washington, Aug. 9, 18gT.

"Do you know why the administration changed it's plans as to sending troops to Alaskan gold fields 2"asked one prominent army officer of another who had just ar- rived In Washington. "No", replied the other, "I don't, and the explanations I have seen of the sudden change of pro- gram have not been at all satisfactory" "Well," said the first speaker, "I can tell you the real reason, but you will not find it in any official record. It was In short the fear that the troops would get the gold fever and desert as soon as they got within reach of the gold; 1t was concluded that the aver age enlisted man was not of the sort to successfully pass through such temp tation as would necessarily be placed be- fore them by their proximity to the Klondyke gold hunters and their sudden ly acquired fortunes"
 Individually the office seekers who have crowded the lobby just outside of the Presidents office, on the second floor of the white house, may have lacked the weight needed to get what they wanted, but collectively they were heavy enough to make the floor sag in the center to a depth of four inches. Had the crowds which frequented the east room, which Is directly underneath, on President McKinley's handshaking days known the condition of this floor as they waited for the president, Maj. Mckinley would have shaken many thousand fnwer hands, and there might even have been few ofice-seekers had they been informed of the danger they were in every time they tried to see the President. Workmen are now engaged in strengthening this floor.
 Administrations may come and adInlni- strations may go, but the secretary of the navy who doesn't find 1t necessary {" ''in- spect" something along the Atlantic coast during the vacation season Is yet to as- sume office. Secretary Long, aboard of the Dolphin, has gone to cast his official optics upon the naval station at New London, Conn, and the War college, at Newport, R. I.
 The last prop was knocked from under the industrious newspaper men who have been engaged in manufacturing news showing the certainty of a war between the U. s. and Japan by the official an- noun cement that Japan has accepted the proposition of Hawaii to arbItrate their dispute concerning th" migration and other laws of Hawaii. Members of the administration say that this government will have nothing whatever to do with the arbitration, unless 1t should fail tO be concluded before the formal annexation of Hawaii to the United States. In that case Japan would deal directly with this government after annexation.
 There are lots or men who would give much to be in the place of Samuel C.. Dmnham, who has started for the new gold fields Of Alaska, armed with special commission to make a thorough lnvestlga- ton and report just what he learns to the U. s. government. MT. Dunham Is a mining expert and Is attached to the labor bureau. ... It was known that the goverm- ment intended sending a man on this orrand, but 1t was purposely kept. secret who the man was until after Mir Dunham got started. It Is not expected that he will be able to make a report befoTe about the middle of next year. -
 Now that the war department has de- cided just what sort of a uniform the ex- army officer may wear when taking part In official functions abroad, and young man has had himself appointed to an honorary military office on a governors s stan solely for tho purpose of enabling him to wear shOwy uniform at tho court of Spain, where he has been officially stationed as an attache of the U. $. lega- ton, 1t seems about time for either con- gress, the president or the department of state to fix things so that no diplomatic representative of this country shall be allowed to wear any other than a private cltizsn's clothes while in performance of his duties abroad. The adoption of gold lace and tinsel by American diplomats and their underllngs will make us tho laug h. Ing stock of Europe. The greatest diplo- mats this country has produced thought plain clothes good enough for them, and Ben. Franklin even stuck to his Quaker clothes while he was representing us abroad In the diplomatic capacity. If the uniform habit is not stopped soon, we shall be made to feel ashamed of some of our official representatives abroad, just ae the rich American toadies abroad have long been making us ashamed of them.