Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-11-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.
ESPECIAL CORREspONDENCE. |

tne work ol constructing 1ortlncatlon
Congress will he asked by the secre
tary of war to appropriate at least so,
600, 600. In addition, Gen. Alger vii
urge that two additional regiments o
artillery be created, 80 rs to have mel
to take care of the Notifications nov
building. OF this appropriation, hal
will be required for the construction
of gun and mortar batteries. In hi'
annual estimate, just submitted IL
Secre AIRY Alger, Gen. Wilson asked
for 80, 900, 600. This sum. he points
ont, is absolutely needed to continue
the work which Congress has directed
the department to execute. With
S5, 900, 600 it is estimated that 81 em-
placements for high power guns, l13
ror rapid fire Suno and 124 for 12-inch
mortars can be built From the up
preparations made for coast defence
up to the present time, provisions
had been made for 1853 high-pOwel
gun emplacements. 129 rapid fire
gun emplacenen,s, 300 l2-inch mortar
emplacements, 35s hish-powcr steel
guns, 800 l2-inch mortarS. los s, 10
and 12-inch gun carriages, and 800 II
inch mortar carriages. The war de
partment authorities decline to make
public the points at which it is pro-
posed to spend most OF the money,
which it is expected Congress will APP
propriate, on the ground that the
publication of snch information will
make possible enemy acquainted
with the sites of Notifications and the
exact location of guns, submarine
mines, etc. In view of the possibility
of trouble with Spain growing ont of
the Cuban question, the authorities
have determined to keep secret all in
formation of this character. 1t is gem
orally, understood, however, that the
department will spend much of the
prospective appropriation upon the
Notifications being constructed at New
York, Boston and San Francisco.
The CUBAN SIrUATIoN-Those who
have read the abstract of the reply to
General WoOdfOrd's note sent by the
Spanish government say that while it
is couched in diplomatic language it
warrants an expectation OF at least
some remedial action in the island be-
fore the month is over. The only
way to explain the contradictory state
ments made on both sides of the At
lantc as to the contents of the answer
is that the Spanish government dare
not, at this time, make public i'll
Spain the full policy of the Spanish
cabinet. While the letter is kept Sc
cret, the new government in Cuba can
put in force the reform, which it is
hoped will Mt once be seen to be bene-
fetal the Cubans, and by the time the
correspondence is made public there
will be no cause for disturbance on
either side. 1t is accepted
in Washington that if Congress
was i'll session now it would
be in favor of acting upon the Cuban
question at once. And beyond doHbt,
when it does meet, there will be many
members of that mind. But when the
true situation is placed before them,
as it will he by the president, and the
results already gained in Cuba are
made plain, the course of Congress
will he guided by the presidents rec
concentrations. The Spanish authori-
ties have much confidence in General
Blanro and his ability to handle the
question and carry ont the proposed
reforms. There is an opinion also in
Washington that when the proposed
reforms are understood by the Cubans
and the policy of the new government
is known to be one of liberality and
fairness, they will accept the terms Of,
fered. The Cuban Junta in this coun-
try is expected to keep mp its fight for
independence, but if the Cubans them
selves accept autonomy the Junta will
have to submit.
CUBA WILL BIZ FREE % Official con-
firmation given to the report that the
basis of Spain's reply to the note OF
Minister Woodford, asking when the
war in Cuba would he ended, is that
the revolution would not exist were il
not for aid from the United States.
The accusation that this govern
ment has not performed its full duty in
preventing tilibustering expeditions is
so false that it will be an easy task to
answer it in such way as to deprive
Spain of any foreign sympathy she may
expect to excite by this plea. English
diplomats have learned that in the state
ment of facts Secretary Sherman can
use the language of unvarnished truth.
The reply of Spain is described as en-
ergetic in tone. The rejoinder that
will be sent from Washington is not
likely to be lacking in energy, either.
This last pretense of unhappy Spain
will be stripped of its mask in jiffy.
As for the energy of her reply, that is
confined entirely to words. She has
no energy left. She cannot conquer
Cuba, and she has no pretext for fight,
ing the United States. Therefore ii
is inevitable that the island become
free, and it is equally certain that there
can be no war.
WOMEN IN OFFIcE-One hundred
and eighteen Washington women have
been appointed to Offices in the classi.
fed service of the government during
the last twelve months. Of this num-
Der 100 are skilled laborers in the
bureau of engraving and printing and
the Government Printing Office, draw
ing from $1.25 to 100 per diem in
wages. Four are attendants in ST.
Elizabeth's asylum and the Freed
mems hospital, with remuneration
of $14 a month and board. One is 6
translator in the department of state
at $1,000 per annum. One is ''pupil
nurse at the Freedmen's hospital
receiving $s4 year and board. The
remaining three are in the employ Of
the Indian bureau, teaching little
aborigines in government schools, in
Idaho, Montana and Nebraska, repec
lively, and accepting the modest re
ward of $3.50 to 5000 for q twelve
months toll with spelling-book and
geography.
A little more taffy while a man lives
and not 80 much epitaffy when he is