The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1898-08-05
Washington Letter.
From our regular Correspondent. !

The encouraging news from Gen.
Skaters army has destroyed the last
vestige of the yellow fever scare. A
considerable number of our men over
there have the fever, but there have
been very few deaths from it.
The trouble about the yellow journal
story of how the War Department got
euchred when it contracted with a
Spanish Steamship Company for the
transportation of the surrendered
Spanish soldiers from Santiago to
Spain was the usual one-it wasn't
true. The Spanish Steamship Com
pany will get no advantage whatever
out of the contract beyond the cash
paid for the transportation, while the
War Department made sure by plac
ing this contract that no complaint
could be made against us in connec-
tion with the treatment of the prison
ers on the voyage, and that there would
be no trouble about their being landed
in Spain. The contract specifically
stated no vessels belonging to the
company would be allowed to leave
blockaded ports to perform the service
provided for.
1t is the opinion of President Nc
Kinley and members of his cabinet
that the friction between Gen. Shafter
and Gen. Garcia, who commands the
Cuban insurgents in the Santiago dis
i trict, which led to Garcia's withdraw
Ing his troops and announcing that
! he had rendered his resignation to
Gen. Gomez, the Commander-in-C
| of the insurgents, is more the result of
misunderstanding than anything else.
| Gen. Skaters instructions are to treat
the insurgents cOurteOusly and kindly
and not to expect too much from them
in a military way. 1t is nonsense for
Garcia to pretend to be disgruntled
because Santiago was not turned over
to the insurgents. 1t has been made
plain to him and all of the other in
surgent leaders that the U. S. intend
ed to assume military control of Cuba
as fast as it came into our possession,
and to retain that control until such
time as all the residents of Cuba could
be given an opportunity to express
themselves as to how and by whom
they would be governed 1t was be-
cause of doubt that the insurgents
represented a majority of the residents
of Cuba that President Mckinley
strove so hard and successfully to pre-
vent Congress providing for the recog-
milton of the insurgent government.
The U. S. sells more wheat and flour
to Japan than do all other countries
combined, and the official figures in
report from U. S. Consul Harris, at
Nagasaki, shows steady and healthy
growth III this trade. OF wheat we
sent in 1895, only 4S4, $40 lbs. but in
1895, it had grown to 2,451, $3.50 lbs,
and in 1897 to IL, ,467 ,466 lbs. OF flour
we sent in 1895, 1886, $40 lbs. in 1896
81, ,408,311 lbs, and in 1897 81, ,O94,8 $40.
That protective tariff does not pre-
vent the growth of our export trade,
ought TO be too we'll known to need
proof, but in case you have still few
free traders in your vicinity who need
proof, the following facts concerning
our exports to Canada for the first
eleven months of the fiscal year 1897,
when the Wilson tariff law was in ef
feet, and for the first eleven months of
the fiscal year 1898, under the Dingley
tariff law, are given. During the for
mer period we sold Canada $37 ,37O, ,S25
worth of goods, and during the latter
period, $46,251 ,228, a difference in
favor of protection of nearly million
dollars month.
Lieut.. Hobson, who is in Washing
ton in connection with the work of
trying to save some of the ships of
Cervera's fleet, was most warmly re-
ceived by the President, members of
the Cabinet, his own personal friends
and the public at large.
The delivery of the war bonds began
today, the denomination OF $40 and of
$500 being the first sent out. The de-
livery will be continued as fast as the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing can
get them TO the Treasury. They are
sent to purchasers by express.