The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-26

Porto RICO snail Dear 10 tne generdl BONchi-
ment of the United States is receiving the
careful consideration of the President and
members of the Cabinet. The question of
a change in the currency system of the ISL
and. the customs and internal revenue laws
suffrage and many other incidental but
highly important subjects are now under
consideration, and probably will be treated
on at some length in the Presidents forth
coming message to Congress. 1t is not un-
likely that Congress will be asked to pass
some needed general legislation respecting
the temporary government of the island,
with a recommendation that a committee
be appointed to consider with more delibera-
ton than is possible in a short session of
Congress all Of the questions involved and
make a report at some future time.
Gen. Alger carried with him to the meet
ing mass of data relating to the evacu-
ton of Cuba by the Spaniards and to the es-
tablishment OF camp sites for the occu-
pancy of the American troops. OF the lat
ter Colonel Hecker's commission furnished
nearly all the information, and there was
no less than three separate reports on the
subject The colonel methodically kept
daily record of the observations of the COM
mission, treating in detail of the features OF
each Of the sites examined, the railroad
facilities, the accessibility to water and
other matters of vital Importance. The
commission has already pretty well ex-
plored Havana province, has made some
excursions into Matanzas province, and at
last accounts was working in Pinar del Rio.
This leaves only the central portion of the
island to be inspected, as Colonel Woods
Judgment supplemented by that Of other
army officers who have been campaigning
to will he ad as to the
disposition of military forces in eastern
Cuba. General Wade had a good many i'm
portant and pertinent suggestions to make,
which, though not always connected with
the work of the evacuation commission, re-
late to subjects of interest to the admins
tration The administration is said to have
reached the conclusion that the disposition
| of Spanish property, as cannon in mounts
and other fixed properties by the Spanish
| officials in Havana, is a violation of the
| spirit of the protocol, and is taking steps
to suspend the practice.
| The Cabinet gave a good deal of attention
to the Hecker board reports, and it may be
regarded as significant that it left still un-
| determined the question as to whether the
! United States government should erect piers
| and other permanent aids to landing troops,
| or should rely upon lighters such as were
used at Santiago, for landing them. The
significance of the decision to be reached
| lies in the fact that it may indicate a de-
| termination on the part of the adInnistra-
tion to make a longer or shorter occupation
of the Island of Cuba. If the stay of the
| United States troops in Cuba Is to be short
! lighters probably would serve ali needs. If,
on the other hand, long military occupa-
tion is looked forward to, permanent landing
|
and serviceabe, as the means Of keeping
| the troops supplied with quartermaster and
commissary stores and with facilitating
their movements from one part of the island
| to another.
Naval officers, who have visited Havana
harbor recently, have reported that the fine
new steel floating dry dock which was pur-
chased by the Spanish government in Eng
| land and towed to Havana just prior to the
] outbreak of the war, cannot be moved
owing to neglect ON the part of the Spanish
officers and also to their inability to prop
| erly manage the dock The structure is
| large enough to take in any Of our battle
ships, and is completely equipped with a
system of electrical control which in the
hands of apt American mechanics would
make the dock of inestimable value to the
American navy at this particular time,
when there is only one dry dock, that at
New York, capable of taking in our big
battle ships. Probably the fact that the
dock is in the condition described is the only
reason why the Spanish officials at Havana
have not already made an effort to have the
dock towed to Spain as it was towed from
England to Havana.
Constructor Hobson arrived in Washing
ton to-day and reported at the Navy De-
partment to Captain Crowninshield, who
was acting as secretary of the navy to-day
| in the absence of Secretary Long and As
sistant Secretary Allen. He was immedi-
ately authorized to proceed to Philadelphia
to take part in the jubilee there. The Off
| Ger is in search of more material to use In
wrecking the sunken Spanish war ships
| near Santiago. The Navy Department is
| disposed to aid as far possible in float
ing the Colon in addition to the Maria
Teresa, which is already under steam and
about to start for the United States, but