The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1898-10-27
Washington Letter.
washington oct.s4. 1898.

| II action of Spain makes 1t necessary.
This is statement in nut shell of the
position of this government Not man
in official circles believes that Spain will
be foolish enough to order its commission
ers not to sign the treaty of peace, unless
they secure some money consideration,
either as payment for the Philippines, or
assumption of a portion of Spain's bonded
indebt tedness, although such an outcome
of the negotiations at Paris appears to be
reetdving serious considerations in Euro
pean capitals. All of this sort of thing
is part of the game of Spanish diplo-
macy, intended to affect the position of
this government. AS such it is all abso-
lutely wasted. Should the Spanish COM
missioner decline to conclude the treaty
of peace, upon the terms submitted by
the U. s. the war would at once be re-
sumed, and this government is far better
fixed 10 rush the fighting than it was the
day the protocol was signed, and is de-
termined to do it. The bugaboo of Euro
pean interference would not prevent the
carrying of the fighting into Spain immedi-
ately land Spain would very soon be COM
pelled to accept terms Of peace far more
humiliating than those it now has an
opportunity to accept.
The president greatly enjoyed his west
ern trip and has nothing but praise for
the hospitality, prosperity and the patri-
ottsm of those with whom he came in con-
tract everywhere he went and if his back
bone had needed any stiffening on the
Spanish question, which so far as appear
ances go it did not, the sentiments he
heard expressed would have done the
business. Others who accompanied him
say that the almost universal sentiment
everywhere they went, among those of all
political parties and of all sorts of men,
was in favor of our taking the whole
Philippine group.
Japan has changed it's minister to the
U. S. again. Japan kept one minister at
Washington for long series of years.
until he became one of the most popular
diplomats in the corps but since he was
recalled, it has hardly allowed one minister
to remain long enough to get acquainted
with our people and customs However,
the new minister, Mr.. Jutero Komura,
will not have that lesson to learn, as he
is a graduate of Harvard university and
thoroughly acquainted with Americans
and American customs, official and pri-
vate.
The annual report of the director of the
mint on the production of silver and
gold b.. +he world during the calendar
year has been submitted to the
BsoreNlsEs9 81 Tie treasury. 1t shows that
the production of silver was the greatest
ever known, the value being 1896, 730, 300,
although many of the most productive
silver mines in the U. s. were not work
ed during that period. The value of the
gold produced was slightly in excess of
that of the silver-$237, ,5O4, 800.
The following extract from a report sent
to the department of state by U. s. Con-
sui Ragsdale, at Tientsin, China, a city
with more than a million inhabitants,
shows that China is fast waking up to
modern methods, notwithstanding its mis-
government "The Imperial Chinese rail-
way is without doubt one Of the greatest
enterprises in Northern China. Already,
three hundred and twenty miles of the
road has been constructed, eighty miles
double track ,and one hundred and twenty
five miles are now under construction.
The company has sixty-four engines of
Chinese make, four Belgian, 81 American
and 38 English. From 5000 to $4,000
men are constantly employed, 40 of whom
are foreigners. They have extensive
shops at Tong Shan, where cars of all
kinds are built. The cross ties and
bridge timber are imported, principally
from Oregon, although small shipments,
far inferior in quality are received from
Japan. The road is gradually being ex-
tended, and ere long will be completed to
Niuchwang, one of the terminal points OF
the Russian railway. The traffic for the
past eleven months was 1,216,885, pass
| IOhSSAo1 CIuA A3CsO944C lOuS VI duA
is rapidly increasing. The road is already
paying handsome dividends"
Another bureau off1cial-James A.
Dumont, supervising inspector general
of the steamboat inspection service-has
condemned the civil service rules as ap-
piled to his office, in the most unqualified
terms. Mr.. Dumont in his annual report
to the secretary of the treasury says the
placing of the employees of his office under
the civil service rules has been positive
detriment to the service in various ways.
And he gives numerous instances to show
that the men who have been appointed
after troublesome delays, have been less
efficient than those selected before these
appointments passed under the civil SER
vice rules. He says the civil service
method keeps the steamboat inspection
service in more or less crippled condi-
tion nearly all the time.