The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-31
HAS CONFIDENCE IN OTIS.
The President Thinks Every Elmer
gency Will BE Promptly Met.

gency VIII he Promptly Met.
Special to the indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3O.-The Cabinet
held a three-hour session to-day, but there
was no fresh news from the Philippines to
lay before it. While reports from Manila
indicate a possibility of trouble with the
insurgents over the release of Spanish pris-
oners and the occupation of Iloilo by Amer
lean troops, the President does not fear the
situation will become serious. He has every
confidence in the ability Of the military au-
thorities there to meet any emergency which
may arise. The Iloilo incident does not
strike the President and his advisers as be-
ing particularly alarming or as presenting
features of especial danger. General Otis
has been instructed to keep Washington
fully advised of every important develop
ment, and, as he has said nothing to-day,
the conclusion is reached at the White
House and War and Navy Departments that
matters have taken no distressing turn.
Secretary Wilson, of the Department of
Agriculture is utilizing talent in the volun-
teer army in the Philippines to discover the
agricultural resources and possibilities of
the islands He has found fifteen or twenty
trained specialists in General OtiS's army,
and has secured from Secretary Alger an
order placing them at the disposal of the
Department of Agriculture for special serv-
ice. This novel force will be put to work at
once, and Secretary Wilson says he will
know more about the Philippines in three
months than the Spanish found out in three
hundred years.
There is no intention on the part of the
President to permit the Cuban insurgents to
be snubbed or Inundated but he is never
theless clearly determined to stand by Gen.
Brooke in his decision to keep armed Cuban
forces out of Havana until the Spanish
evacuation is complete and danger of trouble
is over. There is nothing to prevent General
Gomez and his soldiers from taking part as
individuals in the jollification ceremonies
next week, but for them to participate as
an army is another and a dangerous prop
osition General Brooke has been made re-
sponsible for the preservation of order in
Havana and in his judgment the presence of
Cuban soldiers in the city AT this time
would be a menace to public safety. If the
President has been moved by the clamor in
behalf of the patriots to order modif-
cation of General Brookes order there is no
open sign of it, while there is every indica-
tion that he will not interfere in the slight
est degree with the generals plans. He has
confidence in General Brooke's judgment
ana QlScrellOn. IL ne mas nearu the crlllclSm
that Brooke lacks tact and is intolerably
self-opinionated he shows no sign.
The Cabinet session to-day was devoted to
consideration of the administration of the
law in Cuba. 1t was pointed out that the
collection of taxes and customs duties, the
administration of laws relating to postal
matters, and the courts and many other
important branches of the government of
the island would be a burden too heavy
to be borne by the military government as
sisted only by a small staff all more or less
inexperienced in such matters. Practically
a new government had to be established and
ii was agreed that the multitudinous affairs
incident to such an undertaking could be
successfully administered only by the crea-
ton of several bureaus at the head of which
would be placed men of wide experience i'm
the particular work to which they would
be assigned. all to be under the general di-
rection of the military governor. These mat
ters were gone over at some length and ii
is expected that the several Cabinet men,
bers will take up the details of the proposed
plan at once as far as their respective de-
partments are concerned and submit their
conclusions to the President at an early
date 1t is proposed TO duplicate in a small
way and as far as practicable the systems
now in force in the United States. the coll
lectors Of customs and of taxes being direct