The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1898-09-24
WASHINGTON LETTER.


WAS6xN0TON LET $500
rrom or Regular CousspeadsnL
WAsH1neroH, 6spt- -. 1SeS.
A busy week for the sdmin'sfEat'oo
closed With tho departure Of the American
Peace Commissioners, Who will sail from
Me- York tomorrow. The whole mat !
tsr has been gone over carefully and de-
cision reached - to what this government
intends to do regarding the Philippines
and the Peace Commissioners have been
instructed accordingly. These instruc-
tions have not been put upon paper. DOT
were given to the Commissioners verbally
by the President. A. matter of course,
nearly every correspondent in Washington
has sent what purports to BE- an abstract
Of these instructions, but % matter OF
fact, only the President, the members OF
the Cabinet, all of whom except Secretary
Aleer we're summoned to Washington to
consider them, and the Peace Commits
sioners. know what these instructions are.
It is known in 9 general way that mem
bers of the Cabinet have expressed opin-
ions, and even the President at times
dropped hints as to his attitude. Putting
these together and drawing deductions
therefrom is about the process BY which
the published instructions were evolved.
1t is certain that We are to have the islands
of Luzon, of which Manila is the princi-
pal city, but there the certainty ends. 1t
is probable that Spain will have to give
up its authority over the other islands,
and that they will either be given an in
dependent government under American
protection or become absolutely our prop
erty, although there are reasons for the
belief that the instructions 30 far as they
relate to the islands other than Luzon arc
somewhat elastic, and that If Spain will
furnish proper guarantees and will otter
certain trade concessions to us she may
be allowed to maintain nominal, if not
an actual, control over them.
Two important diplomatic moves were
made BY this government this week,
which have received less public attention
than they deserve. The first was com
munication sent to the Gar of Russia
expressing sympathy with his proposition
for the holding of an international con-
vention for the purpose of arranging for
the partial disarmament of the nations OF
the world which are practically on war
footing all the time, and willingness on
the part of the United States to take part
in such q convention. The other was a
communication to the Sultan Of Turkey,
informing him in polite but plain Ian
puaee that the United States did not in
tend to allow him to escape paying for
the property. of American Missionaries
destroyed by Turkish mobs in Armenia,
under his plea of non responsibility, re-
Gently put forward. There is no desire
on the part of the administration TO bully
Turkey, but this claim is just one and
it intends to make Turkey pay for it, il
it is necessary to make naval demon
, stration in order to do it.
Hon. Chas. DENLY, who was for more
than thirteen years United States Minister
} to China, and who is consequently vel
J posted upon the commerce Of the cas-
and the part that the Philippine islands
can be made TO play therein, has been il
Washington this week, and his business
like arguments in favor of our retaining
control of all the islands have convinced
many whose minds have not been entirely
|; made up that the United States shoult
!. certainly retain control, if not absolute
!. ownership. of all the islands. Mr.. DENLY
has had several extended conferences Will
> the President and with members Of tn
2 Cabinet, and his knowledge of the situa
r ton has doubtless been an important fac
tor iu determining the instructions give
e to the American Peace Commissioner
e After giving bis reasons why we shoul'
u control the Philippines, Mr.. DENNY, said
}, "If we withdraw now, we throw ava
Il this great opportunity, which has bee
y opened and accepted as the manifest des
v tiny of this nation. We close the dool
: and Close it so that it will never open I
US again. We shut the Far East frOr
our influence and do it deliberately. w
can never reconsider such q step; and
= we take it, it would have been far bette
:. for our trade and our influence, CONNER
j, cial and religious, if Admiral Dewey ha
!, never gone near the Philippines"
n Elk Secretary Sherman may be too oil
Il to make satisfactory Secretary of Stat
,e but he still has the use Of his reasonin
d faculties, and was the FIRST man to poir
, out the weak SPOT in the proposed con
r mission to investigate the conduct of II
1t warts want of legal status, and j
n consequent inability to compel Witness
g, to testify. Since Mr.. Sherman pointe