The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-12-01
WASHINGTON.
From our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2Sth, 1So

From our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2Sth, 1903.
General Nelson A. Miles is proba-
bly, the only prominent official IN
Washington who will be really glad to
meet General Calixio Garcia, who,
with his fellow commissioners, named
by the recent Cuban Assembly, to
confer with Mr.. Mckinley on Cuban
affairs, is coming to Washington.
General Miles took great fancy to
Gaicla when he was in Cuba, during
the Santiago campaign, and will give
a dinner in his honor, at his club.
Members of the administration will
be polite to Garcia, but they will not
tire themselves throwing bouquets at
him or his Cuban colleagues. 1t is
generally understood that General
Shafter queered Garcia with the ad.
mlnistration. The matter has not
been fully decided, but it is thought
that Mr.. Mckinley will refuse to re-
ceive Garcia and his associates as a
comm sslon representing the Cuban
Assembly, but may receive them as
private citizens and hear what they
have to say, or may direct Secretary
Day to receive them.
The $2o,ooo,ooo which we shall
have to pay Spain. if our terms for
peace and the purchase of the Philip
ines are accepted, is only about one
third - possibly not one~fourlh - of
the total amount this Government will
be called uron to pay. One se-tion
of the terms provides that each coun.
try shall waive all claims that its citi-
zens have against the other for money
damages. That will make this Gov
ernment responsible for all damage
done to property owned by American
citizens in Cuba, during the two last
revolutions. Claims against Spain,
aggregating more than $25,ooo,ooo,
are already on file at the Department
of State, for this class of damages,
and if this Government becomes re-
sponslble, as many more are certain
to be filed. Allowing that these
claims would be scaled down one
fifth, there would still be left about
$4o,ooo,ooo for this Government to
pay, besides half that amount which
1t must pay to Spain. There is moth
ing in those terms for Americans to
do any hurrahing over.
Wherever there is government
appropriation there will be schemers
devising means for getting some of
the money. The probability that the
United States will build even more
warshlps in the next fifteen years
than it has built in the past fifteen
years has resulted in the formation
of a shipbuilder's trust, embracing
practically all of the establishments
which are prepared to construct war
ships. Inasmuch as there has from
the first been an agreement among
the shipbuilders as to prices when
bidding for Government work, it is a
little difficult to understand why they
have made this new combine, but
certain that it is not in the interests
of the Government, as was shown by
the action of the combine in virtually
compelling the Navy Department to
agree to Its plans concerning the new
monitors, contracts for which were re-
Gently given out.
Thoughtful persons are asking if
the announcement of the administra-
tlon that Its commercial policy in the
Philippines would be that of the
"open door" - equal freedom of
trade to all nations-which prevails in
all of free trade Englands colonies,
is not the first step towards the aban-
donment of strictly protective tariff
by the Republican party. Many
think it is. Whatever may be Mr..
McKinley's intention, he will find it a
source of constant irritation to our
own business men and those OF other
countries who do business with us to
have one commercial policy for the
United States and another for our
colonies.
There are indications in plenty that
the end of the investigation conducted
by Mr.. McKlnley's commission INTO
the management of the war is likely
to be very different from what its con-
duct up to election day indicated.
The evidence heard, in Washington
and elsewhere, since election has not
CATARRH CANNOT BE CURED by