The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-12-01
NEWS IND COMMENT

The effect of territorial expansion upon
the merchant marin" Of the country is al
ready being felt. writes W. Il. Curtis IN
the ChICa.:u itrCuru. The , RAMPS arc
building fpu" fine ships Ut 1000 tons bur-
den and sixteen knots speed, ntted with
double decks for use as auxiliary cruisers
whenever needed by the government,
which wilt be engaged between New York
and Porto Rico. The New York and Cuba
Mail company, which has been doing bus
mess for many years, also has two boob
ton steamers on the stocks a, Cramps
The Red ID line. which has been doing
business with Venezuela for nearly Il
century, now stops at the Porto RiCan
ports ana has had to charter foreign Nes-
sells to meet the demand for freight and
passengers. The Newport News SHIP
building company has 81, i0 tons now uu-
der contract and in course OF COiAtruC-
tion, including six merchant ships of l.cGj
tons each, for the Morgan and Cromweh
lines and it is understood that plans arc
now being prepared there for two 1O,UoO-
ton steamships for the Pacific Mail COM
panN, to sail between San Francisco and
the Philippine islands. stopping at Japan
csc and Chinese ports. ON the Pacific
coast all the shipyards are busy. building
for the Asatc ANA the Alaskan trade.
The Santa F'e Railroad company has
closed an arrangement with Japanese
steamship line for regular and freoIC nt
salings from San Diego. and the Great
Northern and Northern Pacific Railroad
companies are increasing their sailinSs
from Puget Sound by charterng English
vessels.
Here is a new Dewey story vouched for
by the Chicago meS-liorald: Soon after
Major Genera! Merritt reached Manila he
began to experience trouble with the in
surgents. Aguinado was not disposed 10
pay must heed to the generals orders. and
the general complicated matters more or
less by endeavOring to avoid any clash
ing of the American with the insurgent
forces. The situation was becoming some
what strained when General Merritt
sought a conference with Admiral Dewey
on the olympia. The general and the ad-
mirai discussed the situation at great
length, the former giving special attCn-
tion tn the question of jurisdiction in the
Philippines. At last Gcnerol Merritt rut
this question to the admiral
Admiral, how far. in your opinion,
docs your jurisdiction extend on the
island?"
Admiral Dewey took two short turns on
the Quarter-deC's before answering. Then
ne said:
General my jurisdiction extends from
as close TO shore a. ! can move these fla
irons" pointing to the American fleet,
'to as far into the island as | can throw
a shell"
Domingo Mcndo2 Capotc. former vice
president of the cuban provisional re-
public, and now president of the eXecu-
tive commission representing the general
assembly of the army. in an interview at
Havana, recently said: "The desire 70"
| Independence has never been stronge"
among the Cuban people than at present
| and the country i'm this respect is un-
| shaken. If q general plebiscitc were
| taken today believe % per cent, Of the
| people of cuba would vote for mdepend-
| cnCe. At the same time We recognize
| that annexation to the United States is IN
| eVitablc. We believe ii will come nat
| urally, that it will be by the almost unani-
| nous wish Of the people, and that he
! time will not be long before this wish is
| expressed. but we desire iilst to see es-
| tablished that for which we have fought
and for which so many of our braNest and
| hest have given their liVeS--thc republic
| of Cuba. We believe the United States
| Is going to help US realize this wish We
| have faith and are willing to do every
| thing in our power 10 carry out its views.
| Whatevec reports to the contrary may be
| circulated the Cuban leaders are IN
| hearty accord with The United States. and
| are willing to aCcede to whatever may be
| proposed by the American government"
Postmaster General Smith. in his an
| nual report, made public Saturday. says
the rapid and amazing growth of the
| postal business is its most striking fea
ture. In 1880 the gross revenue OF the de-
partmen' was $32 3l5,i7a, ana the gross eX-
pcndituro S3d5l2 SQ. The number Of post
Offices was $1,000, and the total number of
postage stamps stamped envelopes and
| wrappers. ana postal cards issued was
| 1867 S07, Oi7, I'm the fiscal year 1895 the
| gross revenue was els and the gross
! revenue was SOS, 033,52}; The number oi
postolflccs was $1,000, and the total issue
Of postage stamps, stamped envelope
| and wrappers and postal cards was iGll.
52G, 900. Within this period or population
has increased 20 per cent, while the vol,
ume of postal business has multiplied
nearly threefold. The lesson OF improved
facilities. more enlightened methods. anC
advancing activity is plain.
| With reference to a report that the Gu.
han General Rabi had become ugly an
American artillery officer attached to the
STAFF of General Miles writes to the sun
II met General Rahl and saw his army
| lie seemed as gentle aud kindly as a Wa
man. He Is very unaSsuming and rctir
ing, but those who know him say he Is
lion-heartcd His poor. naked, starving
army idolze him lie Is very dark al
most black; ii is said he Is one of the few
I'm Cuba with aboriginal blood in hi,
veins. It Is not I'm keeping with his char,
acter 10 send a commissioner to Havana
with demand and d threat. It seemed
to me while i'm Cuba that Spaniards were
using every effort To dscredit the Cuban,
I'm the eyes OF Americans and to mn thcil
minds with SUSPICION and distrust of US
by lying to each about the other"
The total number Of all kinds of mer
chant ships under the United States hac
on the 3Oth of June, 1895 was 22, I0j Thl.
was n slight increase from the 22 $50 re-
ported for the previous year, and "A falling
off from the 2e,S0S reported for 1896 IN,
tonnage Of al these vessels amounted n
1896 10 1855 $50 tons: IN 1897 I, 7G9 O20 tons
and In 1905 to l7i973S tons, The geograpn