Evening star., 1898-08-15
AT THE WHITE HOUSE
The President Had a Very Busy
Morning.
SELECTING MILITARY COMMISSIONS
Names Expected 10 Be Announced
Very Soon.
NO NEWS FROM DEWEY

President Mckinley had a busy morning,
receiving and talking with a number of
prominent men, among them being Acting
Secretary Allen, Secretary Day, Secretary
AIger, Gen. Lee and Gen. Corbin.
The Navy Department intends to dispose
of a number of ships secured since the be-
ginning of the war and to release a large
number of men. Acting Secretary Allen
conferred with the President about this.
1t has been decided to appoint Il board of
naval officers to investigate fully all the
matters pertaining to this curtailment. 1t
will be separate from the navy war board.
The board Will get to work within a week
it is thought.
Gen Corbin saw the President about
amy affairs. Gen. Corbin will probably
not serve on the peace commission. The
President expressed desire to have him
do so if the duties of his position would adj
init of being turned over to some one else.
Gen. COrbin has told the President of the
work yet to be done in the adjutant gen
erals office. 1t is therefore doubtful
whether Gen. Corbin Will become a mem
Der OF the commission.
The Military Cssmmissfcns
The President has not yet begun the quest
OF material for the peace commission. He
will not begin to pick his men for this place
until he finishes the work of selecting the
military commissions to sit at Havana and
San Juan The men to compose these COM
missions are now bsing picked out, and will
be announced tC morrow or next day. The
President has not reached a definite conclu-
sion as to the membership of these commits
sions. He has already made several changes
in selections originally decided upon.
The visit of General Lee is associated
with the talk of the two military commits
sions. General Lee said. after the confer
ence this morning. that he had been talking
with the President about the general con-
Gition Of affairs IN Cuba. Rumor continues
to place General Lee on the military COM
mission which will meet at Havana. Many
OF General Lees friends claim that he would
prefer to become military governor or COM
marder of the United States forces on the
island
1t is probable that the President desired
to talk 10 General Lee about policing AMI
garrisoning Cuba General Lees sugges-
tions in this Line would be valuable 10 the
President.
Peace Commissioners.
Within three or four days the President
viii begin to give some serious study to the
composition of the peace commission He
intends TO make the commission non-parti-
san, and will offer positions to enc or two
democrats. The trouble, however, is that
the democrats are badly divided on the
Philippine question. They realize that the
final disposition of thu Philippines may be-
come u great political issue, and leaders of
the party are not anxious to commit them
selves al once.
Assistant Secretary Moore of the State
Department will accompany the peace COM
mission to Paris as legal adviser. He will
resign his position in the State Department
about the time Secretary Day resigns
No News From Dewey.
Secretary Alger said today that as moth
ing had come from the Philippines it was
presumed that there has been no battle or
important change in affairs. The Secretary
calculated that If there had been a battle
up to within the last three days the news
would have been sent to Hong Kong at
once by a dispatch boat. 1t is thought that
the orders to Dewey and Merritt to cease
operations reached Manila today 1t is. of
course, possible that there was fighting
on Saturday or yesterday, the news of
which could not get here for two or three
days Secretary Alger believes that cable
connection with Manila will be restored
within the next few days.
Army in Time of Peace.
President Mckinley is canvassing pub
lie sentiment as to the needs of military
organization in the time of peace, and has
consulted number of visitors as to how
much of an army they think should be
Kept up after the treaty of peace is exc
cuted- No conclusion has been reached as
yet on this point. but it is receiving con-
siderable attention on the part of the ad-
Tn!nlstratiOn- Governor Shaw of Iowa was
one Of the few prominent visitors at the
White House today. He was presented by
Secretary of Agriculture Wilson, who drove
over with him from the department and
placed his carriage at the disposal of the
governor, who has just reached here from
a trip Of inspection at Chckamauga and
jacksonville. and also a visit to Fernan-
dina, where a brigadier general represents
the state. Today he paid his respects to
the President and took occasion to report
the condition of the Iowa troops in camp
He said that IN 4 general way they were
In very fair shape. But made a number
Of suggestions looking to their convenience
and comfort. He asked also how longit would
be before their disbandment might be ex-
pected, now that the peace protocol is a
closed document. but the President himself
has not now fixed opinion this point
Southern Cotton Men Call,
A number OF cotton mill men of the
south, headed by Col J. L. Orr of So,,tb
Carolina, saw the President TODAY to ask
that he put a southern cotton manufac
tuier on the industrial commission. They
suggested e A. Smythe of the Pelzar
mills. South Carolina. as a good man. I.
is thought the President may give favor
able consideration to the suggestion.