Evening star., 1898-12-05

cables was signed and the day is, / trust,
not far distant when this medium for the
transmission of thought from hand to land
| may be brought within the domain of in
ternational concert as completely as is the
| material carriage of commerce and cor
respondence upon the face of the waters
that divide them
The claim of Thomas jefferson Page
against Argentina. which has been pending
| many years. has been adjusted. The sum
awarded by the Congress of Argentina was
81 242.35.
The sympathy of the American people has
justly been offered to the Ruler and the
people of Austria-Hungary by reason of
the afflicton that has lately befallen them
in the assassination of the Empress Queen
of that historic realm.
On the 10th of September, 1897. conflict
took place a Lattinler. Pa, between a body
of striking miners and the sheriff of Luz
zerne county and his deputies. in which 20
miners Were killed and "A wounded, of
whom 10 of the killed and Il of the wound
ed were Austrian and Hungarian subjects.
This depiorabie event naturally aroused the
solicitude of the Austro- Hungarian Govern
ment. which, on the assumption that the
killing and wounding involved the unjusti
hable misuse OF authority. claimed repara-
ton for the sufferers Apart from the
searching investigation and peremptOry ac-
ton of the authorities of Pennsylvania, the
Federal Executive took appropriate steps
to learn the merits of the case, in order to
be In a position to meet the urgent COM
paint of friendly power. The sheriff and
his deputies. having been indicted for muir
der, We're tried, and acquitted after pro-
tracted proceedings and the hearing of hum
dreds of witnesses on the ground that the
killing was in the line of their official duty
to uphold law and preserve public order in
the State. representative of the Depart
ment of Justice attended the trial and re-
ported its course fully. With all the facts
in its possession, this government expects
to reach harmonious understanding on
the subject with that Of Austria Hungary.
notwithstanding the renewed claim of the
latter after learning the result of the trial.
for indemnity for its injured subjects
Despite the brief time allotted for prepa-
ration, the exhibits of this country at the
Universal Exposition at Brussels in 1897 en-
joyed the singular distinction of larger
proportion of awards. having regard to the
number and classes of articles entered, than
result in making known our national ca
pacity to supply the worlds markets is
obvious.
Exhibitions of this interna tional charac-
ter are becoming more frequent as the ex-
changes of commercial countries grow more
intimate and varied. Hardly year passes
that this Government is not invited to ma
tional participation at some important for
eign center, but often on too short notice to
permit OF recourse to Congress for the
power and means to do so. My predece3-
sors have suggested the advisabiIity of pro-
viding by a general enactment and a stand
ing appropriation for accepting such invi-
tations and for representation of this coun-
try by a commission. This plan has my
cordial approval
[ trust that the Belgian restrictions on
the importation of cattle from the United
States, originally adopted as a sanitary pre-
caution will al an early day be relaxed as
to their present features of hardship and
discrimination, as to admit live cattle
under due regulation of their slaughter af-
ter landing. L am hopeful, too, of favor
able change In the Belgian treatment of
our preserved and salted meats The
growth of direct trade between the two
countries not alone for Belgian consump-
ton and Belgian products. but by the way
OF transit from and to other continental
SlateSt HAS DceH DOtn encouraging ana BEN
efcial, No effort will be spared to enlarge
it, advantages by seeking the removal OF
needless impediments and by arrangements
for increased commercial exchanges
Events in Central America.
The years events in Central America
deserve more than passing mention.
A menacing rupture between Costa Rica
and Nicaragua was happily composed by
the signature of a convention between the
parties, with the concurrence of the Quite
malan representative a mediator the act
being negotiated and signed on board the
Cnlted States steamer Alert, then lying
in Central American waters. 1t is believed
that the good offices OF our envoy and of
the commander of that vessel contributed
toward this gratifying outcome.
In my last annual message the situation
was presented with respect to the diplo-
matte representation of this Government in
Central America, created by the association
of Nicaragua, Honduras, and Salvador I'm
der the title of the Greater Republic CT
Central America and the delegation oe TIER
international functions to the Diet thereof
While the representative character Of the
Diet was recognized by my predecessor
and has been confirmed during my Admin
istration by receiving its accredited envoy
and granting exequaterS to consuls COM
missioned under its authority, that recog1i-
tion was qualified by the distinct under
standing that the responsibility of eacn of
the component sovereign Republics rowa I'd
the United States remained wholly un-
affected.
This proviso needful inasmuch as
the compact of the three Republics MAS ct
the outset an association whereby certain
representative functions were delegated to
tripartite commission rather than fed
GRAFTON possessing centralized powers CT
government and administration. In this
view of their relation, and of the relation
of the United States to the several Rspuf-
lies, a change in the representation o. this
country in Central America was neither
recommended by the Executive nor initiated
by Congress; thus leaving of our en-
voys accredited heretofore separately to
two States of the Greater Republic, Nicara-
qua and Salvador, and to a third State,
Costa Rica. which was not party to the
compact, while our other envoy was SINH
larly accredited to a union State-Hondu-
ras-and a non-union state-Guatemaia
The result has been that the one has pre-