The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-02-04

Y
| Major General Nelson A. Miles, senior
| major general commanding the army
of the United States, recently appeared
| before the house committee on appro-
| priations, and gave to that committee
| some valuable information which ought
| to be given to the country at large.
| General Miles said that the coast de-
| lenses of this country are in a deplor-
| able condition, because we have not
| guns enough nor Notifications enough
| to supply such guns as are now in posi-
| ton. He said that the big rihed cam
| non on Fortress Monroe, Fort Wash
| ington, and Fort Foote are as harmless
| as so many porguns would be. Any
| unarmored cruiser of Spain, Italy or
any other foreign power could steam
| past these empty guns, ascend the Po-
| tomac river, and with shot and shell
| destroy the capitol building in which
there has been recently so much blood
| thirsty talk of war with Spain on ac-
| count of Cuba.
General Miles, in response to inquir-
| les by members of the committee, said
| that, while he as heartily sympathizes
with the suffering Cubans as any man
| in this country, he also sympathizes
| with the people of this republic too
| much to lead them into a war which
would most likely prove disastrous. and
bring great suffering to our great toll
ing masses. He said that because OF
the condition of our coast defenses,
more than for any other reason, Presi-
dent Mckinley has pursued conserva-
tive course, for which he has been UNI
duly criticised.
Forty Millions for Coast Defenses.
The general commanding our army
further stated that $40,0O0,O0O have al
ready been expended in coast defenses
for this country; but that there must
yet be expended $40.000,000 or more in
order to make our country secure from
danger of attack. He said that count
ing the. Canadian, Mexican and Gulf
boundaries of this republic. as well as
the Atlantic and Pacific coast boundar-
les, we have nearly 10000 miles Of
boundary to defend, and that is equiva-
lent to more than one-third Of the dis
lance around the world.
Until the boundary lines and sea
coast defenses of our country are
placed in condition for actual HOSTILE
ties, it would be foolish, because dan
gerous, for this country to run any risk
Of warlike demonstration from any ma
ton. Therefore it was that President
Mckinley in his annual message stated
that he would take no action in Cuban
affairs which would not meet with the
approval of the whole civilized world.
Some Of the most persistent fighting
characters in the house of representa-
tives, who want to engage at once in
war with Spain, have recently been in
formed at the war department, and at
their Washington residences, by Cen
eral Miles, that If we should have war
with any country before adequate pro-
vision is made for our coast defenses.
we would be beaten, Inundated and
possibly partitioned, as the great en-
pire Of China was, after going unpre-
pared into a war with Japan. We
might find the Spaniards to be some
thing like the Japanese, of whom
newspaper paragrapher said: They
are only forty million people, but they
fight like sixty"
The bankruptcy Bill.
Within a week 1t is anticipated that
the pending bankruptcy bill Will be be-
fore the house for consideration. This
measure is called the Henderson bill,
for the reason that it has been formu-
lated in the committee on judiciary, OF
which committee Colonel Henderson OF
Iowa is chairman. All bills of national
Importance are given the name Of the
chairman of the committee in which
they originate. Because of their chair
manships of the committee on ways and
means the tariff bills were named the
Morrison bill, the Mills bill, the Nc
Kinley bill, and the Dingley bill. The
Henderson bankruptcy bill is meas
ure in which all of the people of the
northwest are particularly interested.
The forthcoming number of monthly
publication called the Bankruptcy Mag
azine will contain portrait OF Colonel
Henderson with a sketch of his life over
the signature of the correspondent of
this paper. In that sketch Colonel Hen
derson is characterized as "a complete
trinity Of the politician, statesman, and
gentleman" and that is really a fair
description of the Iowa congressman
who has done such excellent work in
the preparation of a measure which the
best lawyers in the national capital be-
lieve will prove to be a fair and equit-
able disposition of the rights of the
debtor as well as the creditor in all
cases of bankruptcy.
President Dole OF Hawaii,
President Dole of the Republic Of Ha-
wall came to Washington last week and
performed a mission Of great national
consequence He announced upon his
arrival in San Francisco that he would
go to Washington to visit President Nc
Kinley, but that he would take no part
in furthering the ratification of the
pending treaty of annexation. The dis
tinguished visitor has done precisely as
he announced he would do. Upon his
arrival in Washington he was escorted
from the railroad depot to apartments
at the Arlington hotel. Very soon
thereafter the president Of the United
States called to pay his respects to the
president of Hawaii. The visit was both
brief and formal. Afterwards President
Dole went to the White House to pay
his respects to the president Of the
United States.
The exchange Of formalities of this
character has been customary for many
years, and ordinarily would attract but
little attention. The newspapers are
daily filled with the goings and comings
of President Dole, but nobody really
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