The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1898-10-20
Washington Letter.
Washington Oct.17 1898.

washington Oct.17 1898.
Secretary Hay is too shrewd diplomat
to publicly discuss the fakes that are al
most daily cabled from Paris and Mad
rid, alleging bitches and dead locks in the
peace commission, but his countenance
expresses his utter indifference to these
sensations, when they are called to his
attention by newspaper men. All he will
say on the subject is that nothing of i'm
portance has yet been received from the
American commissioners. The latest
fake about the Spanish commissioners
having proposed that the emperor OF
Germany should be asked to determine
the ownership of the Philippines IS so
ridiculous that one wonders it should
have been printed in American papers
1t will be remembered that the protocol
which brought about the suspension of
hostilities expressly provided that the T..
S. should retain Manila and the surround
ing country, and that the peace COM
mission should determine the disposition
of the rest of the Philippine group. The
peace commission is only authorized to
negotiate on the basis provided for by
that protocol. By keeping that fact in
mind, it will be comparatively easy
matter to detect fake news about the
doings of the peace commission.
Acting secretary of the Interior Ryan,
was somewhat surprised when he was
vzIoiEad hxz n daIo0o +ioD of f1II hIoOdnd
Cherokee Indians, who came all the way
from Indian territory to ask him if the
Curtis act for the reorganization of Indian
territory, which passed congress last June
and was approved by the president was
really law; and the Indians appeared to
be more surprised when he assured them
that it was. They insisted that he should
say in writing that the act was a law ,and
to please them he wrote on the face of a
copy of the act, '"This is a law" and
signed his name. The Indians took tho
copy with them, but still seemed to have
doubts about the matter.
Secretaries Long and Alger are good
friends personally, but the relations be-
tween the departments of the government
Navy and War-over which they re-
spectively preside have been more or less
strained ever since the Adiutant Gen. of
the army sent a report to the war investi-
eating commission, prepared by direction
of Secretary Alger, which naval officials,
and others, regarded as an attempt to
make Admiral Sampson responsible for
the delays In getting Gen. Skaters army
to Cuba, after it was put on board of
transports, at Tampa, Fla. This was
fatty denied by Adjutant Gen. Corbin
but his denial did not stop the talk, and it
has been sometimes quite bitter on the
part of officials of both departments.
The relations between the two depart
ment were not improved when Lieut.. Frank
K. Hill, of the navy, who had charge Of
the debarkation of Skaters army, stated
that the transports had arrived off the
coast of Cuba with no facilities for land
ing the troops, and that if the navy had
would have been landed, and backed up
that assertion by saying that Gen. Shafter
had also expressed the same opinion.
Lieut.. Hill said he had no ideaof striking
at the war department in his testimony,
which embraced only facts that were
known to all who accompanied Skaters
army, but war department assistants in
sist that he was actuated by desire to
Ia
the commission, which has gone to Jack
sonviIle, Fla, returns to Washington, it
will ask the navy department for copies
of all dispatches to and from Admiral
Sampson.
There will be no military governor ap-
pointed for Porto Rico, over which the
American frg will fly on and after the
18th inst, as it is the impression in ad:
ministration circles that congress will
lose no time in providing form of civil
government for the island, and until that
is done the general in command of the
U. s. troops on the island will have the
authority of governor. Major General
Brooke, is at present in command there
but it is by no means certain that he will
remain until the civil government is es.
tablished Gen. Brooke. has been asked
to notify the war department by cable
how many soldiers he considered absolute
ly necessary to preserve good order in
Porto Rico. If Gen. Brooke does not
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