The Red Cloud chief., 1898-03-25
WASHINGTON


president to know what action he will
take upon the verdict of the naval
court of inquiry. A perfect storm of
excitement is raging and it is constant
ly growing in intensity. Congress is
making a brave effort to wait patient
ly, but it is only succeeding in waiting,
because it must wait; its members are
human and their stock of patience is
practically exhausted. There are a
thousand and one rumors rs to what
the president will do with the report,
but the impression prevails among
senator's and others who have talked
the matter ovor with the president ana
members of the cabinet, that IL will de
pend on the nature of the report how
soon it will be sent to congress and
made public. II it merely shows that
the Maine was blown up from the out
side by unknown parties, it will prob.
ably be sent to congress right away,
but il il shows that the explosion was
due to the action Of any Spanish. official
or officials, it would probably be with.
held until every preparation to make
aggressive wal was completed, as the
president knows, as does somebody
else, that in that case, as soon rs the
facts were laid before congress, wal
would be declared.
~"
Signs of coming war are plentiful IN
Washington. The house naval com.
mittee has added millions to the naval
appropriation bill, by providing for ad.
ditional battleships, torpedo boats and
torpedo boat ~destroyers; bills are now
under consideration to provide for an
extensive increase in both the army
and navy; hundreds of official notices
of recruits wanted are being prepared
in the navy department., so rs to be
ready to be used in every city in the
country on short notice. They arc be.
ing sent out by mail, SO that in case it
becomes necessary to use them, the de-
partment will have only to wire its
agents to 60 ahead. There is an I'M
usual hustle in every bureau of the wal
and navy department, and in addition
to the kilograms received over the
wires in the building, there is a con-
tinual stream of messages going in and
out. This Is not only during Office
hours, but goes on all day Sunday and
the greater portion of the night. The
work at the gun and carriage and
ammunition shops in the Washington
navy yard is continuous, three shifts
of men each working eight hours right
along. Such a big hole has been made
in the csc, 00O, 600 emergency appropri-
alton that there is already talk Of an
other big appropriation. All this does
not, Of course, make 1t certain that we
shall have war, but it certainly serves
to increase the chances in favor of
var.
II all the annual reports of govern.
ment officials as full of valuable
and interesting information as that
made Of the operations of the u. s.
patent Office for 1897. by Hon. A. p.
Greeley, acting commissioner of pat.
ents, there would be no occasion for
calling public attention to money
wasted in publishing annual reports.
Pressure OF sensational matter
made the synopsis of this report that
was sent out by the press association
utterly inadequate. In fact, the only
way to fully appreciate its value to in.
ventors, patentees, manufacturers,
s. capitalists and publicists. in showing
how much the great progress Of Amer.
lean industry owes to the United States
patent system, Ia to lead the entire
thirty pages OF the pamphlet, which
may be had free by writing tothe com.
missioner Of patents at Washington.
80
The new Spanish minister is both
brainy and audacious. In addition to
bringing three Cuban commissioners to
Washington to open negotiations with
our reciprocity commissioner for a
commercial treaty with Spain, just as
though he really believed in the posi-.
bility of the conclusion o such q treaty
under existing circumstances. Senior
Palo has made strenuous efforts to
make the world believe that the only
reason autonomy in Cuba has not been
fully accepted by the insurgents and
peace restored TO Cuba has been the
warlike attitude Of this country toward
Spain and the presence OF the strong
fleet Of war ships at Key West. 1t il
impossible to admire the ingenuity
and industry of this Spanish diplomat,
but that does not prevent q number OF
prominent senator's and representa-,
tives thinking that he and his dummy
commissioners should be given a little
hint that their conduct is bringing