Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1898-09-23
WASHINGTON LETTER.


Now that the peace Commission
ers are well on their way to Paris,
President Mckinley will complete
the Commission to investigate the
conduct of the war and will get it to
work at the earliest possible mo-
ment. He thinks the Commission
can do all of it's work in Washing
ton, calling such witnesses as were
in positions which enabled them to
possess useful information and he
told one of the Commissioners that
every communication sent or receiv.
ed by the War Department would
be made accessible to the Commits.
sion, and that the whole power of
the government would be used to
assist the Commissioners in getting
everything they desired to know.
The only desire that President Nc
Klnley has in the matter is to show
the people of the country just how
the war was conducted, and to at
the same time discover the things
in our present system that should be
changed in order to get the best re-
suits. He wishes nobody to be
shielded and nobody to be perse-
cuted.
The gentlemen who have consent
ed to serve on the Commission, are
so well known that no one would
question the report when it lsmade.
The words of such men as these al
ways carries conviction to the pub
lie: Charles Gilman, of Johns Hop
kins University Hon, Charles Den.
by, for more than thirty years U.
S. Minister to China; Col. james A.
Sexton, the newly elected Comman-
der-in Chief of the G. A. r.. Gen.
Granville Dodge, who gained mill
tary fame in the Civil War; DR.. w.
w. Keen, whose achievements have
placed him in the front ranks of the
medical profession, not only of the
U. s., but Of the world, and Capt.
Evan P. Howell, formerly editor of
the Atlanta Constitution. The lack
OF legal authority to compel wit
a serious draw back to the Com
mission. Few witnesses called are
likely to decline to testify, when the
President wishes them to tell every
thing they know.
The sessions of the Peace Com
mission to meet at Paris, October /,
are to be held in the famous "Salle
des Ambassadors" the French
Government having rendered the
use of that apartment, in which
have been enacted numel Gus inter-
national diplomatic dramas, when
the meeting place of the Peace Com
mission was first announced. just
previous to the departure of the
American Commissioners from
Washington, Hon. VIM. R. Day,
who heads the Commission, tender
ed his resignation as Secretary of
State, which was accepted by the
President, who then officially an
nounced the appointment of Col.
John Hay, recently Ambassador to
Great Britain, to be Secretary of
State. At the same time Hon. Bas-
sett Moore, who accompanies the
Commissioners as Adviser, rendered
his resignation as First Assistant
Secretary of State, and it was ac-
cepted. Secretary Hay, who will
be in Washington in few day, will
choose Mr.. MoOre's successor. The
instructions given our representa-
tives onsthe Peace Commission have
been a well.kept secret. Surmises
have been plentiful, but there are
no facts before the public. Presi-
dent Mckinley says the policy OF
this government in the negotiations
of the treaty of peace with Spain
will be recognized as thoroughly
American when it becomes known
and that it will be endorsed by oul
people as a whole. More than thai
he does not deem it prudent to say
at this time.
The sensation mongers hardly go
a chance to spread their Imagination
on the stories of such a serious stu.
alton at Manila that more American
troops were needed, before the sen
sation was punctured by an officia
report from Gen. Otis, who is il
command of our troops over ther
during the absence of Gen. Merritt
who is on his way TO Paris to plac
the information in his possession
before the American Peace Com
4 missioners, saying that no NOR
? troops were needed, and that tn
situation was satisfactory from a,
American point of view.
There is already evidence that tn
Democrats, in their anxiety to max
political capital, have overdOne tn
criticism of the War Department b
spreading stories so ridiculousl
false as to carry their own refuta