The Republican., 1898-09-22
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, D, G., Sept. 18th, 1898

mission TO investigate the conduct of
the war and will get it to work at the
earliest possible moment. He thinks
the Commission can do all of its work
in Washington, 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
received by the War Department
would be made accessible to the Com
mission, and that the whole power of
the government would be used to
assist the Commissioners in getting at
everything they desired to know. The
only desire that President Mckinley
has in the matter is to show the peo-
pie OF the country just how the war
was conducted, and to at the same
time discover the Jhings in our pres
ent System that should be changed in
order to get the best results. He
wishes nobody t. he shielded and
nobody TO be prosecuted.
The gentlemen who have consented
to serve on the Commission, are so
well known that no one would ques-
tion their report when it is made
The words of such men as these al
ways carries conviction to the public:
President Gilman, of Johns Hopkins
University; Hon. Charles Denby, for
more than thirteen years L. S. Minis
ter to China; Col James A. Sexton,
the newly-elected Commander-in-
Chief of the &. A. R.; Gen. Granville
M. Dodge, who gained military fame
in the Civil War: DR.. w. w. Keen,
whose achievements have placed him
in the front rank of the medical pro-
fessiOn, not only of the U. S., but of
the world, and Capt Evan p. Howell,
formerly editor of the AtJ0Rta ConSti-
tutiOn. The lack of legal authority
to compel witnesses to testify, is not
regarded as a serious draw back to
the Commission Few witnesses
called are likely to decline to testify,
when they know that the President
wishes them to tell everything they
know.
The sessions of the Peace Commits
sion to meet at Paris, Oct. I, are to be
held in the famous "Salle des Ambass-
adeurs," the French Government
having rendered the use of that
apartment, in which have been en-
acted numerous International diplo-
matte dramas, when the meeting
place of the Peace Commission was
first announced just previous to
the departure of the American Com
lnissioners from Washington, Hon.
VIM. K. Day, who heads the Commits
sion, rendered his resignation as Sec
retary of State, which was accepted
by the President, who then officially
announced the appointment of Col.
John Hay, recently Ambassador to
Great Britain, to be Secretary of
State. At the same time Hon. John
Bassett Moore, who accompanies the
Commissioners as adviser, rendered
his resignation as First Assistant Sec
retary of State, and was accepted.
Secretary Hay, who will be in Wash
ington in a few days will choose Mr..
MOore's successor. The instructions
given our representatives on the
Peace Commission has been "a we'll
kept secret. Surmises have been
plentiful, but there are no facts be-
fore the public. President Mckinley
says the policy of this government in
the negotiations of the treaty of peace
with Spain will be recognized as thor
oughly American when it becomes
known, and that it will be endorsed
by our people as whole. More than
that he does not deem it prudent to
say at this time.
The sensation mongers hardly got
a chance to spread their imagination
on the stories of such serious situa-
ton at Manila that more American
troops were needed before the sensa-
tion was punctured by an official
report from Gen. Otis, who is in com
mand of our troops over there during
the absence of Gen. Merritt, who is
on his way to Paris to place the infor-
nation in his possession before the
American Peace Commissioners, saw
ing that no more troops were needed.
and that the situation was satisfac-
tory from an American point of view
Maj. Gen. James II. Wilson, who
commanded corps in the Porto
Rican campaign, and who is now at
his Delaware home on a furlough,
said when asked for his views on the
war: IL have nothing to complain of.
| am very much like the grave digger
who, when asked while digging a
grave, who had died and what was
wrong, replied; There amt nothing
wrong; everybody is satisfied"
Postmaster General Smith, who will
deliver an address at the Omaha Ex-
position on Pennsylvania day, has
accpDted invitations to deliver nOliti-