The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-12-11

70 American soil. when, as q matter o
fact. although mono Of President Nc
KinIey's Dredecessors have ever left III
country during their terms OF once
their actions were alone affected By con
siderAaions Of propFisty or pfscedsn
which NJ one could hold 70 apply IL IN
present Instance
II was generally recognised the pTcsi
dent might wish 70 make q pefsonai fou
Of inspection 10 tl1oss Islands - soon n
he could spare time from pressing publ
businass IN Washington. ard that 10 yaiil
oblsetisa could stand against such q toui
as 10 was UNDERWOOD % contemplate. II
vas pointed out. however, that II would
BE- practically Impossible FOR him 10 spar,
the time requisite for such an extended
voyage as that % Porto Rico before con
grsas kes91rns on March tth. which Il.
fortunately. about the best time OF tha
year 10 mako short stay in the tropics
During the hrst SIX weeks Of the new
year. IN addition % the continuous ex.
ecutlvs roufinS business. the social obll.
cations involved in the program Of public
receptions and state dinners would 70.
strict the president closely 20 Washing
ton. and after next weeks southern tour.
he will hardly ind Il possible to leave
the Whits House for more than two
days At time before the beginning OF
Lent. in the middle OF February. For
tho ensuing two weeks. with the rush
OF legislation which marks the closing
days Of short session OF congress, there
win be no leisure for the executive and
therefore his pennant could hardly ~ IN
the hArbors OF Porto Rico before the
middle Of March.
With Havana within only . single
nights run for the dispatch boat Dolphin
from Tampa there might be q chanes
for the president 70 spend two whole days
there IN q weeks absence from Washing
ton and remain always in close tele-
graphic communication with the execu-
tive departments. 90 that II a critical
emergency occurred ho could be In q
railway train speeding toward the capitol
within twelve hours. No thought Is en-
tertaIned. however. Of presidential trip
TO Havana before the Spanish flag Is
hauled down on January /
Practical unanimity Of opinion prevails
among officials that the contemplated
visit Of the president TO Havana has as
full warrant as his trip 70 Porto Rico.
30 long as the American flag files over
Cuba, although few aulbblers may hold
that forto 2lco Itself Is not actually a
part OF the United States territory until
congress has made declaration 70 that
effect either in 50 many words. or BY
ratlfying the peace treaty OF Paris. This
fine point Is not seriously raised except
to show that Porto Rico and Cuba must
be considered Identical In view Of the
fact that they are covered precisely
alike. by military officers under the I'm
mediate direction Of the president as CON-
mander in chief.
The belief is expressed that the presi-
dent would not care TO set foot In Cuba
n II wero held TO be foreign territory.
much as he might wish 70 see the country.
for that might be a perllOus precedent 70
establish. But no one appears to contro-
vert the right as well as the advisability
OF an executive visit to the new American
possessions. provided 1t does not involve
too long an enforced absence from Wash
ingpon.
Before the outbreak OF the war with
Spain the expedieney OF a presidential
visit to Hawaii was thoroughly can
vassed.
It was held by competent authorities
that the president would not be COM
PEELED to leave the Jurisdiction OF the
United States even momentarily during
such a tour. as he would be construe-
lively on American territory on a nation
al vessel even when on the high seas.
In this case, however, the long voyage
would have required the president to be
without means Of communication with
for at least a week at
time, and even had there been a cable TO
Honolulu. he would have been out Of
touch with the country for at least
two periods OF five days each. These con-
siderations prohibited further contem-
plation OF the visit.
When the president visits Porto Rico
and Cuba he win undoubtedly be accom-
panied by Mrs. Mckinley and several
members OF the cabinet. with their wives.
and. although the stay Of the party
In each port visited will be no longer than
a single day. an absence Of two weeks
from Washington viii be necessary. 1t is
probable Secretary Alger and several
army officers win so TO San Juan. Santi-
ago Havana and other points In the
island before the president visits those
places.