The Press., 1899-05-25
Washington Letter.
Washington May %, 1899.

Washington May %, 1899.
 The return of the president has brought a swarm of politicians to Washington, and .speakership talk and arguments for and against an extra session of congress are again heard in hotel corridors and other places where men congregate. There is also much talk about the unsatisfactory condition in Cuba, owing to the delay in disbanding the Cuban army, and about Aguinaldo's persisting in sending com missioners to negotiate for cessation of hostilities, in the face of the repeated re- fusals of Gen. Otis-the last refusal has just occurred. There is little that Is new in any of the talk for the simple reason that the situation has not changed ma terially in either of the cases mentioned, during the past week.
 Washington is in gala attire, in honor of the peace jubilee, which opens to- morrow and continues for three days. While the decorations are not as numer- ous as at inauguration, some of them are handsomer than we have had at any in- auguration, and more expensive, and the attractions offered to visitors are decided ly better than those at inaugurations, out side of the inauguration ceremonies which l are of themselves the greatest of all att i fractions to the average American. From present indications, the out-of-town att tendance will not be as large as those who planned the affair had right to expect.
 The president has, by rather plain inti- nation, given Great Britain to understand that, while a supporter of the policy of international arbitration, on general prin- ciples, he will not agree to submit the claims made by Great Britain in connect ion with the Alaskan boundary, to arbi- tration. In view of the fact that Ameri- can and British delegates are, at this time, attending the czar's peace confer ence and jointly advocating the establish ment of international courts of arbitration to settle all disputes between nations, 1t may seem little queer that the president should practically refuse Great Britain's request to submit the Alaskan boundary Iquestion, which the joint high commission failed to settle, to arbitration, but it isn't. I From the American point of view, the presidents attitude is logical. In fact from the American point of view, there is little or nothing to arbitrate. Great Britain has put forward lot of claims not with the expectation that they would be allowed by arbitration or by any other method, but with the hope that if the matter should be submitted to arbitration it might get allowed the port of Skaguay which is believed to be it's real object, ir place of it's other claims. Owing to ths immense commercial interests of the U s., in the Pacific, the president is not in clined to take any chances. The protes filled by the British government agains the intended sending of three companies of U. s. troops, to patrol the border fol the purpose of preventing trouble between American and Canadian miners, wal good-natured, and the troops will not b' sent, although they will be kept where they will be available, if needed. It ii stated with much positiveness, that Grea Britain doesn't wish the boundary quest ion settled upon any basis that will no give it an Alaskan port, and 1t is yer. certain that no such settlement can b, reached with the consent of this govern ment.
 The commission to investigate thesever al isthmian canal routes, in accordance with the act of congress, will be composed of seven members, two army officers, on' navy officer and four civil engineers whose reputation is international. In ad dition to Admiral Walker, Col. Hains and Prof. Haupt, who composed the com
 mission which has just completed thu final report on the Nicaragua canal. tn,
 members are Major Symonds, Alfre' Noble, of Chicago, and Virgil Rogue
 and George L. Morrison, of New Yorl : City. The duties of the new commission will practically be confined to an investi
 gation of the Panama route, as there
 little doubt that it will accept the ex
 haustive report just made by the ol
 commission on the Nicaragua route a fully covering that. While the com
 mission will do some preliminary wor
 during the summer, it will not get dow to hard work before the fall, owing t climatic conditions on the isthmus in tn summer.
 One of the most surprised Englishme seen in Washington for some time, wa present at little gathering of politician who happened to be discussing the polit cal future of the state of Maryland. Whs surprised him was the statement made b one of the politicians that Maryland wa \ now doubtful state, and that the part to which the influeuce of the B. & ( railroad was thrown would elect the ne, state government, and the general a. \ ceptance of that statement by all presen ! It does seem little odd. And it seen T mo, odd. when it is remembered that u
 policy of the B. X O. railroad will be al tated by James J. Hill, who doesn't Ii, within thousand miles of the state Maryland. No wonder foreigners fail \ understand our political methods.
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