The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-12
NAVAL ELL COMPLETED
HOUSE COMMITTEE FIXES APPROPRI-
ALTON AT S45,15s, 6O5.
Preparations for the investigation OF
moan Complications.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-THE naval ap-
preparation bill is practically completed,
save in some minor details, and all its es-
sential features were made known to-day.
1t appropriate a total of $45 15s sos, divided
under the following main heads: General
establishment, $13,326 $40; bureau of naviga-
ton, sos, 125; bureau of ordnance, s., 143 124;
bureau of equipment, 81 615,45 public works,
yards and docks, $454, 442; bureau of yards
and docks, 1854, 2S6; bureau of medicine and
surgery, $192.5O0; bureau of supplies and ac-
count, IS, 220, 4S2; bureau of construction and
repair, So 1913 4O7; bureau of steam engineer
ing, 81, 207, 800; Naval Academy $217, 120 ma
rine corps. 81, 81; increase of navy, ST.
1872, 4O2. The item of increase of navy
covers the amount given for the first year
on the three new battle ships three armored
cruisers and six steam cruisers authorized
by the bill. Although the ships have been
decided on, the text of this provision has
not yet been agreed on. 1t Will follow the
recommendations Of the secretary OF the
navy with the total cost recommended by
him, namely: $3,5UO000 each for the battle
ships, $40OOO00 for the armored cruisers and
81, 14l, 800 for the smaller cruisers, these
amounts exclusive of armor and armament.
For the navy yard, Mare Island, SS5l, $50 is
Preparations for the court of inquiry into
General Miles's charges concerning the char
acter of the army beef are being pushed at
the War Department with the greatest. expe-
dition. 1t is stated at army headquarters
that all the information General Miles had
obtained from officers reports and other
sources on the character of the meat had
been transmitted to the war investigating
committee before that body adjourned.
from the commission it was returned to
the War Department and thence VIII be
transmitted TO the court of inquiry. Colonel
"a
court, was at the war department to-day
making preparations for the session OF the
court and later in the day went to the
Agricultural Department where the analysis
OF the army meat was made, to look into
that end OF the proceeding, with a view
| to determining now Tar the experts OIL the
department might aid the court IN thorough
| y probing the matter under consideration.
! General George w. Davis, who is a member
OF the court teegraphed from Havana, to-
day that he would start for Washington at
| once.
The fertilization appropriation bill was
completed to-day by the House committee
on appropriations. 1t carries S4,744, 1885, as
against estimates made for this purpose Of
$12,151, SSS The bill carries out the general
policy of past Congresses in strengthening
| the seacoast Notifications. The main items
| reported are: Guns and mOtar batteries,
| $lV5G, co. sites for fortitications, $500, U01;
preservation and repair of Notifications,
100000; plans for fortihcatiOns, 5000; sea
walls and embankments, $500; tOrpedOeS
| for harbor defense, $50009 armament of
Qualifications, $S,1S9, 1873; proving grounds,
nal, New York 81, 400; ordnance and fortif-
cation board, 100000 AS explanatory of the
! heavy reduction from the estimates the
! port shows the extent of the emergency
work accomplished during the recent war
| period and says 1t carries out the recon-
mendations of the Endicott board.
Consul Fleming, from Edinburgh, reports
to the State Department a serious crisis in
the whisky trade in Scotland This is at
tributed to the immense overproduction
which has by gradual accumulation placed
a surplus stock of over 1S7, 500, 900 gallons of
| whisky in the bonded warehouses of the
| United Kingdom. Years ago the large dis
tilleries, in Individual ownership or in the
| hands of a few men, proved enormously re-
munerative, and this tempted the pro
| mOter' into the field. Within a few years
/ the number of dstilleries in the United King
| dom has reached 1S4, of which 143 are in
Scotland. The new disullerieS are nearly all
| immense concerns and production has been
! pushed to the utmost. Consequently the
| supply on hand has run far ahead of home
| consumption and the export trade COM
| bined. To cheaper production the introduce
| ton of American Indian corn has been re-
| sorted to, grain spirits being produced at
! from Is to 80 cents gallon, against 20 cents
| for malt whisky. The blends have been kept
| up to the standard price averaging 81 a
| gallon in bond. Under the impression that
| the market would expand with production
! the distilleries have been kept running at
! full capacity, but the immense surplus has
| been more than the trade could carry and
there has been a sharp break in wholesale
prices, while immense financial interests
have been invoked to prevent a panic in
| the trade. The chief American interest at
stake is in the decrease in the importation
of American corn involved in the reduction
of output in the Scotch distilleries.
The sudden change in the attitude Of the
German government respecting the recent
complications at Samoa, reported in the
press dispatches, is attributed here to the
fact that Ambassador White within the
past day or two has been able to deliver
to the German Foreign Office the formal
presentation of the American case. While
| dgnified in tone, it was good deal more
| energetic in demonstrating against the con-
| duct of the German officials at Samoa than
Mr.. White had given expression to- or per-
haps had even conceived. But inasmuch
as every claim of our government has been
| based upon q strict adherence to the lines
| of the treaty of Berlin, the German govern
ment has found itself under the necessity
| of moving to secure an amendment to that
| convention in the line of its desires, accord
| ing to the usual methods of diplomacy. The
| United States and British governments
| doubtless will give a ready response to any
eminent for another conference, providing
| there is some kind of an understanding in
advance of the objects to be obtained.
Great Britain continues to be the greatest
customer of the United States, despite the
fact that our purchases from her continue
much below those of former years The fig
ures of the Treasury Bureau of Statistics
covering the calendar-year exports and i'm
| ports show that our sales to the United
| Kingdom in the year 1898 were $53S, 661, 7S7,
| against $462, 695024 in 1897, while our imports
| from Great Britain in 1898 were but Sill, 36l,-
| GIT. against 1859 O02, 2S6 in 1897. Thus our
| sales to the United Kingdom are nearly five
| times as much as our purchases from her.
! The exports to the United Kingdom in
! creased $56, 900 900 over those of 1897 while at
| the same time the imports from that coun-
! try into the United States decreased
| $48, 900, CO.,
The ways and means committee to-day
acted favorably on the bill for government
participation in the Ohio centennial and
Northwest Territory exposition to be held at
| Toledo, O., in 1923. The bill provides a
| government building to cost $4,000 and a
| government exhibit to cost 100000. The ex-
position will commemorate Perry's victory
| by a naval display on Lake Erie, show the
| resources of Hawaii, Cuba, Porto Rico and
| the Philippines. and in particular exhibit
| the progress and development of the North
/ west.
| Assistant Secretary of War Meikeljohn
made public to-day a statement of transac-