Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-07-01
new Department OF
GOVERNMENT NEEDED
A"Secretary of Colonial Affairs and
Foreign Commerce" Deemed
a Necessity.
70 MEET THE NEW CONDITIONS
Lack of a Central Head for Affairs
of Our New Possessions Causes
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Mem.
ber's Views.

Washington, June ga depart
ment of colonial affairs and foreign
commerce, q new executive branch of
the government, is deemed by the adj
ministration absolutely necessary to
meet the new conditions which con-
front the United States as O result of
the war with Spain.
The word colonial" is repugnant
for political reasons to some members
Of the cabinet because 1t smacks of
Imperialism, and it may be that some
other title will be adopted. The mean
ing, however, will be the same.
Preliminary to recommendations to
congress on this subject, data is now
being compiled concerning the con-
troll of colonies by foreign powers and
the extension of our commerce into
foreign fields, and members of the cab
met and subordinate officials of the adj
miDistration are giving much time and
thought TO the details of the proposed
new department.
American eopsuls on duty in colon
les belonging to foreign powers, es-
pecially those. of Great Britain, are to
be called upon for full reports upon u
list Of questions now preparing for
submission to them. Robert j. Por-
ter, who Is looked upon as a probable
head Of the proposed new cabinet Of
flee when created, will be consulted
concerning the plans for extending
foreign commerce, which is to become
q feature of the new department.
President McKinley's policy in re-
gard TO the future form of government
for the Philippines and Cuba Is still
underlined, but regardless OF what fu-
ture developments may bring forth as
to our attitude toward the islands, he
and the members of the cabinet fully
appreciate that the military govern
ments In all of our dependencies must
give way to civil government as speed
lily as possible. Preliminary to the es-
adjustment Of civil government, the
cabinet has concluded that there
should be q new civil department with
o cabinet officer at it's head to inaugu-
rate and have control of the new gov
ernments which soone or later must
BE formed.
Necessity for New Department..
A cabinet officer thus explained the
necessity for such q department:
at the present time there Is no CEN
trial head for the consideration of the
multifarious questions constantly
arising in connection with Cuba, Puer-
to Rico, Hawaii and the Philippines.
The war department. has coptrol OF
these matters now, but there are many
l,nn n.a-a.1 ADMIN ffn fixn
judicial, commercial and diplomatic,
which our army officers arc not com
petent to deal with, and ought not to
be required to pass upon. As matters
90 now, there Is a disposition to shift
from one department TO another and
from one bureau to another, to escape
responsibility for settling intricate
pnd embarrassing questions. ,
"a territorial form Of government
for Puerto Rico and Hawaii has al
ready been agreed upon, and there is
little doubt that the next congress Will
pass measures In this direction. The
president told q friend the other day
that he favored a government for
Puerto Rico similar 10 that of Arizona,
md that IL it were In his power he
would appoint q civil governor for
Puerto Rico at once, without waiting
for legislation by congress.
"As for Cuba, it will be impossible
to have any other form of government
than the present military one until the
people Of the island have taken steps
for the formation of q civil govern
ment, which the United States can rec
ognize. From the little progress that
Is being made in this direction we are
beginning to doubt if affairs will SO
shape themselves in Cuba as to enable
the president at the coming session of
congress to in~telligently outline a flu
ture policy for the United States to
pursue. =,
Though the war department in all
probability will remain in nominal
control of Cuba for some time to come,
there will be many questions arising
that ought to be passed on by the pro-
posed new colonial department. The
same may be said of the Philippines.
The collection and distribution of the
revenue of those islands, a~ggregating
already So 00,00O a month in the two
places, ought to go into the hands OF
experts with n proper system OF ac-
counting under a single civilian head.
No one doubts the honesty of the army
officers, who are now performing TINS
duty. but it Is unfair to the officers
and dangerous for the government to
open wide the doors for wrong-dolng.