The Mena star., 1899-05-11
Tke President Asked to Make a Friendly Protest to Russia
 Concerning Finland.
TIE CIVIL SERVICE ORDER DELAYED.
to Our Insular Possessions-Ta War with Germany Not Improbable plaInt About Our Exported Wheat-Mil- itary District of North Alaska.

Milan, or Michigan, called upon the president and Secretary Hay yesterday to make an important request on be- half of the Films in the United States. The request was nothing less than the lodgment of friendly protest with the Russian government against the ulxase of the czar by which the autonomous government of Finland was dissolved and that country made part of Russia. What the Films of the United States most fear is that the Russian govern ment will attempt to force upon Fin. land the religion of the Greek church. The national religion of the Films is that of Luther. Senator McMillan urged that protest be made on the same grounds as those taken by Presi- dent Harrison in the case of the Rus sian Jews. Neither the president nor Secretary Hay gave Senator McMillan any intimation as to what action would be taken upon his request.
 The Civil Service Order Delayed.
 Washington, May 10.-The delay in the issue of the presidents civil service order is due to differences among the members of the cabinet as to the form which the order should take. Some of the cabinet officers want certain places excepted and others do not. As the or der must be uniform for all of the de- partments the president has been wait ing until he could secure an agreement among his advisers. One of the most serious divisions was On the subject of private secretaries. Another serious division was on the subject of the chief clerks. Some cabinet officers recon mended that both of these places should be put on the excepted list; others wanted them continued as clas- sifed places. After good deal of con- sideration the cabinet finally reached the agreement that the chief clerks ought to remain in the classified serv- ice as at present.
 The Chinese Exclusion Act.
 Washington, May 10.-Acting Secre tary of War Meiklejohn said to-day that the Chinese exclusion act did not apply to our insular possessions. Some three weeks ago an order was issued extending the laws and regulations governing immigration to the United States to the territory under military control and collectors of customs were directed to enforce them pending the establishment of regular immigration stations. By some this order was in- terpreted to mean the exclusion of Chi nese from Porto Rico, Cuba and the Philippines. This is a mistake. Mir. Meiklejohn says that the order only extended the regular immigration laws, n ha nf hof there was no intention for the present of making the latter act applicable to our insular possessions.
 Tariff War with Germany Not Improbable.
 Washington, May 10.-Commercial warfare between Germany and the United States is threatened by the reichstag's committee reporting bill unfavorable to the importation of American meats. The executive branches of both governments are anxious to avoid any clash over the matter. The German emperor and President Mckinley are working by diplomatic means to bring about better commercial relations between the two countries, but the danger is that the kaiser may not be able to restrain the reichstag, which seems to be under the control of the agrarians, and if the meat bill as reported from committee be enacted there is danger that when congress meets next December retalia- tory legislation will be proposed.
 Complaint About Our Wheat.
 Washington, May 10. 10.-Secretary of Agriculture Wilson has assigned Fred eric V, Coville, chief of the botanical division, to conduct an investigation into the amount of moisture in the wheat exported by the United States, with view to informing the agricul- turists and shippers of this country as to the proper condition in which wheat should be shipped in order to insure it's perfect state upon it's arrival at Euro pean ports. For some time past there has been considerable complaint from buyers of American wheat abroad that the wheat purchased did not equal in quality the wheat for whick their cer- tificates called.
 Military District Of North Alaska.
 Washington. May i0.-Assistant Sec retary Meikle john. in charge of Alaskan affairs, has issued an order creating the military district of North Alaska. which is to include all that portion of the territory north of the sixty-first parallel. This district is placed in command of Capt. Ray, who has had