Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-09-01
WASHINGTON LETTER.
lrrom our RegnIar corresponaentl

(From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Aug. % There
will be no Cdban annexation at pre-
sent, with the consent of this admin
tration. That has been made certain
by proclamation, signed by Presl-
dent Mckinley, which will be made
public by the War Department, after
it has been published in Cuba. This
proclamation tells the Cubans that
that the will of Congress, as express
ed in the resolution accompanying
the declaration of war against Spain,
will be carried out to the letter, at
the earliest practicable moment; and
points out that as soon as the Cuban
Census, upon which work is about to
begin, has been completed, elections
will be ordered for local officers in
all the provinces of Cuba. 1t also
promises that the u. S. troops viii he
Withdrawn AS fast rs the Cubans can
establish satisfactory local govern
ments. This does not, Of course,
necessarily mean That CUBA Will
never be annexed 10 the L. B., only
that the administration means toI
turn Cuba over to the Cubans as soon
as possible. Then, ifa majority of
the Cubans desire annexation, they
can ask for it, as Hawaii did, tins is
wise move on the part OF the Pres
dent. 1t will shut off tie charge
that this government was not acting
in good faith towards the Cnbans,
which las been SO frequently made,
both in Cuba and in the L. 5.
Secretary Root is rapidly acquir-
ing a reputation as one Of tie hardest
working members of the Cabinet as
well as one of the most difficult for
the newspaper men to work. lie Is at
all times extremely courteous, but 1t
would be as easy to extract Informal
ton from a wooden figure, rs from
him, except upon the rare occasions
wien he desires to give IL. Circum-
stances are still keeping aliye the
rumor that Gen. Merritt is likely to
90 to the Philippines as Commander
ofthe Army, although it has several
times been denied by War Depart
ment officials Gen. Merritt was
with the President again, at Pitts
burgh, and Secretary Root will Meth
er affirm nor deny the rumor.
There is much more in the case OF
DIR. Bedloc, who has been suspended
from the office of L. 5. Consul at
, Canton, China, than has been told
NV officials of the State Department,
or by the newspaper correspondents
, in the East. All that is positively
, known is that DR.. BedlOe issued
American papers to the Steamship
Abbey, which was seized by Ad-
miral Dewey fcr carrying arms and
, ammunition to the Filipinos, and that
? the Chinese government has charged
; DIR. Bedloe with issuing American
+. certificates to Chinese subjects, al
: lowing them to go to the Philippines
Diplomatic secrets are usually well
kept, but there are leaky diplomats
Hints have been dropped 10y one o
5 the latter that the direct cause of DIR
=. Bedloc's susp ension was complaint
J from the Government Of nation
S that Is greatly interested in China
/, that DR.. Bedloe was mixing up il
: some international political matters
t that were entirely outside of his leg
r itimatc sphere as L. S. Consul. DIR
Bedloe is now on his way TO WASH
e ington. Upon his explanation i(
= The State Department his restoration
0 to duty depends.
+ Gen. Miles las always had higl
opinion of the fighting qualities o
4 colorcd troops, and it is largely owing
5 to his influence that the additional
regiment, which Secretary Root has
2 decided upon, and which will bring
the volunteer army almost up to the
t limit set by Congress, will be COM
posed ofcOlored men unless there Is
f difficulty in getting a sufficient num-
Der of them to enlist, and that isn't
looked for.
The Navy Department promptly
vetoed the proposition..to take the ole
trigate Constitution-"Old lronsides"-
from Portsmouth, N. H., where she
has been used rs receiving ship
since 1881, to New York, to be usec
e in the Naval welcome TO AdmiIa
Dewey. The vessel is old, and the
Department considers far too valua
bic as a patriotic relic to be risked by
even the short voyage from Ports
) mouth to n. Y.
According to Mr. f. P. Metzgcr
Chief Clerk of the General Land OF
fee, it is a misia AIKEN idea to suppose