The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1899-04-13
Washington Letter.
washington April 10, 189'

washington April 10, 1899.
Inspector General Breckenridge, who
mas been in Cuba and Porto Rico for
5hree months, brought the president
much valuable information obtained by
his close observation of existing con-
litions on the islands, and not little of
t is widely different from that which has
been obtained from other sourced. Gen.
is strongly Of the opinion
hat Gomez is not to be trusted. He
thinks that Gomez is the most dangerous
enemy the U. g. has in Cuba that his
turbulent nature fits him for participation
IN revolutions, but not to assist in the
of peaceful government,
and has warned the president of the
danger of allowing him to get control in
Cuba. He also told the president that
things were not being conducted under
our military government in Cuba, In a
to accustom the Cubans to free
government; that it was a serious mis-
take to allow distasteful Spanish laws to
remain in force over there, in addition to
our military laws. He doubts whether
Cuba can have a free government Of its
own, because he believes that as soon as
our military government is withdrawn,
Gomez and his followers will establish a
military government that will be as much
of a despotism as Spain ever maintained
over the islands. Of Porto Rico he says
that the people are disposed to be con-
tented, but that the serious draw backs to
industry, owing to the closing of the
of Spain for Porto Rican pro-
ducts and the failure to open our own to
them, have already resulted in distress
and an alarming increase of brigandage
and that things will soon grow worse if
means are not found to provide employ
ment for the islanders. The president is
po werless to act in this matter. 1t will
require action of congress to open our
markets to Porto Rican products. The
president is deeply impressed by Gen.
Breckenridge's information, and has had
several extended conferences with him to
talk the matter over.
Several occurrences during the last three
or four days have been calculated to con-
vince the public that our authorities both
in Manila and in Washington, do not con.
slider that the Philippine question was
taken out Of the critical field by the sue
cessful campaign of Gen. Otis against
Aguinaldo. Among them was a cable.
gram from Admiral Dewey, asking that
six months engineering supplies for his
fleet be sent to Manila at once, and Secre
tary Longs reply, in the name of the
president, to a request from a Washing.
ton committee, that Dewey be ordered
home in time to participate in the peace
jubilee, to be held May 1876 at the
national capital. Secretary Lorg frank
ly told the committee that the presiden
considered affairs in the Philippines to bt
In too critical a stage to order Dewey
home.
The president and secretary Long have
chosen the following names for the war
ships authorized by the last congress
battleships- Pennsylvania, New Je1se,
and Georgia; Armored cruisers-Wes
Virginia, Nebraska, and California
cruisers-Denver, Des Moines, Chatta
noega, Galveston, Tacoma, and Cleve
land.
Gen. Joseph Wheeler has not beel
better pleased in long time than he wa
when he left the white house with com
mittee of ladies he had escorted there, fol
the purpose of extending an invitation t,
President Mckinley to attend the encamp
mont of ex-confederates to be held a
Falls Church, Va, practically a suburb
OF Washington, June 7 and next, Th
president promised to attend the encamr
ment and to deliver an address, unles
something should occur to prevent hi
doing so. He also took occasion to thanl
the women of the southern societies TO
doing so much towards emphasizing tn
good feeling existing between the mort
and the south. Gen. Wheeler has bee
smiling ever since, and, fit were possible
he admires the president more than ever
The military court of inquiry, after de
liberating over it for two or three days
decided to accede to the request of Ger
Miles, that the official reports of 147 off
GERS, from brigadier generals to lieuter
ants, on the beef issued to soldiers i
Cuba and Porto Rico, be admitted as tes
timony, but adhered to his first decision
not to summon those among the 131 wit
nesses Gen. Miles submitted, whose test
mony would merely corroborate that a
ready given by others. This is taken t
indicate that the court thinks the issuin
of bad beef, both canned and refrigerated
has been fully proven, and that 1t onl
desires evidence on other phases of tn
case as the order convening the cou1
makes it part of it's duty to place tn
responsibility for any wrong doing fount
and it is inconceivable that so much ba
beef could have been bought by tn
government without some guilt anon
the purchasing or inspecting officials. {
course, nobody knows what action tn
court will finally take, but the opinion
growing stronger that it will recommen
court-martials for Gen. Eagan and seve
al other officers, If it does not express
positive opinion Of their guilt.
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