The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1899-02-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent


Washington, Feb. -, 1899
The Senate has got to pass the Hull
Army bill, which has been reported
from the Committee on Military Affairs,
with a few minor amendments, or there
| will be an extra session OF Congress
Such is the nltimatum of President Nc
kinley to the combine of democratic
Senators who have undertaken the job
of holding up the Army bill. and he
means business The democratic offer
to compromise by authorizing a contin-
| uation of the regular army on a wal
basis for one year from next July, has
| been rejected. The reorganization and
increase of the army, provided for in
the Hull bill, is regarded as necessary
by President Mckinley, and he intends
TO have it, if not from this Congress,
then from an extra session of the Fifty
sixth Congress, to be called immediate
ly after the close of the present session.
Not only are all the volunteers entitled
under the terms of their enlistment, to
Ill III uIeuldle ulSClIdfSe ds sOOu as Tue
treaty of peace goes into effect, which
will be as soon as the Spanish Cortes
has ratified the treaty and copies of it
have been exchanged by representa-
tiyes of Spain and the United States,
but more than half of the regulars en-
listed with the same proyision-that
they could claim their discharge at the
close of the war.
Unless Gen. Otis is mistaken, his one
weeks campaign against the FIlipinos,
which was succession ofyictories from
start to finish, has given Aguinaldo's
army all the fighting they want-has in
fact, scattered and DESTROYED that army,
and given the Eilipinos an object lesson
on the power Of the United States. By
the way, speaking of Gen. Otis, it IL
well to remember that the Military
Governor of the Philippines and Com
mander of the American army is Mai.
Gen. r. ). Otis, while the Commander
of tho p-.4-av-r-lri,f Won sucn a brit
liant victory at the capture of Caloocan,
is BrIgadier General Harrison s. Otis,
lately a well-known California editor.
There has been tendency to mix up
these two officers of the same name
The report Of the Treasury Bureau OF
Statistics for the year ending Dec. 81
1898, just made public, shows that Great
Britain continues to be our best foreign
customer, Notwithstanding the steady
decrease in our purchases from the
British. In 1898, We sold goods to the
value Of sos. COL 49, to Great Britain,
an increase of S56, 100000 over 1897; III
| 1898 We bought of Great Britain goods
! TO the value of Sill .36l ,6l7, a decrease
on the value of our 1897 purchases OF
| 81, 100000. These figures do not make
| pleasant reading for those who predict
| ed that the DIngley tariff would entire
! " destroy our foreign commerce., but
! they strongly yiudicatc j protective
| tariff.
The substance Of the report of the
War Investigating Commission was
I given out as soon as the report was
/ placed i'll the Presidents hands. and au
abstract of the report, made by direc-
| ton of the President, has Just been
gwen 10 the press. Although the re-
! port is rs whole. commendatcrv OF
| the conduct of the war, it contains
! numerous criticisms of particular acts,
| which fell short OF what they should
/ l,a IL. e Il.
Z contains every one of these criticisms
As well as the reasons for making tten,.
1t Will require an act of Congress TO
: provide for any distribution of printed
copies of the entire report and of the
evidence taken by the Commission.
In view % the lessons of the war
with Spain, which caught our coast cit
les IN almost Il defeuceIess condition,
the action Of the House Committee on
! appropriations, IN reporting the forti-
/ tication bill. carrying only A.744. 79S
when the War Departments estimate
OF the amount needed WAS Sl2, l5l SOS
strikes many as being a bit of unuise
economy, although the report on the
bill shows that the emergency work
done during the war has vastly I'M.
proved our coast defences. and Chair.
man Cannon has made evident the ne
Cesslty for care Ill maxim. appropria-
tiOns.
Although generally admitted TO be
meaningless, even If adopted by the
Senate. the Senate, probably with the
hope Of stopping the waste of time il
: wrarglin. over the matter. has agreed
10 vote on the McEuery resolution con
corning tie Philippines, this week
Senator Mason virtually forced the
agreement 10 Tote, by getting the tiool
and announcing his intention 10 keen j
until the agreement was reached.
Secretary Long has. in accori""ct
with recent Senate resolr,ion. sent Il
the Senate the CONF 'rte official reCoro
of ScLlev ana snnlI'sou, during the wa
with S,>.in. The record is not rs fla.
ts.Ius TO Schley AS his admirers wUult
like to see il.
Buck lens Arnisa Salys