The Springfield herald., 1899-06-30

] 10y.
According to a general order issued
by the War Department, sales may be
made on credit TO officers and enlisted
men who have not been regularly paid,
or who are in the field.
The French ambassador, NJ. Cam
bon. is about 10 receive from the Uni
verslty of Harvard the degree of LII.
| D., in recognition OF the public ser
vices he performed in the negotiations
which restored peace between the Unit
ed States and Spain.
The War Department is making e1-
tensive preparations TO transport re-en-
forcements to Manila. The quarter
masters department has chartered sew
eral new vessels for this duty, and it is
estimated that by the first of Septem-
| Der 10000 regular soldiers will have
reached the Philippines.
The board of construction of the
Navy Department has decided 10 over
haul the converted yacht Viking, which
was used as an auxiliary cruiser dur
ing the war with Spain, to lit her for
I service in the navy. This work will
cost about 5000 Ii is the present In
tention of the Navy Department to as
sign this little vessel 10 duty in South
American waters.
There is still hope that a satisfactory
settlement of the Alaska boundary can
be reached before the Goth of August.
which is the date set for the reassem-
bling of the high joint commission, be
cause all of the other questions have
been set aside and postponed until this
most important controversy IS deter
mined. \ modus vivendi, or temporary
settlement, has finally been accomp-
! lished by the negotiations of Mr.
Choate and Sir Julian Paucefote in
London which is acceptable 10 Canada
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
| Taylor has announced the acceptance
OF the offer of George H. and Edwin
S Monroe of lot l2oX15s feet as the
site for the public building at Joliet,
the price paid for the lot being SO
600. 1t was also decided by the treas
ury officials not TO prosecute condemn
alton proceedings to acquire the proper
ty of j. Klein at Freeport, Illinois, as
the site for the public building at that
place. The lot offered by W. Fl. j.
Stratton at S17,5o0 has been accept
ed
Colonel Bingham, the superintendent
of public buildings and grounds, is
having completed under his immediate
supervision an extensive change in
the water and sewerage system of the
White House. The work was begun
some time ago, but has been slow of
completion because the noise was dis
agreeable to Mrs. Mckinley and much
had to be done while she was away
from the city. Some of the usual
! changes are being made in the interior
of the building also while the occu-
/ pants are absent.
! Under the most favorable circum-
stances it will he hardly possible for
] the government to increase its army
/ in the Philippines to the 5000 limit
before the 1st of August. About 5000
{ of the troops destined for service in
the Philippines and included in the pro-
posed 5000 force are still in this coun-
try and will not be able TO reach the
scene of action for five or six weeks.
/ The officials of the War Department
are making every effort. however. TO
/ expedite their departure and to that
/ end have arranged for the immediate
] transportation of the troops on the
transports Pennsylvania, Sheridan,
/ Zealandia and Valencia
There has been call made by Gener-
al Otis upon the War Department for
/ four expert Spanish court stenograph-
ers for service in the Philippine Islands.
They must be familiar with the Span
ish and English languages. able TO
translate from Spanish into English
and from English into Spanish and ex-
perts in taking dictation in the Spanish
language and trauscribing same with
| typewriters. The court reporters call
ed for by General Otis and which the
War Department is expected TO furnish
must have n speed of not less than $50
words per minuee in the Spanish Ian
guagc and possess the highest degree
. / nf off in FGaft.
There has been much quiet discus
sion going on concerning the eNpira-
ton of Admiral SIMPSONS term of sea
duty. Secretary Long has not re-
ceived any communication from Admi-
raj Sampson applying for shore duty,
and 1t is not likely that he will in the
near future. Admiral Sampson has
been on sea duty only two years.
which is a year short of the regular
term. 1t is seldom that an officer of
SIMPSONS rank is given command of
a squadron for shorter period than
three years. and as it is advantageous
for Admiral Sampson to continue on
sea duty as long as possible it is not
probable that he will apply to be re
lieved until he is compelled to do so.
Secretary Wilson in his report to the
President on the work Of the depart
ment during the last fiscal year pro-
posed that the department should re
ceive from time to time graduates of
agricultural colleges who should come
to work in the scientific divisions of
the department and AT the same time
pursue post graduate studies, thus tax
ing advantage of the facilities which
the department has for advanced study
in fitting themselves for posts of use
fulness in the department, agricultural
experiment stations and other institu-
lions throughout the country requiring
the services of persons able to make
. ORIGINAL researches in lines relntinc to