Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-04-17
HAS4IA GTON LETTER.
SPECIAL coRREsPesDENCR OF THE MONITOR
Washinqtoa, april 10th, 1899.

Washington, april 10th, 1899.
President Mckinley will this week
issue a proclamation notifying the
world officially that Spain and the
United States are at peace. The treaty
signed by the Queen Regent of Spain
is already in Washington and the
French Ambassador, acting for Spain,
will arrange for the ceremony of ex-
changing the treaty. This ceremony
will, unless present plans are changed,
take place in the White House. It
will be interesting but brief. The
copy of the treaty ratified by Spain
will be handed to the president and
the copy of the treaty ratified by
the United States Senate, will be
handed to the French Ambassador, as
the representative of Spain. The pay
mept of the $40, 100000 called for by
the treaty will speedily follow, but it
is not likely that the French Ambas-
sador will have anything to do with
that. Being a business matter, it
will probably be settled by the Motif
W OuO RONC1 VI A1H1Ah
that its accredited agent can collect
the money at some European bank,
in which it will be deposited by this
government.
So much time has been taken up by
witnesses whose testimony has been
practically the same, that the mill
tary court of inquiry has announced
that it will hear no more witnesses
except those who have something
new to offer. Gen. Shafter has reach
ed Washington, in obedience to a
summons, and will be heard this week.
Gen. Miles may also be heard again.
There are all sorts of rumors as to the
report that the court will make, but
none of them have any more substan-
tial basis than guesses based upon the
evidence as whole. The guess most
likely to prove true is that the report
will recommend that the purchase of
canned roast beef for the army should
be stopped. The evidence against
its unfitness for food is overwhelming.
1t has not been proven that the re-
frigerated beef issued to the army was
chemically treated, although it has
been shown that it is a common prac-
tice for fresh meats to be SO treated
and sold in the markets of the country.
Ever since the bill authorizing
twelve new war ships became law,
there has been a good natured but
spirited rivalry among the friends of
various states and cities, to give their
names to the new ships. The law pro-
vides that battle ships and armored
cruisers shall be named after states,
and cruisers after cities. After con-
sulting with Secretary Long, President
Mckinley announced the following
as the names chosen: for battle
sips, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and
Georgia; for armored cruisers, West
Virginia, Nebraska and California; for
cruisers, Denver, DesMoines, Chatta-
nooga, Galveston, Tacoma and Cleve-
land.
H ere is an official communication
received by the department. Of state
from the United States minister to
Venezuela, which should be carefully
read by those who grnmble about
the expense of keeping U. S. war
ships in foreign waters. 1t relates to
the recent visit of the U. S. S. Will
mington to the ports on the northern
coath of Venezuela. '"The splendid
condition and appearance of the men
and the boat" writes the minister,
never failed to call forth praise from
those who saw them" AS a result of
the trip, I think it will be found that
American prestige has been substan-
tally augmented, and the idea of
American power and resources, vital
lied by the war, enormously deepened
and widened. Practical results are
coming, too, in the way of increased
commerce with the United States,
and if our merchants and manufact-
urers will take advantage of the ia
vorable conditions that have been
created for them, they ought TO pro-
fit very largely"
President Mckinley is leaving moth
ing undone that he thinks will main
tain or add to the existing good
feeling between the north and the
south. His latest act in that line was
to acce pit an invitation to attend an
encampment and reunion of ex-con-
federates, under the control of the
daughters of the confederacy, to be
held at Falls Church, Va, June 9TH
and 8th, and to deliver an address.
The White House has two handsome
new and permanent ornaments in the
shape of pair of magnificent Sevres