The National tribune., 1899-07-13

q part OF the territory of the United States.
A copy OF this npinfnn has been furnished
to the AttorneyteeEarai, and the latter. it is
expected, Will s4pn.tsslIe an official opinion
on the subject. Tie commission holds
that there is radical difference between
territory part ofSthe United States and
territory in possession OF the United States.
1t has been geperal4y conceded, the opln-
ION says, that we can do as we please w!th
the newly-acqIiired' islands-sell, give
them away. or turn them over to the people
who live upon theHi. 9 Hence, it is declared,
they are not part efithe United States, be-
cause no part od thsi United States can be
allenated. There. was nothing in the
Treaty of Paris' which made the islands
we obtained from Spain part of our terri
tory in this reSpectfhe treaty being mark
edly different frOrn Jtlose by which we OBJ
tanned. Florida and Louisiana. once
Porto Rico and the other islands are recog-
niZed as territory of the United States the
decision, the commission holds, is ire
vocable. All laws of the United States are
extended over the islands, citizenship Is
conferred on the, inhabitants, and COM
merce becomes free The Philippines,
Porto Rico, and Hawaii are now in the
same position as that of the territory ac-
CURED from Mexico in the war of 1916,
before Congress by, enactment extended
the sovereignty of the laws of the United
States over 1t, and recognized as legal all
the military acts.
THE NEW ARMY.
Gov. Roosevelt visited Washington on
Saturday Last and was the guest OF the
President. He arrived in response to a
telegram from the President. Gov. RoOse-
welt gave out statement us to his visit in
which he said he had come to go over with
the President and the officers of the War
Department certain questions affecting the
new volunteer army, especially as regarded
the personnel Of the officers. The Presi-
dent told him that he wished recommended
tions only based on the efficiency OF the
men. Il feel" said Roosevelt, that the
Presidents attitude in the face of the terrific
political pressure to which lie is and will be
subjected is such as to entitle him to the
support OF all men who feel that politics
have no place in the army, who feel that it
IS IN peculiar sense the property of the
whole country, and that in the giving OF
commissions and promotions alike abSo-
iuteiy no consideration should enter out
side OF the merit of the men as soldiers.
My own recommendations will be limited
TO the men had under me or saw in action,
and to the members Of the New York volun-
teer regiments Of whose merits l have, as
Governor, not merely official knowledge,
but the knowledge gained from personal
inquiry from among their superiors."
Gov. Roosevelt declared that those "who
took part in the first movement to oppose
the treaty have on their souls the guilt of
most of the bloodshed, both of our own
troops and that Of the natives of the Philip
pines, and the would-be traitors who have
since encouraged Agunaldo and his fol-
lowers to the limit of their small capacity,
share the guilt so far as their feeble powers
permit. We have right to demand the
support of every true American for the
Administrations policy in the Philippines"
On Monday recruiting for the volunteers
was begun. The details have been in the
hands of the Colonels of the regiments and
the officers of the War Department. Each
Colonel is chief recruiting officer for his
Each district will be entirely
covered with sufficient assistants. Five
hundred officers for the 10 volunteer regi
ments for service in the Philippines will be
selected. Only men who served with
credit in the Spanish-American war or in
the Philippines are' to be given commits
sions in the new regiments. All the Col
onels have been appointed. The appoint
nents will be distributed among the States
and Territories on tile basis of population.
Brighten. Joseph Wheeler has been
ordered to report to Gen. Otis for service in
the Philippines, at his own 'oftrepeated
request. II 81
There are no@ en'route to San Francisco
.he following TRANSPORTS, with capacity for
2O9 officers and 4 ,eJ4 enlisted men: Ohio,
Newport, INDIANA, Hancock, Senator,
Morgan City, and Telief (hospitaD. The
War Department c6hfidentIy believes that
,he transportation has been so we'll ar
,anged that tht last of the volunteers will
cave Manila not lat4r than Sept 10.
ROBBERY BoNNER's DEATH.
Robert Bonner the veteran publisher of
heiNew York Leo died in New York
July g.. He was born in the north of Ire
and, near Londonderry, April %, 1924,