The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-18


ing veDeiA and have urged that in v1eW
81 the Obvious tnouhgxanftAi character q
the grounds upon which the request - re-
FUSED the department should fecOan10er the
natter and comply with your Request"
Five days after then be received . con-
auunsoat1on from che quarfermastsr genef
81. setting forth new reasons why tho
Sound wao no place tor the lying of GOV.
eminent shsps. The amusing declArat10a
Wa made that the smoke and f1Gs that
prevailed here mAds Il nece0ary - hire
pilots to take the vessels out to 90, which
would b . great and needless expenDe-
senator Turner sent this letter to tie
Chamber of commercs. inciostng copy Of
the Qusrtermaster generate report:
II send ron herewith . communication
ssrnssr ssnsrs q he he army a 4 which
he sets out In fun the srounds upon witch
other Sound porsA II your people are
able to SUCCESSFULLY coufrovert the propo-
sitions made in thu letter. II seems 70 me
partnens IN its decision In answering
the objections Of the department a. 70
the lack of facilities for repair etc. on
Puget sound. the drydock u Port Orchard
should not alone be mentioned, but ref
efence shcuA aho be made to the com.
mercszi drydock II QuaftermAsser haroor.
near Tacoma"
LUDINGTOx's LETTER.
The report was from Quartermastef Gem
erai Ludington, written under date OF
Warrington. May 10. and. - Il u the frst
fuii declaration that has come from the
government setting forth In reasons Tor
this action, u given here IN full:
Referring to your communication Of the
l1th uisfmO TO the secretary Of war. In
closing . copy Of letisr Of the acting com
e xrs q sros co a1
chants. OF Seattle. Wash. dated April 8,
lsss; stating reasons why Il 10 not pracu-
ssss SAIL Z to purchase .rm1 suppss to Which
you invite attention. and remark that i
SENS to you remarkable that the North
against eSsn to Se extern. e Of
csnpe.,ssss IN siex q y the facts ,sas the
e som. 90 ss sso1.r % .nn from San
Francisco. and that there are no other
ports in the world equal to thoss
20 n ns s0u. you that have Ii. tn. ssaHr
correspondence Of record In this office on
Of Of. San ' FTanci.co ana Seattle Is ports Of
piles to the Philippines. based upon claims
eauaI ana Il soa respecs .nper,or sd
vantages to San Francisco. and he directs
me 10 submit to you summary OF report
made to this Office by Lieut.. Col. .. =.
teudent, army transport service on the Pa
cifc coast In reply 10 the correspondence
referred to; az follows:
II cheaper In Seattle. bat the higher price
Is not paid for It at San Francisco. II Aus
traiian. Hetton or other Goals OF better
0teaminG qualities can be secured.
San Francisco II accorded third place
az possessing the most natural harbor OF
the world: ID central point between South
American ports and Alaska: controls trade
with Eastern nations: has large factories
for manufacture OF everything needed by
the government: lumber and forage alone
are articles obtained on the Sound at lower
The distance to Honolulu Is 2oeo miles
- miles less than from Seattle. To take
ihs rosInsrn 5ous ., rom oor.sf 70
Ban Franciscol IL more teinpeetuoMe ana
more liable to delays en- voyAeN on account
Of foEs and smoke from forest hr9 ?fte9
Juan de Fuca- stevedoring Is shade
lower on the Sound. but these have been
reduced In San Francisco.
Seattle: though not compulsory. fogs render
There Is no drydock at Seattle which
could raise the large army transports.
'Freigh. can be unioaded from car to
steamer in San Francisco. II required. but
during the emergency just passed no no
s sssss and ,n.xpsnSsy handed while
awaiting shipment BY transports
TN view OF the reasons adduced by Col.
Long together with the fact that San
Francisco affords supsrie. advantages for
docking the large army transport ships
and for their nttinx up and repair IN yards
world. ii has been deemed to the best In
terests of the government to make no
change In TT port OF deharkation OF troops
This cannot. II - believed. be Justly con
eiaersd an making any DISCRIMINATION
asains. sha North Pacific coast. and GER
f~sx N.1
.'Recen.,v a ship was dispatched from
Seattle TO Manila loaded with forage. lnm-
her and other stores. which were pnr-
supple. 10 be sent 10 the Philippine. may
arise under conditions TO make their pnr.
chase more economical from the porte OF
the matter will receive consideration by
the department"
FROM COMMANDANT GREEN.
Congressman Cushman has been particu-
larry active In the matter OF educating
yrncle Sam. and sent copies OF correspond
enca he has had with the Washington Of
s.ta,s. Thu first letter was the following
from Ja,nes c. Green. cornmandant OF the
nsva, station a, Bremerton. which read as
follows:
- think your reply to tho assistant Sec
r.,syv al war covers the whole ground.
Tb. war department Il evidently mlstn-
formed In regard TO the facilities and eapa-
btiities fer repairs TO ana TOT dockinH YES
prss or Puget sound"
Then the congressman forwarded this
letter 10 Assistant Secretary OF war
Metkietohn. under date OF May ::
~ trust you Will not deem me discour-
ssous when cay that within the last ten
DAYS personally visited the Puget SOUND
naval station fourteen miles from Seattle.
where there is n drydock equal 10 any IN
the tinted States: dryaock on which
has bsea expended almost II .tW 90 OF gov
erusrcrt money. a drfdock on which the
batslsship Oregon was successfully placed.
and tho commander OF the dock. Capt.
Green said 10 me- that the Oregon was
easily and successfully raised thereon for
repairs That drydeck IS there now, In
view Of these facts. II - difficult for me
q, see where the auarssrmaster general
Of the army received his Information that
enabled him 60 make shs foregoing report.
IL there are other good and sufficient rea.
sans why the trocps could not well be sent
thl. way I will not bother your depart
rnsa. further. but Il seems that the ex
ense given cannet hold good in the face
Of the conceded facts"
The following letter from Mr.. cashmaa
went forward 70 Mr. Aeixle3ah May ~
Under date ~ May wrote you ex-
planning that tse anartsrmxst.r general
had made serious mistake when he re-
a - A. 3r,Ak