The Springfield herald., 1899-09-01
WASHINGTON NEWS.



izing and discouraging effect on the in
surgents and will tend to hasten the
end of hostilities.
Consul Edward Bedloe of Pennsyl
yania, who has been stationed at Can
ton. China. during the administration
of President Mckinley, has been sus-
pended by the State Department. His
suspension gave rise to reports that
several consular officers of the United
States have been relieved for their al
legged action in assisting in sending
munitions of war to the Philippine
islands. Assistant Secretary Cridler
states that the suspension order affects
only Dr. Bedloe. He made it plain, in
addition. that DR.. Bedloe's trouble is
not due to charges of giving aid to the
Filipinos but arises in part out of the
certificate of American ownership
said to have been granted by him TO
the steamer Abbey. which was seized
23, 1898, at Batangas, where she had
landed a cargo of arms and ammun'
ton.
According to recent advices received
at the War Department the experiment
of enlisting natives of the West In
dies. into the American army has
the Porto Rico battalion of the United
States volunteers, which body com
pleted its organization n few weeks
ago. This battalion is commanded
by Major T.. p. Davidson and is the
only one of It's kind in the army. Lieu
tenant Bryant battalion adjutant, has
written Major johnson of the adjutant
generals office, speaking in high terms
of the composition of the battalion.
He says the Porto Rican soldiers are
fine lot of men. obedient and willing
to learn. They take great pride In be-
ing soldiers of the United States army
and always dress clean and neat. His
opinion is that Porto Rican soldiers,
otlicered by Americans. will be sue
cess and a valuable addition to the
United States army.
Lieutenant ID. III. Jarvis. commander
of the revenue cutter Bear, gives an
account of the rescue Of gold seekers
| who rushed into the Kotzebue gold
country. Alaska, in the summer OF
1898. on arrival there he found ter
rible condition of affairs. Men had died
| of starvation, scurvy and by drowning,
| and he obtained list of forty-eight
| deaths. Over 1000 of the gold seekers
| had wintered there. The Bear, after
| relieving rs much of the distress as
| possible and leaving stores. lime juice.
etc, for the survivors, took eighty-two
of the survivors to ST. Michael, where
| they were turned over to the military
authorities. Lieutenant Jarvis left be
tween 225 and $50 survivors at Kotze
bue sound. He will proceed to Cape
Barrow and upon his return touch AT
Kotzebue sound and pick up any who
desire to return with him. Lieutenant
Jarvis says: THE rush of people to
KotZebue sound was II deplorable af-
fair. Misled by false information and
advertisements, 1.2O0 people, many to-
| tally untitled to stand hard conditions
and climate. rushed TO the country dur
| ing the open season of 1898. During
the winter no gold whatever was found
and in the spring they sought every
means of escaping from the region.
| Many drowned In the swift currents of
the rivers. in the fall of 1903. Others
lost their lives during the winter from
the cold, and worst of all. in the spring
! scurvy broke out in nearly all the
camps"
The correspondent of the Chicago
Record writes: There are two law
| ycrs In the cabinet. Secretary of War
Root and Attorney General Griggs.
and, although their official association
has been of short duration. they have
already disagreed. AS stated last
night Secretary Root took with him on
his visit to the President a plan for n
civil government for Porto Rico. He
| is of the opinion that the President has
| authority to extend our laws to the
| island, and is especially earnest In the
| desire to do something to relieve the
people, who are suffering from n dis
eliminating tariff. Members of the
insular commission and prominent
Porto Ricans have Informed the Pres
| ident that the customs duties collect
ed in Porto Rico at present are Sc
rious burden to the people. who are
suffering from the lack of necessaries
of life. Nearly every one who has Wis
tied the island agrees that the duties
should be lowered The recent devas
tatiOn by n hurricane called forth an
order, with the approval of the Presi-
dent. whereby the duties upon certain
goods were suspended and they given
free admission There has been no
question of the constitutionality of this
charitable act. and Secretary Root
takes the view that an order from the
President extending our custom laws
over the island until Congress can act
would be unqucstionably legal. He
wants to relieve the suffering people in
the first place. give them markets for
| their tobacco. coffee and other prod
ucts and drill them in government.
| He would have free trade between the
island and the United States and civ
| II government in every municipnlitv.
| The President was pleased with his
recommendations. but before taking
action upon them consulted Attorney
General Griggs. The latter did not
| agree with some of Secretary Roots
views on the law points involved and
questioned the Presidents authority to
| give Porto Rico Il civil government.
L .fi..ai liz