The Republican., 1899-04-13
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, D, c., April 10th, 1899
MIX E;nlaxr will th g

President Mckinley will this
week issue a proclamation notifying
the world officially that Spain
and the U. S. 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 cermony
of exchanging the treaty. This GER
mony will, unless present plans are
changed, take place in the White
House. 1t will be interesting but
brief The copy of the treaty ratified
by Spain will be handed to the Presi
dent and the copy of the treaty rati-
fed by the u. s. Senate, will be hand
ed to the French Ambassador, as the
representative of Spain. The pay
ment of the $50, 900 called for by
the treaty will speedily follow, but it
is not likely that the French Ambas-
sador will haYe anything to do with
that. Being a business matter, it will
probably be settled by the notifica-
tion to the government of Spain that
it's accredited agent can collect the
money at some European bank, i'll
which the money 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 ex-
ceDt those who have something new
to offer. Gen. Shafter has reached
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 a whole. The guess
most likely to prove true is that the
report that the court will recommend
that the purchase of canned roast
beef for the army should be stopped.
The evidence against its untitness for
food is overwhelming. 1t has not
been proven that the refrigerated
beef issued to the army was chemi-
cally treated, although it has been
shown that it is Il common practice
for fresh meats to be so treated and
sold in the markets OF the country.
Ever since the bill authorizing
twelve new warships became law,
there has been Il 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 battleships and armOred
cruisers shall be named after states,
and cruisers after cities. After con
sulting Secretary Long, President
Mckinley announced the following
as the names chosen for battleships-
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and
Georgia, for armored-cruisers-W West
Virginia, Nebraska, and California,
for cruisers - Denver, DesMOines,
Chattanooga, Galveston, Tacoma and
Cleveland.
Here is an official communication
received by the Department of State
from the u. S. Minister to Venezula,
which should be carefully read by
those who grumble about the expense
of keeping L. s. warships in foreign
waters. 1t relates to the recent visit
of the Z. S. S. Wilmington to the
ports on the northern coast of Vene-
zuela. The splendid condition 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, l think it will be
found that American prestige has
been substantially augmented, and
the idea of American power and re-
sources, vitalized by the war, enor-
mously deepened and widened. Prac-
tical results are coming, too, in the
way of increased commerce with the
U. s., and if our merchants and man
ufacturers will take advantage of the
favorable conditions that have been
created for them, they ought to profit
very largely"
President Mckinley is leaving moth
ing undone that he thinks will main
tain or add to the existing good feel
ing between the North and the South
His latest act in that line was to
accept an invitation to attend an en-
campment and reunion of eX-Confed-
crates, under the control of the
Daughters of the Confederacy, to be
and 8th, and to deliver an address.
The White House has two new
and permanent ornaments in the
shape of pair of magnificent Sevres
China vases, made by order of the
late President Faure, of France,
especially to be presented to the
American people and government as
souvenirs of the opening of the new
L TdlCe- -AlueTlCdu CdDlt, over WHICH
President Mckinley and President
Faure exchanged the first messages.
The presentation was made by Am
bassador Cambon to President Nc
Kinley, in the blue room of the White
House, where the vases are to remain.
In President McKinley's address,
accepting them, he said: "In the
name of my countrymen | accept the
e. 1, I'll
typical of one of the most celebrated
arts of France, will remain in the
Nations care as an evidence of the
friendly sentiments of the French
government and people towards the
U. S., and as token of the auspicious
event they were designed to commem-
crate" The vases and pedestals, are
about six feet high, and nothing
handsomer of the kind has ever been
seen in Washington.