The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-01-13
Neither the President Nor Cabinet
Alarmed Over the Situation
in the Philippines.
THE NICARAGUA CANAL
Will Be Taken Up This Week-Vol-
unteers to Be Mustered Out.
Roosevelt Rewarded.
Special Correspondence of The Gaze tie.

- VIVA
dent Mckinley nor any member Of the
cabinet is at all alarmed over the stu.
alton in the Philippines, sensational
publications to the contrary notwith-
standing. Everything received from
General Otis indicates that he has the
situation we'll in hand. The source Of
what trouble there is in the Philippines
is bad advice given the insurgents by
outsiders who are interested in making
the Filipinos suspicious of our inten-
tions toward them. 1t is the policy of
the administration to deal kindly and
leniently with Aguinaldo and his de-
luded followers, unless they make a
resort to harsher measures necessary.
Our object is to give the islands good
government, peace and pros erity. A
very different policy will DO followed
towards the meddlers, il the response
bility for the meddling can be officially
placed.
Having nothing else to gr owl about,
the opponents Of the admins tration are
criticising President Mckinley because
he sent the treaty Of peace to the senate
with only a short message Of trans
INITIAL. He did SO purposely y, because
the treaty speaks for itself and he pre-
fers that it be ratified on its merits.
The committee on foreign relations
took up the treaty at its meeting Fri
day and it is expected that it will be
favorably reported this week. Its rat
ification is regarded as assur ed.
The house promptly got down to bus
mess on the reassembling Of congress.
The bill providing a code Of laws for
Alaska was passed and the Legislative,
executive and judicial appropriation
bill, and the diplomatic an d consular
appropriation bill were repor ted.
The house committee on Interstate
commerce will this week take up the
Nicaragua canal, and it is regarded as
certain that it will report a bill provid-
ing for the construction of the canal.
Whether it will be one Of the several
bills now before the committee. a COM
bination Of two or more Of them. or
an entirely new measure, is not certain
at this time, although many express
the opinion that the bill recently in
trOduced by Representative Hepburn of
Iowa, chairman of the com mittee, will
be the basis of the bill reported. This
bill provides for the construction of the
canal solely by the United States and
the acquisition by purchase Of such ter
ritory now belonging to Costa RIGA
and Nicaragua as may be necessary.
The most serious argument yet present.
ed against this bill is the claim that
the constitution Of Nicaragua prohibits
the cession of territory to any other
government. Mr.. Hepburn said Of his
bill: ut is my belief that we can Sc
sure concessions for COVE rnment con-
struction and control of the canal at a
much lower figure than tho Morgan bill
provides. I think. all told, it is pro-
posed to expepd something over $12,-
600, 900. with Nicaragua, Costa RIGA
and the Maritime Canal company. We
can do it cheaper and my bill shows
how"
About 16, 900 volunteers out Of the 5O,-
900 to be mustered out have been select
ed by Secretary Alger. They are en-
braced in the follwoing organizations:
Sixty-ninth New York. Third Florida,
Third Tennessee, companies A and B.
Indiana colored infantry, Third North
Carolina, Sixth Virginia, Third New
Jersey, Fifteenth Pennsylvania, South
Carolina heavy battery, Fourth Mis-
souri,, Second Tennessee Ninth Ohio,
Third Texas, Eighth California and
heavy batteries B and G, California
artillery.
President Mckinley will not appoint
a new minister to Spain until the
treaty of peace has been ratified. The
idea that Gen. Stewart j.. Woodford of
New York, who was on minister to
Spain when the war began, still holds
that position. which has been widely
held, is wrong. The position
became vacant as Don as Gen.
eral Woodford returned to Wash.
ington and submitted his re-
ports, and the understanding is that
General Woodford has no desire to hold
the position again.
Bishop Nicholas of the Orthodox
Greek church, who rec emily attacked
DR.. Sheldon Jackson. United States
educational agent in Alaska. for var.
ious alleged abuses In Alaska. stirred
up t1o Wsohk Iunu' ~. Jucksou, WHO
III now IN the east for the purpose Ut
visiting the native Alaskans at tho Gar.
Isle Indian industrial . chool, has made
q warm reply In which no calls atten.
ton TO tina fact that the Russian priests
nave been In .AIaskn more than 1na
hundred years and yat only u very
small proportion of their people can
read and writes that tho Russ0.G Teek
ustssts have done everything In their
powsr 70 keep ehiidreu whose parents
- ~ slsslr cl;nrehes from attending
eehcoiss fow fear thar thsy will lose
1he1a - soon ~ TINY aet 4 little sdHea.
1Sn1As ~ Hu1lHindes BY saying "rshe
Qgeee veterta IN AlastA aSs 0plnsed Ia
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