The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-13
GEN. HLGER'S CHALLENGE
SECRETARY OF WAR NAMES CONDI-
TIoNs FOR HIS RESIGNATION.
He VIII Omit Office IL His Critics Can
Reina Mercedes Not for Sale.


that he is about to resign from the Cabinet.
When asked as TO the truth of the rumors
the secretary said:
What do you mean. exactly?'
Il mean TO ask whether or not the stories
that you are 10 retire from the Cabinet In
the near future are true?.
There is nothing in these reports but
air." replied the secretary. Il shall not
retire this year. certainly. and cannot say
as to the future. My. private business and
the state OF my health will govern my fu-
ture course. These constant assaults and
repeated baseless reports are. OF course,
very annoying TO and are extremely
distressing TO my family, but have never
retired under fire yet and do not propose
heard of or known of has been so cruel as
these attacks upon me. II my, critics can
point to one thing in my official career that
nave zone .nas Susnt mo, not 70 b naye bawe
done. shall be very glad to surrender my
present official duties"
Secretary and Mrs. Alger will leave
Washington next Friday TO spend Saturday
and Sunday at Long Branch with vice
President Hobart. The secretary was
guest Of the Vice President last summer
with his entertainment by the Vice Presi-
dent. who is his intimate friend, that he
will repeat the trip.
Inquiry was recently made at the State
Department in regard to the grave of John
Paul Jones. the great naval hero of revo-
lutionary days, who died in Paris July Is.
1882. He buried there with the highest
honors by the French government, but 1t
appears that the present location of his
grave is no. known. The secretary of state
recently addressed letter to Henry Wig
maud. of the United States embassy In
Paris. asking whether the grave OF John
Paul Jones in Paris is known and marked
He , has received reply from h MT vignan Si
and frequent inquiries OF the city authori-
ties in regard TO the matter he has been
grave. One thing established by his in
quiries, however, he says. is that John Paul
Jones was not buried in the cemetery
where the remains OF Lafayette lie, as has
been supposed by some people. In another
quarter II is intimated that. owing to a
custom prevailing In Paris that the remains
of John Paul Jones were deposited in a
rented grave for a term of years and that
upon the expiration of the lease a great
many years ago the bones of this Gistin-
guished American patriot were thrown into
the potters field.
An offer from a prominent firm of ship
brokers doing a large foreign business to
purchase the Reina Mercedes and any and
all OF the other war craft captured during
the late war had aroused a suspicion that
Spain is trying in this indirect manner to
obtain possession of the vessels and thus
remove the offense to Spanish pride caused
by the hoating of the American flag over
her ships. The offer mentioned no figures.
ment name its price for the Mercedes and
the remainder of the captured Spanish
ships The Navy Department will not sell sell
any or these vessels, and that answer will
be returned to the writer of the letter. Sec
retary Long has decided that 1T would not
pay Spain to renovate the Mercedes and
use her as a warship. The cost would be
no less than half million dollars. and the
snip would, when repaired, be of old type
and not up to the requirements of modern
"a 0fr1 ha
made upon her will be confined to little
painting and cleaning and patching, and
ike Mercedes tse nS VIII be LEFT as sh2w ship
PATRIOTISM OF the American people.
The President to-day appointed Colonel
Alfred Z. Bates paymaster general of
the army, to succeed General Asa B.
Carey, retired. TIE appointment of Gen.
eral Bates has resulted i'm the pro-
motion of Lieutenant Colonel Charles i.
Wilson to the rank of colonel and the
promotion of Major George w. Baird to be
a vacancy in the list of paymasters with
the rank of major. This vacancy was filled
by the President by the appointment of
Captain John Murphy, Of the Fourteenth
Infantry. in recognition of his services in
the philippines, and at his own request
s his hea haxnP ns hatred
ships in the Philippines. The vacancy
caused by his retirement was filed by, the
the volunteer pay department.
The pension committee of the c. A. r.,
which is here inquiring into pension meas
ures and their administration at the invita-
ton of Commissioner Evans. practically
closed Its work to-day. Members of the
committee decline to discuss the result of
their labors. but It is understood no sub
stantial foundation has been found for the
allegations against the work cf the bureau
and whatever is recommended probably will
be as to changes In the law itself. The
committee. with Commissioner Evans, had
an interview with Secretary Hitchcock this
afternoon at which the pension system was
discussed. The committee will probably
leave tomorrow and present its report at
the annual G. A. r. encampment at Phila-
delphia in September.
The committee believes that there has
been too close an adherence to the letter of
the law as opposed to it's spirit and the
| intent of Congress, and that by an insist
| ence on record evidence of disability many
old soldiers have failed TO obtain pensions.
| There seems to be no disposition. however
| to find fault with the commissioner of pen
sions. as Committeeman John NJ Palmer.
| of New York, said tonight that Commits
| sioner Evans evidently had discharged his
duty in compliance with the laws as they
were interpreted to him. At the Ebbitt
| House tonight there was a general meeting
| of the committee and a full discussion of
the subject: at which Department Com
mander Coulter, of Kansas, and others made
| representations on the subject of the disa-
bility act Tomorrow a noon the commit
tee expects 10 see PRESIDENT Mckinley and
| have talk with him on the general subject
| of pensions. Mr. Palmer said tonight that
| no definite recommendations for amend
ments 10 the law had yet been determined
| upon, and that none would be during the
| committees visit to Washington.
Acting Secretary Brigham of the Agri-
| cultural Department had a conference with
| the President this morning. Both the Ag-
| ricultural and State Departments have re-
| ceived information that Belgium has re-
| moved some of the restrictions as to the
| Importation of American beef cattle and
beef. The Agricultural Department has
| been informed that Germany. on learning of
Belgiums action, Immediately issued a
decree unfavorable to beef products from
| Belgium, thereby preventing American beef
| from reaching Germany by reshipment from
| ing that the State Department had not yet
received advices as to Germany having
taken the action charged.
Commander Baker, who Is CHEZ assistant
| I'm the engineers department of the Amer
| lean commission to Paris. has arrived In
| Washington. He says the new landing
| place on the Seine. which has been secured
by Mr.. Peck. will be located directly In
| front OF the American buildings. The pur-
| the Anne -.can flag from the American build
| ings to Clarendon, n distance of about
| seven miles. A model American street
| railway will run from Clarendon TO Brus-
sells. so that passengers may travel by either
water or rail on American lines.
| The Interior Department has wired in