The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1899-08-03
Washington Letter.
Washington, July 81, 1899.

washington, July 81, 1893.
Secretary Root arrived in Washington
today, and will, tomorrow be sworn In as
secretary of war. Everybody is trying to
find out how much, If any, foundation
there is for the story about his intending
to inaugurate general shake-up of the
much-criticised bureaucratic methods of
the war department, and to introduce
more modern system. Mr.. Root has the
art of saying nothing down to perfection,
and he Is practicing it. Most of these
stories doubtless have their origin In the
welLknown need for changes in the busi-
ness methods of this department. Secre-
tary Root has the reputation, In his pro-
fession, of being able to get at the bottom
of things as quick as the next man, and
it will not be surprising If he recognizes
many weak spots in his experiences with
the departmental business in the next
two weeks, and has some change to recon-
mend by the time the president returns
from his vacation. Gen. Miles can give
him a number of pointers, and he Is
credited with the intention to do so.
Nobody in Washington believes that
Admiral Dewey used the language attrib-
uted to him in an interview, cabled to
this country and widely published. Even
if he thought our next war would be with
Germany, he has too much sense to public
ly say so.
A matter which has given the admins
tration a great deaf of trouble and which
threatened to cause more or less scandal
before being disposed of, appears to have
been settled by an opinion of the attorney
general, given at the request of the secre-
tary Of war, that neither the secretary of
war, nor the president has any authority
to grant perpetual concessions of a public
nature in Porto Rico. The attorney
general takes the ground that previons to
the treaty of peace with Spain, the privi-
lege of granting such concessions was ex-
clusively that of the Spanish crown, and
that by that treaty it was passed to the
U. S., and can now only be disposed of by
congress. There Is some disappointment
among those who expected to get ,profit-
able concessions, because of this opinion,
but it Is very safe to say that it is not
shared either by the president or the new
secretary of war, both of whom are,
doubtless, very glad to escape the task of
deciding who should have the concessions
sought for. 1t would have been a thank
less, task at best, and one full of political
dangers.
That the Dewey home will bepurchased
is now certainty, unless Dewey forbids
it., but the sum contributed is not as large
as the committee in charge would like to
see it. In an appeal to the public, giving
notice that the subscriptions will be closed
before the admiral returns, the committee
says: "We will purchase the home if not
another dollar is received; so that the
question now is whether the patriotic and
generous people of the country will per-
NIT the purchase of a home at the nations
capitol, for the hero of Manila with $2O,-
600 or 100000.
The man who made success of the
most gigantic job of vaccination ever at
tempted-that of all the inhabitants of
Porto Rico, DIR. Azel Ames-is in Wash
ington. He talks very Interestingly of
that island. He said: "Porto Rico is
getting in fair shape, but there are sever
al handicaps on the country that need i'm
mediate correction. The government is
still topheavy and needs simplifying. The
mistake has been made of trying to gal
vanize defunct Spanish system of laws
and yoke 1t abreast with our progressive
American policy. The natives are by no
means fit for government, as yet, and
while it is always advisable to supersede
a military government as quickly as
prudent by civil authority, the time isn't
ripe yet to do away with military rule on
the island. Two things, however, should
be done at once. The Spanish money,
now in circulation there, should be with
drawn, and replaced with American
currency, even if some loss resulted to
our government. The next most press
ing need Is the abolishment of the tariff.
The idea of keeping up import duties be-
tween this country and any of its possess
sions, is an absurdity, and it is working
grevious hardship on the people Of Porto
Rico. A system of internal revenue fair
ly adjusted and honestly collected, will
give to Porto Rico all the revenue it
needs for the expense of administering
the government"
A well-known Washingtonian, who has
just returned from trip to Cuba, thus
sums up his opinion Of it; "Not until
Cuba Is Americanized will be it worth while
to settle in, and it isn't going to be
Americanized fast until some definite
policy is declared regarding our intentions
as to annexation" The policy of the ad-
ministration Is to carry out the expression
of congress and give Cuba an independent
government. The plans for taking a
census of the island are now being pushed
and as soon as it Is completed, orders
will be issued for municipal elections all
over the island. That is as far as present
plans go, but it is expected, of course,
that a general election will soon follow
| the municipal election.