The Indianapolis journal., 1899-12-10

one grade each in that corps. and will
leave a vacancy I'm the grade Of first leu
tenant, which will be filed by transfer
from the line OF the army.
The various publications coming from
European sources touching the decision OF
the powers to meet the United States re-
quest for a formal written undertaking to
maintain the "open door in China are Civ
ing satisfaction TO the officials here as In
dlcating the success of this important dip
lonatic negotiation However. IL may be
stated the responses of the European gov
ernments have not yet reached the State
Department. 1t Is realized thoroughly that
in a matter of this Importance the negotia-
tiOnS must be conducted with the greatest
circumspection and deliberation. Hence IL
is no matter for surprise that the re-
sponseS have not yet been received. IL Is
hoped that the final success of the negotia-
tions can be communicated to Congress in
the shape Of a special message from the
President. accompanied by an explanatory
statement from Secretary Hay soon after
the holidays.
The Department Of Agriculture will begin
its distribution Of seeds little earlier this
year than last. shipping them South the
beginning Of January and perhaps sending
a few shortly before the lst. This year
the seeds for distribution to all parts of
the country will consist of 100000 packs
OF vegetable seeds 1.56S. 900 of flower seeds,
besides field and lawn grass seeds
The annual report of General F. c. Aims
worth. chief of the record and pension
office OF the War Department, shows that
the enormous business of the office has
been promptly dispatched. more than 96 per
cent of the cases received during the fiscal
year, aggregating 1S3,01S, having been dis
posed of within twenty-four hours after
they reached the Office, and not one case re-
nlained unacted upon at the close OF busi-
ress hours at the end of the fiscal year. On
the recommendation of the chief Of the
Office a reduction of 600 was made in the
clerical force in 1891, further reduction OF
fifty was made in 1895, ard a still further
reduction of twenty-five in 1897 In the eS-
Inmates submitted by General Ainsworth
for the coming year still further reduc-
ton OF thirty-two Is PROVIDED for. making
a total reduction Of 407 clerks, representing
a permanent saving of Si60,0OO annually In
the appropriations for the clerical force of
the Office. Adding to this the saving ef-
fected in contingent and other expenses, 1t
Is shown that the cost of maintaining the
Office has been permanently reduced by
fully $5OOcO0 annually.
One of Dewey's war captains, Commander
E. p. Wood, is lying seriously Ill at his res
idence In this city of typhoid fever. This
officer commanded the little Petrol, which
ran in and silenced the Cavite forts in the
battle of Manila bay. DR.. p. III. Rixey, the
physician attending Captain Wood, and
also Lieutenant Drumby reports the con-
dition of both officers TO be favorable as
can be expected at the present stage of
typhoid fever.
The Post tomorrow will say: ''The Dan
ish government has made another offer
to sell the Danish West Indies TO the
United States. The proposition was laid
before the State Department by a repre-
sentative Of the Danish government, and
the matter Is now under consideration. The
American embassy in London is assisting
In the negotiations. The price asked for
the islands is s3.V,J.000."
George W. Beavers, chief of the salary
and allowance division of the Postoffice
Department. has been designated to take
charge Of the postal exhibit at the Paris
exposition.