The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-08-25
FROM THE CAPITAL.
Our Correspondent Talks in
General About Wash
ington.
Communicated \

logical conclusion, UIofo VIII Dc
q new commander in the Philip
pines before the fighting cam
paign opens. 1t began to show
its confidence in General Otis,
who had continually declared
that 80, 900 men were all he need
ed, by issuing the necessary or
ders to make the full strength of
the army in the Philippines 49,
600 men; then it was decided to
make it $4,000, and the orders
under which the ten new regi-
ments are being recruited will
raise the number to $4,000. To
be logical the next order should
have new commander for this
large army. The proceedings in
connection with the order to re.
cruit these last ten regiments
which, by the way, will almost
bring the volunteer army up to
the limit set by Congress, were
all object lesson in the wildly.
wably policy which this admins
tration has so often adopted. At
first it was positively denied that
the order would be issued at all:
then it was said that the regi.
ments would be raised, but would
be merely held as a reserve, and
at last, when it could no longer
be hidden, it was acknowledged
that arrangements had been made
to land the last Of them at Manila
about the first of December.
which means that they will leave
San Francisco early in October.
The sending of a big army to
the Philippines is a political play
on the part Of the administra-
ton. This is recognized by all
close political observers. The
opinion of Colonel w. f. Nc.
Lean, OF Indiana, who was Dep
uty Commissioner of Pensions
under the Cleveland administra.
ton, and who isnow in Washing
lngton on his way to the G. A.
II. encampment, to which he is a
delegate at large, is that of thou.
sands, regardless of politics. He
said: some thing is certain; if the
Philippine war is not ended be.
fore the Presidential campaign
comes on, it is good bye-to Presi
dent Mckinley. The war over
there is fast growing in unpopu.
iarity. The policy of expansion
Is opposed by great many Yves.
tern Republicans, and the Demo.
Gratis are nearly a unit against
It," Speaking of politics in his
own State, Colonel Mclean says:
"Ihe Indiana Democrat who is
not for Bryan and the Chicago
platform is a man without a
party, and his position is so lone
some that he almost feels as
though he had no country.n The
Colonel knows, as he was that
sort OF a Democrat himself in
1896.
There is paragraph in an Of
ficlal report just received by Sur.
geOn, General Sternberg from
Maj or John Hoh, Chief Surgeon
of the Military District of Porto
Rico, which is not calculated to
make new shouters for imperial
ism among the thoughtful. In
considering this very serious
matter, it should not be forgotten
that Porto Rico is the healthiest
OF our new island possessions.
The paragraph is almost too plain
spoken to be quoted in family
paper. Suffice it is to say that
III 1t Major HOff speaks of the
alarming prevalence Of private
diseases among our soldiers over
there and says the indications are
that 1t will not be long before a
large percentage of them will be
as thoroughly infected as the ma.
tive population. lie also points
out the danger of returning sol.
diers spreading the contamina.
ton at their hemes, danger
which great Britain has found to
be OF the gravest proportions in
her experience with her tropical
possessions. Something like this
has been said before, but it was
hooted down as the talk of an
alarmist. 1t begins to Look AS
the man who said, "the more Won
know about the tropics the less
desire you have to live there. y
was about right.
According to high Republican
authority, Alger never was a real
candidate for the Senate and his
announcement to that effect was
made after a full understanding
with Mr.. Mckinley, solely for the
purpose of preparing a reason for
his resignation from the cabinet.
rms may or may not be true. but
the announcement several davS