The leader., 1899-12-13
WASHINGTON LETTER
Some Queer Gifts to the pr..,
our Ways Bother Them-why En-
bassador Cambon Is Ab,e,,
Especial Correspond nro

pnssaoor ehmbon Is Absent
Especial Correspond nco-
A few days ago box, Slated acro..
the top, arrived at the White Hopso -
express from Staunton. Va, addros.s,
TO Ills Excellency the Hon Wiu,o.
Mckinley, the President of the I,n,,a,
States" 1t contained two dozen mo.
nificent, great red apples, evidor,1,
the pick of an orchard. And 70, ~,
pleasure of opening the box and TO-.
ing the fruit probably was reserved -.
some mental, for 1t is an easy grao.
that the president knew nothing ar.
the box. If an Acknowledgements NJ
written, the president never saw i,
one day recently farmer fro,
southern Pennsylvania sent by exnros.
dozen monster ears of corn tho
choice picking from his fields. accon,
panied by a note that he know ~.
president would be glad to know Pom
sylvania was growing such excellen,
crops.
A third farmer, from the vicinity .,
Harpers Ferry, sent n couple of 1.-Two
squirrels, which he said were the inost
and largest specimens he had ever soon
of the gray variety and were warrant
ed to perform certain tricks. for tbov
/ had been carefully trained.
A Missouri citizen early in Senton,
Der sent the president a choice head ~
cabbage. Somebody from Kansas sent
him a sample box of Kansas wheat
About year ago a western farmor
sent the president pair of prairie dogs
In n wire cage. Other additions have
been made in the geological denart.
ment from time to time, and, had thav
all been saved, the White House Womb
have 200" of no small proportions
The flower and plant crank also has
had his turn at sending presents TO tba
president. The specimens have covered
a wide range of both cultivated and
wild plants; but, of course, it has been
! impossible to make any use of them.
Our Ways Bother Them.
! The intricacies of our official etiquette
will never cease to be the source NJ
wonderment to the foreigners who
dwell in our midst. The next dav Aft.
er the death of the vice president was
announced and condolences had been
sent to Mrs. Hobart by the dean of
/ the diplomatic corps, Lord Pauncefote,
then came the question who would sue.
| coed Mr.. Hobart. When this had been
satisfactorily answered, the punctilj.
Gus ENJOYS were then anxious to know
If it would not be courteous to send
congratulations to Mr.. Hay, who is
now heir apparent to the presidency,
and to Mr.. Gage, who Is heir presump.
tive. Private inquiries to this effect
were sent to the state department The
diplomats were quite perplexed when
they learned that such congratulations
would be in exceeding bad taste, since
! they implied a desire that some mishap
would occur to the present occupant
of the White House. They say that in
other countries the men who succeed
to an office or merely an empty honor,
such as Mr.. Hays position as next to
the presidency may be termed, are al
ways congratulated by the members
OF the diplomatic corps.
why Embassador Cnmbon Is Absent.
The French ambassador NJ. Jules
Cambon, Is not expected back until aft
er the New Year. In fact, the French
embassy In Washington is almost de-
serted, only NJ. Thebault, charge
d'affaires, being here. The reason for
this Is that opposition has arisen in the
French chamber Of deputies against
the recent reciprocity treaty negotiated
between the United States and France
some months ago and which has just
| been laid before the French chamber.
Bitter objection to its ratification is
being made, because 1t opens the
| French markets to our wheat grain
and manufactured food products and
! has aroused the enmity of French
! farmers. NJ. Cambon, who is now in
! France, will remain in Paris to assist
the government in the fight for the
treaty. and several of the attaches Of
the embassy in Washington who are
experts in the matter and who had
much to do with the negotiations here
have also been called to France to be
of assistance to the government
The Trust Question In Congress
1t Is expected the industrial commits
sion will be ready to give preliml-
nary report to congress in January on
| the subject Of trusts. This important
| feature of the commissions examina'
ton Is looked upon with such interest
that it Is thought congress will be anX'
ious to get timely information IN re-
gard to prevailing conditions in the
big Industrial corporations of the coun'
try in order that definite knowledge
may be arrived at. 1t is likely thal
congress will be flooded with various
bills framed with view to regulating
the trusts, and some action Is apt 10 De
demanded by the country at large
Assistant Secretary Vanderlip mas
had a conference with officials OF Inc
Philadelphia mint, and it was decldeu
that this mint will be given the nhes'
mechanical equipment obtainaoe'
When the mint Is completed 1t VIII 10
the best In the world. II. j. Shaker u
Chicago. who has superintended the
Rehabilitation Of the mint at New UT
leans. is in Europe and will visit minus
In Paris, London and Berlin with
view to studying their equipment anu
looking up late Improvements WHICH
will be utilized at Philadelphia
| A number of delegations from VAR
Gus Indian tribes have begun their an
nual pilgrimage to Washington soin.
of them coming for the purpose VI
lodging complaints with the intern.
department, others to ask the advice
of the great father regarding 'lipa'
differences and many of them 10 envy.
a junket after the fashion OF lnen