Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1899-02-17
WASHINGTON LETTER.

The Senate has got Co pass the
Hull Army Bill, which has been re-
ported from the committee on Mill
tary Affairs, with few minor
amendments. or there will be an
extra session of Congress Such an
ultimatum of President Mckinley
to the combine of democratic Seua-
tors who have undertaken the job
of holding up the Army bill, and he
means business. The democratic
offer to compromise by authorizing
a continuation of the regular army
on war basis for one year from
next July, has been rejected, The
reorganization and increase of the
army provided for in the Hull bill
is regarded as necessary by the Pres
ident and he intends to have it,
if not from this Congress, then from
an extra session of the Sc Congress
to be called Immediately after the
clo.N of the present session. Not
only are all the volunteers entitled
under the terms of their enlistment
to an immediate discharge as soon
as the treaty nf peace goes into effect
which will be aS soon as the Spanish
Cortes has ratified the treaty and
copies of it have been exchanged
byrepresentatives ofSpain andtheU.
s., but more than half of the regeu
lars enlisted with the same provision
that they could claim their discharge
at the close of the war.
Unless Gen. Otis is mistaken, his
one weeks campaign against the Fill
ipinos, which was II succession of vic
tories from start to finish, has giveu
Aguinaldo's army all the fighting
they want-has in fact, scattered
and destroyed that n my, and given
FilipinoS an object lesson on the pow
er of the U. S. BY the way, speak
ing of Gen Otis, it is we'll TO remen-
her that theMilitary Governor of the
Philippines and Commander of the
American army is Maj Gen. E. S.
Otis, while the Commander of Brig
ade which won such a brilliant Wet
ory at the capture of Calocuan, is
Brigadier General Harrison S. Otis
lately a we'll known California edi-
tor. There has been tendency to
mix up these two officers of the
same name.
The report of the TreasuryBureau
of Statistics for the year ending Dec
81 just made public, shows that
Great Britain continues to be oul
best foreign customer, notwith.
standing the steady decrease in ouI
purchases from the British. In '9S
we sold goods to the value OF
$53S, 661, 7S7 to Great Britain an in.
crease of $50, ,0O0,O 900 over 1897; in
1898 we bought of Great Britain
goods to the value of $111, 361, ,317 q
decrease on the value of our 1885,
purchases of $53, 900, 900. These
figures do not make pleasant read.
ing for those who predicted that the
Dingley tariff would entirely des
troy our foreign commerce, but
they strongly vindicate protect
i've tariff.
Gen. Egan whose court martha
sentence of dismissal from the
army was mitigated by the Presi-
dent to six years suspension from
duty is likely to remain in Washing
ton until the Military court of in
quiry called by the President t,
give Gen Miles an opportunity t.
prove his charges that bad mea
was issued to our troops in Cub
and Porto Rico, completes its worl
as he will be an important witnes
before the court. The court will
meet Wednesday and get righ
down to work, but il will take som
time for it to finish its job. The a
pointment of this court of inquir
shows that instead of being dispose
to act against Gen Miles the Presi
dent is disposed to afford him ever
opportunity to make good his char
eS
The substance of the report of tn
War Investigating Commission wa
given out as soon as the report wa
placed in the Presidents hand, an
an abstract of the report, made b
direction of the President, has Jul
been given to the press. Althoug
the report is as a whole, commend
atory of the conduct of the wa
il contains numerous criticisms {
particular acts, which fell short
what they should have been. IL
abstract of the report contains ever
one of these criticisms as we'll
the reasons for making them.
will require an act of Congress
provide for any distribution
printed copies of the entire repo
and of the evidence taken by Il
Commissioners.