The silver lance., 1899-09-01
WASHINGTON NEWS.

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
izing and discouraging effect on the in
surgents and will tend to hasten the
end of hostilities.
Consul Edward Bedloe Of Pennsyl-
yania. who has been stationed at Can
ton. China, during the administration
of President Mckinley, has been sus-
pended by the State Department. His
suspension gave rise to reports that
several consular officers of the United
States have been relieved for their al
legged action in assisting in sending
munitions of war to the Philippinee
islands, Assistant Secretary Cridler
states that the suspension order affects
only DR.. Bedloe He made it plain, in
addition, that DR.. Bedloe's trouble is
not due to charges of giving aid to the
Filipinos, but arises in part out Of the
certificate of American ownership
said to have been granted by him to
the steamer Abbey, which was seized
by the gunboat McCulloch September
%, 1898, at Batangas, where she had
landed a cargo of arms and ammun'-
tion.
According to recent adviceS received
at the War Department the experiment
dies into the American army has
proved quite successful in the case of
the Porto Rico battalion of the United
States volunteers, which body com
pleted its organization a few weeks
ago. This battalion is commanded
by Major l.. z. Davidson and is the
only one of it's kind in the army. Lieu
tenant Bryant, battalion adjutant, has
written Major Johnson of the adjutant
generals Office speaking in high terms
of the composition of the battalion
He says the Porto Rican soldiers are
a fine lot of men, obedient and willing
to learn. They take great pride in be-
ing soldiers of the United States army
and always dress clean and neat. His
opinion is that Porto Rican soldiers,
officered by Americans, will be sue
cess and a valuable addition to the
United States army.
Lieutenant d. II. Jarvis, commander
of the revenue cutter Bear, gives an
account of the rescue of gold seekers
who rushed into the Kotzebue gold
country Alaska, in the summer of
1898. On arrival there he found ter
rible condition of affairs. Men had died
of starvation, scurvy and by drowning,
and he obtained n list of forty-eight
deaths. Over 1000 of the gold seekers
had wintered there. The Bear, after
relieving as much of the distress as
possible and leaving stores, lime juice.
etc, for the survivors, took eighty-two
of the survivors to st. Michael where
they were turned over to the military
authorities. Lieutenant Jarvis left be-
tween 225 and 250 survivors at KotZe
bue sound. He will proceed to Cape
/ n nd to of
Kotzebue sound and pick up any who
desire to return with him. Lieutenant
Jarvis says: "The rush of people to
Kotzebue sound was a deplorable af
fair Misled by false Information and
advertisements, 1,20O people, many to-
tally untitled to stand hard conditions
and climate, rushed TO the country dur
ing the open season of 1898. During
the winter no gold whatever was found
and in the spring they sought every
means of escaping from the region.
Many drowned in the swift currents of
the rivers. in the fall of 1898. Others
lost their lives during the winter from
the cold. and worst of ALL in the spring
scurvy broke out in nearly all the
camps"
The correspondent of the Chicago
Record writes: There are two law
yers in the cabinet, Secretary of War
Root and Attorney General Griggs,
and, although their official association
has been of short duration, they have
already disagreed. As stated last
night.-Secretary Root took with him on
his visit to the President a plan for
civil government for Porto Rico. He
is of the opinion that the President has
authority to extend our laws to the
island, and is especially earnest In the
desire to do something to relieve the
people, who are suffering from a dis
eliminating tariff. Members of the
insular commission and prominent
Porto Ricans have informed the Pres
ident that the customs duties collect
ed in Porto Rico at present are Sc
rious burden to the people, who are
suffering from the lack of necessaries
of life. Nearly every one who has WIS.,
tied the island agrees that the duties
should be lowered. The recent devas-
tation by hurricane called forth an
order, with the approval of the Presi-
dent. whereby the duties upon certain
goods were suspended and they given
free admission. There has been no
question of the constitutionality of this
charitable act, and Secretary Root
takes the view that an order from the
President extending our custom laws
over the island until Congress can act
would be unquestionably legal. He
wants to relieve the suffering people in
the first place, give them markets for
their tobacco. coffee and other prod
ucts and drill them in self-government.
He would have free trade between the
island and the United States and civ
ii government in every municipality.
The President was pleased with his
but before taking
action upon them consulted Attorney
General Griggs. The latter did not
agree with some of Secretary Roots
views on the law points involved and
the Presidents authority to
give Porto Rico civil government.
He advised the President to refrain
from the contemplated action and
leave the matter to CONGRESS. The