Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-14

trolier and the admiral were close personal
friends. During the dinner mention was
made OF the presidential candidacy of Ad-
miral Dewey. Controller Coler Informed
Admiral Philip in a half jocular way that
the democrats were considering his name
for the vice presidency.
''Sh-sh-sh-sh-sh, don't say a word an
swered Admiral Philip, with deprecating
wave of the hand. PLAT was over to see
me the other day and We went all over
the question from the republican side
After dinner the controller gave the adj
miral to understand that he serious in
his offer. Admiral Philip then recited the
incidents of the interview with Senator
Plat.
II believe Admiral Philip looked on both
offers as huge joke" says the controller.
He seemed 10 enjoy telling of Mr.. Platts
visit"
Applications for Enlistment.
There is a rush of applicants for enlist
ment in the various branches of the United
States army at the present time such as
has not been experienced in the various re-
cruiting offices in this city since the days
of the Spanish war. In the past few weeks
the number of applicants for enlistment in
the army has increased 60 to 100 per cent
over any previous period of the same
length for the past two years, and the
recruiting officers say that the prospects
are that the present standard of increas Sc
will be maintained for some time to come.
There Is but one explanation given for this
rather unexpected increase in the enlist
ment of recruits, and that the present trou-
Bile in China Apparently the prospect Of a
trip to China has eXerted a potent influence
on the minds of many young men in this
city. and 1t Is very rare instance nova
days when a prospective recruit does not
make the guarantee Of service in China
one of the principal conditions of his en-
lstment. When the battalion Of the 25th
Infantry was filling out its ranks at the
Plattsburg barracks, the recruiting officers.
of course, had no difficulty in giving salts
factory assurances to those recruits who
applied for China service. On Monday,
however, the battalion had its full compile
ment and a notice not to enlist any more
men for that battalion was received on
Tuesday by Major Wheeler. the recruiting
officer stationed at Ninth street and Sd ave-
nue. The Plattsburg battalion is now on its
way to San Francisco, where it will embark
for China. At the present time the recruit
ing officers are not in a position to tell re-
cruits positively that they will be sent to
China, but they can and do tell applicants
that there is every likelihood that they will
be sent there. Even these indefinite assur-
ances do not prevent the majority of those
who have the China fever from enlisting.
This Is because they are told that. even IL
they do fail to get to China. they will be
morally certain to go to the Philippines.
There are many indications that the alter
natlve Is a very pleasant one with the
rockies" A few, however who insist on
promise OF serving in China, go away
when told that no particular station can be
promised at the present time. The United
states army recruiting office at Sd avenue
and 9th street today was crowded with re-
cruitS in all stages Of initiation into the SER
vice. Some We're just preparing for the first
examination, while others were receiving
their uniforms.