The Meeker herald., 1900-02-17

THIS makes Il totul distance of ~.
nautical miles. \ nautical mile is u,
Os7. Is feet. while the ordinary geo
graphical mile Is $3.50 feet. The COS
OF laying IL cable at present prices L.
81 $50 sea mile, which would maks
this cable cost 81 81. 800. To this must
he added many other expenses attending
the work, including the purchase and
equipment of not less Than two steam
ers to lay the cable and keep II in re
pair.
The President has appointed Judge
William II. Taft of Cincinnati. ana
United States Judge of the Sixth judi
cial circuit, to be president OF the new
Philippine Commission. Judge Taffs
place on the Bench will he filled by the
appointment Of Judge Henry +. Sew
Grams of Grand Rapids. Michigan.
The appointment of Judge Taft marks
the first selection for the new Philip
pine Commission. There will he five
members OH the commission. Mr..
Schurman, president of the existing
commission, has declined for business
reasons, to remain on the commission
80 Judge Taft will be president in his
place. Mr.. DENLY and Professor Wor-
cester have been invited to nccept ap
pointments. but 30 far have not signi
fed their intentions. Admiral Dewe.
will not go back to Manila, and Gen
eral Otis will give way. like him. to
civilian. Secretary Root said Tuesday
that no instructions had been framed
for the new commission as yet, but 1t
would be easy to perceive from the sen-
timents set out In the Presidents mes
sage on the subject what these ILL.,
structions would be.
1t is proposed to appropriate $4,000
for topographic and geological sur
vey of the island of Puerto Rico. $22-
600 for the Hawaiian islands, $36,OOO
for Cuba and $4,000 for the Philip
pines, the expenditure for Cuba to be
made from the revenue of that coun-
try. The maps of all these islands are
incomplete and inaccurate. They indi-
cate roads and streams that do not eX-
list, and ONT. some that are OF import
ance. 1t will be of great value to flu
ture immigrants to have maps show
ing the geological formation of the
country, the location Of the different
soils and rocks, the size of the different
streams. the height of the hills and
mountains aud other information Of
this character. Although the Spanish
have occupied Cuba and Puerto Rico
for 400 years, portions of these islands
have never vet been explored, and their
mineral resources have not been meas
ured. There is no accurate informa-
ton concerning their water supply,
their building material. their timber re-
sources, and their tables Of distance mp
pear to have been complied by guess
work. The knowledge of the Philip
pines is even more meager and inaccur-
ate. There Is not even Il good tOpO-
- nf \
thickly settled island in the nrchipela-
go. and its resources are practically
unknown. 1t is proposed to have the
typographical and geological surveys
made under the direction of expert
enced men who have conducted the
geological surveys of our own country.
To those who have been urging the
ratification of the treaty of The Hague.
which commits the United States and
other nations to arbitration rs II meth
cd Of settling disputes, in order that our
government may properly intervene In
South Africa. VIII now lenrn to their
surprise that 1t contains a clause under
which the United States pledges itself
not to interfere IN International affairs
outside of the American continent. In
fact, President Mckinley is prohibited
from rendering his good offices either
to the Beers or to Great Britain by the
terms of The Hague treaty. now that
it is ratified by the Senate. The stipu-
latiOn to which l refer reads as fol
lows: Nothing contained In this CON
vention shall be so construed as to re-
uuire the United States of America to
depart from its traditional policy of not
intruding upon. interfering with or en-
tangling itself in the political questions
of policy or internal administration of
any foreign state; nor shall anything
contained in the said convention be
construed to imply REIMBURSEMENT by
the United States of America of its ira
ditionnl attitude toward purely Ameri-
can questions" This paragraph WAS
Inserted in the treaty after careful de
liberation upon the demand of our dele
gates, expressly fer the purpose of COM
pelIing the nations of Europe to recog-
nize the Monroe doctrine as Il principle
of international polity and information
al law. Those who read the above quo
ta,ion carefully will notice how COM
pletely this purpose was accomplished,
for when Great Britain. Germany,
France and the other nations who are
parties to the peace conference Mt The
Hague. have signed the conventions
adopted there they admit and approve
the right of the United States to main
tain its traditional attitude toward
purely American questions.
Representative W. S. Knox of Mass
achusetts. chairman of the House com
mittee on territories. has completed his
report on the bill for the creation of the
territorial form of government in Ha-
wall The report is Il voluminous doc
ument. going exhaustlvely into all the
questions involved, and thoroughly COW
ering every phase of the bill which the
committee has agreed upon. after many
hearings and much investigation. The
form of government proposed by the
hill for the Hawaiian islands is terri
torial in form. similar to that of the
later territories of the United States
governor. secretary. both appointed
by the President. a treasurer. attorney
general commissioner of nublip lands