Daily camera. [volume] (Boulder, Colo.) 1891-1928, 1900-01-19
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, Jan. Ia, 100!

washington, Jan. Ia, 1000.
Much comment has recently been
caused by the president calling before
him all the commanding officers of YES
sells present at the destruction of Ger.
vera's fleet, and questioning them as to
the details of that battle. The only new
point brought out, was that Captain Cook
of the Brooklyn, assumed full response
bility for that famous loop which has
called down so much unwarranted crit.
cism on Admiral Schley's head. The
conference, however, has revived talk of
fresh attempt to promote either or both
officers. 1t is hard to believe that the
president really intends to revive this
odious controversy by any such action.
The navy department seems unable to
understand how tired the country is of
this thing. Sampson and Schley are
both good and able officers who unques.
tionably did their best, but both were
unfortunate in not doing anything that
would justify their promotion over their
present superiors in rank. Watson,
Remey and Robey are all gallant officers
senior to both Sampson and SchIey and
are officers besides who have no marks
against their conduct in war. Why
should they be punished by having their
juniors promoted over their heads2
As has already been stated in this cor.
respondence, the question at issue be.
tween Great Britain and the United
States in regard to the seizure of food
consigned to Delagoa bay. has nothing
to do with what is. or is not, contraband
of war. The real point at issue is the
security of trade under the neutral flag
between neutral ports. If Great Britain
has the right to seize flour or any other
provisions bound for Delagoa bay. on
the ground that it may ultimately reach
the Transvaal. she has also the right to
stop -four shipped from the United States
to France, on the same ground. If she
may arrest citizens Of foreign powers
bound to Delagoa bay. she also has the
right to stop them when bound to Italy.
80 far. no American ship has been
Stopped, though American cargoes have
been turned aside from their destination.
A far more serious problem is presented
for German consideration in the stoppage
OF her citizens bound for a neutral port
under the Imperial German Mail flag. |,
will be remembered that i. was for doing
this very thing that England threatened
to 60 to war with the United States dur.
ing our civil war. Slldell and Mason,
the two confederate commissioners, were
taken from the decks of the British mail
steamer Trent. by u S. warshlp, un
der exs city similar circumstances. but
were surrendered almost Immediately
on peremptory demand from Great
Britain for their release. This particular
phase of the case may be brought home
to the United States any day by the
arrest on the high seas OF some of the
thousands of Americans WHO have
recently left here for the Transvaal by
way Of France.
There have been several straws recent
ly tending to elucidate the attitude OF the
administration regarding the colonial
possessions Of the United States. One of
the most significant of these is to be found
in two innocent appearing bills intro
duced this week by Representative Gros-
venor OF Ohio. The bills he introduced
have passed almost unnoticed. Appar-
emily, they merely provide for the exten.
sion of the navigation laws of the United
States to Porto Rico and Hawaii. The
nub, however. lies in section directing
the Commissioner OF Navigation to make
regulation for trade with the islands, just
as if they were other parts of the United
States. But trade between ports of the
United States is reserved by the consti-
tuition exclusively to United States YES.
sells. The passage of Representative
Grosvenor's bill will mean that no ship
under the foreign flag can engage in
trade between the United States and eth.