The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-19

Senate committee on claims and Senator
Money thinks the outlook very good for
favorable action. Most of the claims are
held In the Southern States.
It Is authoritatsvely stated that there
Is no difference whatever between the gov
ernments Of the United States and Great
Britain 2s TO the legal aspects of the re-
cent seizure OF goods in vessels off Del
agoa bay. The British government has ad-
mitted without reserve that these goods
were not liable TO seizure. That has given
complete satisfaction to the State De-
partment- Ii does not follow that the de-
partment accepts as binding the view OF
the British government as 10 the condi-
lions under which flour and foodstuffs may
become coutraband. but the department
prefers TO follow the usual rule OF inter-
national law and avoid passing on hypo-
theticai cases. contenting itself with the
full acceptance of its views by the Brit
ish government in the present instance
United States Minister Leishman. at
Berne. Switzerland. has cabled the State
Department that the Swiss government
has revoked former decision and gives
general authorization for the importation
OF American dried fruits. II also author
ICES the importation OF fresh fruits, provfd-
ing they are examined at Basic and found
10 De exempt from scale or other parasites.
introduced bill in the House for the con-
struction and operation under the control
Of the government of the United States of
cable between this country, Hawaii.
Guam. the Philippine islands and other
countries. The bill is substantially the
same as that OF last year, providing for a
government cable. except that the section
creating cable commission is eliminated
and the President is empowered to deter
mine the route, the maintenance, operation,
ETC., OF the line being placed under the con-
troll OF the Postmaster General. the Secre-
tary OF War and the Secretary of the
Navy. The bill appropriates 100000 and
limits the cost of the cable to s., 600, 0C0.
Authority Is given the President to arrange
with China and Japan for cable landing
points. sss
William L. Wallace, OF Chicago, was to-
day appointed expert special agent in the
census bureau in charge of the collection of
lumber manufacturers statistics Mr..
Wallace was for some years connected with
journals interested in lumber and was aft
erward In the employ OF lumber company
In Louisiana.
The President to-day sent to the Senate
the nomination of Thomas j. Henderson. of
Illinois to be civilian member of the Board
OF Ordnance and Fortifcations.
Senator Morgan as chairman of the SEN
ate committee on interoceanic canals to-
day presented written report upon the
Nicaraguan canal bill. The following ex-
tracts from the report indicate its general
purport:
I'VE have reached the point I'm the dis
cussion OF the question OF a ship canal
through the isthmus of Darien where the
necessity for the canal and its advantages
to our country Is no longer debated In
Congress or among the people. With this
western connection between the two great
oceans there will be established the short
est and most direct line of navigation be-
tween the seaportS OF our nation and
those Of every other nation in the world in
passing from ocean to ocean. The ship
canal will open a line that is practically
straight around the earth and along par
allels Of latitude within temperate zones
are refreshed with the ever prevailing
trade winds.
las a provision for the naval and mil
itary defense of our country. whether in
sular or continental. this canal Is indis-
pensaple, and the closer its location is
made to our States on the gulf of Mexico
the more efficient will be its protection to
our coasts on the Atlantic and Pacific.
Pearl harbor, in Hawaii and the harbor
OF San Juan in Porto Rico are the true
military defenses Of the canal against at
tack by European or Asiatic powers and
they give a more secure protection to its
eastern and western outlets than any
fortress. however strong, that can be To-
Gated at or near its connection with the
: sea-
- Measured by the income OF the Suez
canal. at corresponding cost. the Mica
ragua canal should yield with equivalent
rates of tolls. at least II per cent on $40.
c00,000.
1T Is too severe a tax upon credulity
to ask the adoption of the precarious water
supply at Panama in preference to the
two grand lakes of the Nicaragua route,
one OF which Is 100 miles long by 40 miles
broad and affords nearly " miles OF fresh
water navigation for the largest ships, as
part of the canal route. and together
they supply more than ten times the water
needed to supply the canal line from
Lake Nicaragua to both oceans. We owe
It to ourselves and to the whole world
that whatever canal we shall build and
control on the Isthmus of Darien shall be
its corresponding gateway. the Suez
canal '"'
A large number of claims for pensions
are being received by the Pension Of
nee as result of the Spanish war. Stats
tics prepared by the bureau show that the
percentage OF applications from volunteers
Is much larger than from regulars. The
battle OF San Juan was selected by the
bureau as a basis for calculation, as the
greatest number of casualties occurred
there There were 1872 regulars killed, 1Os'
wounded and ffty-five missing. Claims fol
pensions from the regular army number
$50. At that battle thirty-four volunteers
missing. The claims for pensions from
volunteers number 3,55S. There were
twenty-three regiments OF regulars and
three regular batteries engaged in thi:
fight. as against nine regiments OF volun
teers. One regiment lost nine killed
wounded or missing, but has 419 claim:
Tor pensions pending.
The Navy Department to-day formally
initiated it's policy OF procuring type
writing machines in large numbers by ad
vertisement. instead Of making purchases
In the open market as heretofore. Maker.
Of the highest grade machines are invited
to submit proposals to be opened at the
Navy Department on Feb. 3, for supplying
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