The Press., 1900-08-16
Washington Letter.
Washington, August 13, 1900.

"ooAAAnSVOu, aug los lSOUs
If Russia's order to its minister to ac-
cept Chinese escort from Pekin to Tien
Tsin, after all the other governments had
ordered their ministers to remain In Pekin,
should turn out to mean that deal had
been made between Russia and China,
there would be very little surprise in
Washington, where the probability of one
or more of the powers supposed to be act
ing in concert against China making some
sort of dicker on their own hook for
their own benefit, has been recognized
from the first as one of the most perplex-
ing things about the whole business.
Neither this government nor the Chinese
minister has received any official notifica-
tion of the appointment of Ii Hung Chang
to be an envoy for the purpose of suing
for peace. There Is nothing improbable,
however; about such an appointment;
but, If made, 1t is not likely to stop any
of the wallike preparations on the part of
the powers. If present plans are carried
out before the end of September there
will be nearly quarter of a million for
eign troops in China, of which less than
ten thousand will be Americans. Ii
Hung Chang's request that this govern
ment endeavor to prevent the landing of
British troops at Shanghai will be ignored,
as it is the recognized right of any nation
to land armed forces in another country
when it Is considered necessary to protect
the lives and property Of its citizens.
Much depends upon how thing is
done. For Cuban or Spaniard or any,
body else to call the average American a
liar means to get knocked down, yet in
effect they are constantly calling our gov
ernment liar and a cheat, and the most
that any American does about it Is to
scratch his head and wonder If the talker
has got it straight. Following are words
used by Roderick Alvarez of Havana, in
a Washington hotel, while discussing the
announced intention of our government
to withdraw from Cuba next year: eff
the better class of the Cubans and the
spanish on the island believed that the
U. S. had any intention of turning the
island over to the Cubans you would see
scatteration and removal of everything
movable that would surprise you. The
fact Of the matter is we all think that the
U. S. will be in control of the island for the
next ten years. 1t is not safe to turn the
island over to people utterly incapable
of self-government."
AS usual, the Carnegie and Bethlehem
companies submitted bids for supplying
armor to war ships which divided the LOT
required and made the price the same
A new bidder, the Midvale Steel Co. oi
Pennsylvania, entered the contest with 6
lower bid, but setting longer time limit
for the armor, and failing to specify thai
the armor would be made by the KrupI
process. Secretary Long must decide
whether he will accept either of these
bids or exercise the authority conferred
upon him by the last naval appropriation
bill to establish a government plant fol
making armor. He will take up the mat
ter as soon as he returns to Washington
Representative Allen ("Private John"
of Mississippi, whose defeated aspiration
for seat in the senate caused him tt
make promises necessitating his retire
ment from the house at the close of his
present term, doesn't appear to be at al
downcast over his early return to private
life. He was In Washington this week
and, speaking of his retirement, he said
81 hate to quit for some reasons, but thu
fact Is that man must get out sooner o.
later, and l do not wish to hang on unit
get to the patriarchal stage. After six
teen years of the legislative grind one Il
justified in letting others serve the coun
try" Speaking of the possibility of al
extra session of congress, Mr.. Allen wa
inclined to be little sarcastic about tn
sizzard with which Washington has beel
wrestling for week. He said: "Ther
isn't much chance of an extra session o
congress, but, in view of Washington'
well-merited reputation as a summer re
sort, have no doubt the members ant
here to enjoy this balmy weather" Th
thermometer was dancing around in tn
upper nineties while Mr.. Allen talked.
Albert Cobb of Augusta, Ca, is one o
those who believes there will sooner o
later be big rush of gold hunters to tn
abandoned placer mines in Northern
Georgia. While he was in Washington
day or two ago he said: "Long year
ago plenty of people were making none.
In the placer business there, and know
a number of men now who are washin,
out ten or fifteen dollars a day in the lit
tie streams or branches that run in tn
mountains. Some very large plants ar
in operation, and are panning out goo
profits, but the real extent of the gol
veins in those old hills is not understood
} generally. In the olden days primitiv
machinery was in use in the numerou
mines that were opened and worked unit
that machinery became Ineffective. The
the mines were deserted, and the conse
quence Is that you can find deserted gol
mines scattered all over that section"
THAT THRoBBINa HEADACHE woul
quickly leave you, IL you used DIR. King