Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-07-24
Washington Letter /.
From our Regular Correspondent

I'll
WASHINGTON, July 20, 1900
President Mckinley spent three days
in Washington this week and decided
that there was nothing in the Chinese
situation to make 1t necessary or
even important that be should re-
main at the white hous. and returned
to Canton. That tells the whole
story. There is nothing in the pre-
sent situation that would Justify the
sending of n large American army to
China. About 10000, including
marines, will furnish our full share
of the allied army of $4,000, which
officers on the ground estimated to be
necessary to march to Pekin, over
coming any probable opposition
That beingsthe situation, the presi-
dent and his cabinet were right in
deciding that there was no occasion
to order more troops to China, and
there being no occasion for more
troops there was no possible reason
for calling an extra session of con-
gress; which Democrats are clamor-
ing for, not because they consider it
necessary to deal with the Chinese
situation, but because with the con-
gress in session they could hope for
something @ bedone that might help
them politically President Mckinley
has ample authority to do everything
that will be necessary to protect our
interests in China, and the people
know that he can be trusted to pro-
perly use that authority.
Ii
csived from Minister Conger or any
Of the other foreign ministers in
Pekin, messages have been received
from several sources. including the
United States consul at Cheefoo,
that seem corroborate the Chinese
news received several days ago say
ing that the foreign ministers were
alive and we'll as late as the 9th inst.
With tie exception Of Secretary
Long, all the mem bsrs of the cabinet
incline to believe that the foreigners
in Pekin have all been killed, in
spite of the attempts of the Chinese
government to save them. Secretary
Hay told the president and cabinet
that the Chinese minister had ex-
pressed the opinion that the reason
why none Of the foreign ministers had
sent any communication out of Pekin
was that they were in hiding, probab-
ly in the houses OF friendly Chinese
officials, and were afraid that any
attempt to communicate with the
outside world would betray their
presence to the mob and endanger
the lives of their protectors as well
as their own. That may, of course,
be true, but it doesn't sound very
convincing.
Maior-General Leonard Wood,
military governor of Cuba, arrived
in Washington this week to talk over
some Cuban matters, especially the
arrangements for the Constitutional
convention which the Cubans are to
hold, with Secretary Root. And as
the president was in Washington,
| which General Wood had not ex-
pected when he left Havana, he par
ticipated in several of the talks.
| General Wood says everything is
moving along smoothly in Cuba, and
| that the Cubans are proving them
selves orderly and entirely worthy OF
| the citizenship which has been con-
ferred upon them. Of the materi al
prospects of the island General Wood
said: "The sugar crop is rs per cent.
greater than last year, while the cot
fee crop is steadily increasing. The
tobacco crop of the past year was
the second largest in the history oil
| the island"
Senator Elkins, of West Virginia,
who has just returned from that
state, thinks there is no doubt of it's
being carried by Mckinley and
Roosevelt. He said: "My survey Of
the situation was altogether from