Hutchinson gazette., 1900-08-23
EFFECTS OF IMPERIALISM CROPPING OUT
signs of Subsidized Merchant Ma
rlnc-Thc Navy Department Favors
Trust ArEOr PlGtc--Imperlnlistic
Control of the wpr Department.
uanuns Fut-Frylhg.
Especial correspondcnce,l

crs OF vessels would do in the future as
they are doing now, that is, employ the
cheapest scumcn that could be found
The ship subsidy bin didn't pass, but
Che war department has just received
a protest from the American seamen
Of the Pacific coast against manning
the transport Hancock with Chinese
sailors This transport sailed few
days ago from san Francisco for
Shanghai,
The citizens Of the coast object to
having sailors employed who might
think II an act Of patriotism 10 scu,tle
ship when we are practically at war
with China, The Chinese sailors were
employed because they were cheaper
than Americans.
It can easily be imagined that If the
United States army authorities make
cheapness the first consideration in
selecting crews for war vessels or those
carrying troops the masters OF sub
sidlzed merchant marine wouldn't
waste any Of their profits paying good
wages 20 American seamcn unless they
were obliged TO by law,
Trust ArmOr Plate,
The unsettled condition OF matters
in the orient encourages those who be-
lieye in big navy to urge that the
vessels now ordered be hurried TO COM
pleton.
The secretary Of the navy recently
received bids for armor plate upon the
new vessels authorized by congress
The Carnegie and Bethlehem COM
panies bid 500 per ton for Krupp ar
NOR and Il little less for other kinds
The bidders stipulated that The maxi
ing Of the Krupp armor should not be
subject to scrutiny by government oill-
cials, claiming that the process is a
secret one and could only be procured
by an agreement that IL should be kept
so,
What lot Of nonsense. There is no
special secrecy about the Krupp meth
od and the record of the Carnegie ard
Bethlehem companies is not such that
they can be trusted to produce stan
dnrd armor without watching, II will
be remembered that at the time of the
great Homestead strike this labor dis
turbance helped to divert attention
from about the most defective lot Of
srmor plate ever made for creduous
government.
Some conhding people wonder
whether the secretary of the navy will
accept these bids or build a govern
ment armor plant. OF course he will
accept them and see that perqujsites
enough are allowed to bring thelprice
mp TO the original S545, for which the
armor plate trust fought so hard in
congress. The democrats knew what
the republicans meant when they
talked about leaving the whole matter
TO the discretion Of the secretary OF
the navy. That meant leaving it at
the mercy Of the trust. There will be
no government armor plate factory
'npdero republican administration, "g'@
WAR Dcpartn,ent,inp fullSnh. b,,s
The activity Of the war department
shows that practical imperialism Is do..
ing its level best to involve the country
80 deeply in unauthorized wars that
Bryan would have difficulty in straight
ening out the entanglements.
We are supposed TO be on peace
footing. The war department ignores
The Philippines completely Yet mil
lions of dollars worth Of war supplies
are being shipped to Manila. There
are al sorts Of things that our army
cannot possibly want during the wet
season.
Secretary Root hints that the sup
piles are being sent in anticipation of
further Chinese trouble. The admin
5strotion has no moral scruples about
helping to partition China as soon as
IL has the campaign Off its hands and
can get all the troops II wants.
The Russian government, 1t is said,
has set the example by advising its
minister to accept an escort from Pc
Mug ~ 10 NulN lnul tue hUSSlUIS IN
tend in this manner to short circuit the
whole incident, This does not sound
like Russia, for she is in n better posi-
tjon than any other country to force
China to give up territory,
The Chinese government maintains
Al scornful silence in relation to Me-
Kinley's demands for free communica-
tion with our minister and his safe
delivery to our forces.
The administration is hoping that
Chinese affairs will drag along until
after election. II defeated Mckinley
can leave the consequences of his bad
management to Bryan to repair and II
reelected there will still, be an oppor-
tnnity 10 combine with Great Britain
IN grabbing a port or two. The Brit
ash have landed troops at Shanghai
without protest from this government.
This means that Mckinley and his
friends of the Anglo-American alliance
are looking TO the future and that i'm.
perialism will have even wider scope
than before.
Mark HRnBa's skillet.
Hanna is busy frying fat" and scar.