The Press., 1900-06-28
Washington Letter.

Are we at war with China? The Chi
nese minister say no, the secretary of
state says no, and the European govern
ments say no, but Admiral Kempff cables
the navy department that Russian and
American marines have had fight with
the Chinese army, been driven back and
prevented from getting through to Tien
Tsin, and after being reinforced until the
total force was 1900 were about to try |
again to fight their way through to the
Ii Hung Chang has cabled Secretary Hay |
that he is on his way to Pekin, and will |
stop all the trouble and protect all the
foreigners II that allied army will only |
postpone its intended invasion of China |
and the Chinese minister continues to in
sist that his government has not sanctioned
any fighting of foreigners, and that the
battle at Taku was the result of some
sort of a misunderstanding, and that his
government doesn't want to fight anyway.
Meanwhile preparations are being rushed
to send American troops from the Philip
pines to China.
The census bureau has stamped with
its disapproval the publication of figures
not officially given out, showing or pur-
porting to show the results of the census
In any locality, characterizing them as
'merely guesses," which may in some
cases approximate the truth. but are un-
authorized and untrustworty, and notified
an anxious country that it can only get
the real thing In census figures from the
official bulletin of the census bureau,
which will be issued from time to time as
the red tape Is unwound. This is a bit of
tom foolery for which there is no more
excuse than there would be for keeping
the result of an important election from
the people until the official count was
completed. 1t Is perfectly natural for
the residents of growing cities and towns
to be interested In knowing the total
enumeration of their Inhabitants, and the
only reason the information is not given
them the day the enumeration Is COM
pleted, is that the superintendent of GEN.
sus districts, who have the information,
have orders not to do so. What harm
could possibly be done by giving out the
totals as the enumeration of each district
is completed, accompanied by the state
ment that the figures are subject to Of
fetal revision?
It Is not often that man Is appointed
to an Office for which he has not applied
and which he does not want, but Mr.. John
N. Oats of San Francisco was nominated
by the president and confirmed by the
senate to be postmaster of Honolulu, not
only without his desiring the position,
but when it was intended to be given to
his brother, Joseph M. Oats, who was
formerly postmaster general of Hawaii.
The commission will be Cancelled and a
new one issued to the right Mr.. Oats, who
will doubtless be duly confirmed by the
senate at the next session of congress.
Labor has been given a new representa-
tive on the Industrial commission-Mr.
Charles H. Litchman of New Jersey, who
has been appointed to succeed M. B.
Ratchford, resigned. Mr.. Litchman has
been prominent In labor organizations for
twenty five years, having served as gen.
eral secretary of the Knights of labor
from 1878 to 1881, and from 1885 to 1888.
According to Judge M. T. Hitchcock of
Seattle, Washington, the crops of that
state are a determining political factor.
He said: "The outcome of the wheat
crop and the hop crop will have no little
influence upon the rural vote. The out
look for the wheat crop Is good. On the
other hand, hops are bringing only four
and one half cents pound, and IL costs
five cents to raise them. Some months
ago the farmers could have made con-
tracts to sell their crops at fourteen cents
a pound, but refused because they thought
they were going to receive MORE"
A report to the department of state
from E. L. Harris, U. s. consular agent
at Eibenstock, serves to call attention to
the fact that England will be a long ways
from dominating South Africa when the
Boer republics become British territory.
1t says: German South West Africa is
probably the most important of all Ger
man colonies. 1t has territory two and
one-hah times larger than Prussia, and
possesses climate similar to that Of the
Transvaal and Cape Colony. The devel-
opment of this colony depends somewhat
upon circumstances. A great portion re.
mains unexplored. The port of Swakop'
mund, together with Waltisch bay, forms
the finest harbor on the west coast of AT
RIGA. 1t is probably destined to outstriI
Cape Town in time; for, with railroad
through to Pretoria and steamship lines
to Europe and America, Cape Town will
lose an immense amount of traffic destined
for the interior of Africa"
No surprise was felt in Washington
when it was announced that the Philip
pine commission, now at Manila, haG
gone far enough In its work to discover
that about their most important problem
will be what to do with the Friars anc
their large holding Of property. A strong
native element has been from the hoistine
of the American flag demanding the ex
pulsion of the Friars and the confiscatioI
of their property, but it is not likely tha
the commission would give Its sanction
to anything as extreme as that would be
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