The Press., 1900-04-26
Washington Letter.
washington, April 20, 1900.

Has the president of congress supreme
authority in the resolution offered by Sen
ator Bacon and adopted by the senate
without opposition, calling upon the Sec
retary Of war for information as to pay
ments made to army officers, serving in
Cuba, outside of their regular allowances
and salary? 1t is contended by the war
department, and by many in congress,
that Cuba Is under military rule, and the
president being commander-in-chief, con-
gress has nothing to do with any action
ordered by the executive. The order that
precipitated the controversy is an old one,
issued when Mr.. Alger was secretary of
war, making an allow nee for expenses
for several army officers filling high po-
sitions in the military government of
Cuba, from the Cuban revenues. These
allowances are still continued. The two
sides OF the controversy are shown in the
following colloquy between Senators
Platt, of Connecticut and Daniel, of Vir-
ginia, after the former had stated that
Cuba was under military-executive-
not legislative control Mr.. Daniel
"Do not the acts of congress control in
Cuba? Mr.. Platt-"No." Mr.. Daniel
''Do not the laws of the U. S., as to the
pay and emoluments of officers of the
army, apply in Cuba?" Mr.. Platt-"As
to the pay and emoluments of army off,
GERS, yes but as to what shall be done in
Cuba, no. Our occupation of Cuba is
military and is under executive and not
legislative authority" Mr.. Daniel
does the president get this great
authority?" Mr.. Platt-"From the con-
stitution. AS commander-in-chief of the
army, the president has authority far be-
yond the power which may be conferred
upon him by congress-" Secretary Root
will send the information asked for by the
Bacon resolution to the senate this week,
when the controversy will doubtless be
renewed.
That leaders do not always control in
congress Is we'll known to close observers.
The latest proof that they do not is the
announcement that the house will take
up the Nicaragua canal bill May 1, and
vote upon 1t the next day. In this case
the leaders were wise enough to accede to
the polite request Of $50 members of the
house and change their plan of postponing
the canal bill until next winter They
knew that 1t was in the power of those
$50 members to force compliance with
their wishes at any time they might see
fit to do SO. The passage of the bill is
assured.
Consul General Goodnow, In report
to the department of state, from Shanghai,
knocks the bottom out of the newspaper
stories alleging that the establishment Of
Chinese cotton manufacturing plants were
endangering American trade in the Orient
He points out the fact that American
labor Is about four times as effective az
that of Chinese; also that the cottor
mills at Shanghai only spin coarse yarn
which is furnished to the consumers in the
interior, who weave it on hand looms, anG
have been running up to the present time
at loss. The report concludes as fol
lows: THE cotton cloths dominating the
market In northern China, and now chal
lenging the trade in central China, art
from America. We can control this mar
ket 80 long as we have an equal entrance
into all China, especially as freight lines
from our country are multiplied; ant
when the Nicaragua canal Is built, NJ
other than American goods need apply il
China"
The action of the war department IL
ordering canned roast beef sent to tn
Philippines for soldiers In the interio
who cannot be supplied with refrigerated
fresh beef, although issued on the rec
ommendation Of officers over there, In
cluding Gen. Otis, has caused much gos
sip In Washington. The order was Issues
without consulting Gen. Miles, whose op
|position to canned corn beef as an arm
ration was made plain during the court
martial of Gen. Egan. When Gen. Mile
was asked what he thought of the order
he replied: "It has been demonstrate
that the best meat supplied to an army |
beef on the hoof. That Is all care t.
say"