Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-03-21

bulzer Not Satisfied with the Reply TO an
Anti-BritIsh Resolution of His-Makes
an Attack OH the Administration Which
He Says Is Run from Downing Street
Compromise Agreed TO on the Porto
Rico Relief Bill.
Washington, March 21.-After the
war departments reply TO Suffers
resolution asking if the British We're
building fortifications on the northern
border OF this country had been read in
the house yesterday by anamious con-
sent Sulzer took the floor for five min
utes. Mr.. Speaker" said he, this
resolution was introduced II good
faith and at a popular demand for
legitimate information which the war
department should furnish to this
house, in order that il can properly
consider and transact its business.
There is nothing in the resolution
which calls for any secret informa-
ton from the war department. 1t Is
very strange. is seems to me. that the
committee on military affairs are SO
sensitive in regard to this resolution.
The report from the adjutant general
is prepoSterous and untenable. He
says that this information is secret.
This resolution calls for no secret in
formation. He says that Great Britain
is not treSpaSSing upon our territory.
No one cCntendS that Great Britain Is
trespaSSing upon our territory. How
ridiculous il is for the adjutant gen
eral TO say that in this report.
What suIzer Charge. Against Britain.
What We do declare, and what every
thinking and intelligent citizen of this
country knows, is that while Great
Britain is pretending 10 be- our friend
she is SpdulOuSly and studiouSly and
consistently erecting great fOrtitca-
tiOnS on our northern frontier which
menace the integrity of the republic
and which on notice of twenty-four
hours could destroy our cities. our
towns and lay waste the property of
our people. IT seems to me that today
the administration is being humbuGged
by the administration of Great Britain.
Our Own Fertilization Bill.
The gentleman from Illinois the
other day reported to this house the
fortification bill, carrying an appro-
priatiOn bill. We want this Information
in order TO intelligently know what
fOrtification we ought to erect i'll OPP
position to the fortificatiOns Great
Britain is erecting. ] think this reso-
luton should pass. There is a feeling
all over this country that the admins
tration has absolutely and abjectly
surrendered American rights to Brit
ish interests. 1t has done so in Alas
ka. it has done so in regard TO the
Nicaragua canal. it is doing so now in
the Orient. in the Philippines, in China.
Refers to the South African War.
"It has been done Ry Great BritSin
in this war in South Africa. Applause
on the Democratic sidel. If it had not
been what the administration did the
other day after consultation with Lord
PauncefOte. after being told what 70
do by Salisbury, there would have
been a CONCERT of European powers
which would have demanded the ceS
sation of war in South Africa. The
administration here is more English
than the administration in LOndon;
and il is time for some one to stand up
here ard talk for American rights
against British interests" Loud ap-
plauSe on the Democratic sidel.
Resolution and Corbin's Report
The resolution SulZer introduced
was an order to the war office to in
form the house what fOrtifications
Great Britain is building along our
northern frontier. etc. COrbin's reply
is that such information has always
been held secret for good reasons. but
that Great Britain is building no for
tifcatiOns that trespass on our rights.