Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1901-05-31

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Legislative $50. .............. 1854. 9bs
Military academy ...... 10, COS
Naval .......... ............... as, l0l.lol
Pension .......... ........ 145.2 45, 80
Postoitice l23, 7s2,GSS
sundry civil I'll, 100 sos
Deficiencies 15,917, 44G
Miscellaneous ..-... ........... T,9!O,O1A
Permanent appropriations ...... 12,35S.222u
Total go. .............. SEQ, 33s ,575
The total appropriations made by the
Fifty-ffth Congress aggregate S1,44O,-
4S9, 43S. or $127. . ,19S less than the
$1.56S,212,G37 appropriated by the pre-
ceding Congress.
instructions sent to our representative
at Pekin, governing the conduct of the
American troops which remain at the
United States legation as guard in that
city, have been acknowledged by Gen.
Chaffee. The force of 1GO men will be
Quartered in the Temple of Agriculture
and at the south gate of the Forbidden
City. The force, which comprises Com
pany B of the Ninth infantry, will be I'M
der the command of Maj. Edgar B. Rob-
erts. Ninth infantry, and the force will
be stocked with supplies to last until
Dec. 81, by which time acquisitions will
be made on Manila for supplies for the
following six months. The reserve mn
munition furnished the force includes
100000 rounds of rifle cartridges and
100 rounds of revolver shot for each au.
thorized weapon. The instructions sent
to Roberts cautioned him against any
relaxation of military discipline and adj
vised him that he should consult FIRE.
quently with our diplomatic representa-.
tives and act when necessary in con-
junction with the other foreign com
mands. He was also informed that lie
might use force, if necessary, against the
Chinese in the protection of American
interests.
According to present plans the 10000
regulars who are to be brought back
from the Philippines in the plan of di-
minishing the military force under Gen.
Macarthur will not begin their home
ward trips until after July 1. By that
date the government transports will be
available for this service, and until July
l they will be engaged to their capacity
in bringing back to this country the vol
unteer regiments, who must be mustered
out by June 30. The first Of the regu-
lars to return will be the Fourteenth,
Eighteenth and T~wenty-third regiments
of infantry, and the Fourth regiment of
cavalry. There are $4,000 regulars on
duty in the Philippines, and the policy
adopted by the administration to decrease
this force to 10000 makes it necessary
to provide for bringing back 10000 regu-
lars.
An investigation Of the practices Of
pension sharpcrs in San Francisco and
their methods of annoying soldiers re-
turning from the far East, has been
started by the pension bureau, and prose-
cutions may be expected in the near flu
ture. according to the officials of the law
division of the bureau. The sharpers are
not all representatives of the large
Washington pension law firms, but many
of them are, and their methods are char
acterized as illegal and outrageous. They
often persuade them to file applications
for pensions, even before they have been
discharged. Fees nave been, in many
cases, collected without any service rem.
dered, and the sharper often threatens to
take up his case in Washington and make
trouble for the soldier unless paid his
fee.
There is no law or constitutional pro.
vision to prevent President Mckinley
from visiting Mexico OF Canada or even
Europe during his term Of office if he SO
desires. although the precedents are
against it. This is the reason why he re.
NAMED on his own side of the border at
El Paso. Never has the President Of
the United States gone over the boun.
daries of the country except on two occa-
sions. Andrew Johnson and Secretary
Seward once crossed the suspension
bridge in a carriage and drove up to
take u view of niagara falls from the
Canadian side. Gen. Grant did the same
several years later.
So
Surgeon General Sternberg Of the army
reports with qualification n decided Inn
provcment of the health of the soldiers
in the Philippines. The death rate IL
very low and has been rapidly decreasing,
which, he says, indicates that the SOL
diers are beginning to learn how to take
care Of themselves. The death rate from
disease is much lower than in any other
army and the experience of the troops
has demonstrated that the climate of the
Philippines is not unhealthy for people
accustomed to more temperate zones, pro.
vided they are willing to take care Of
themselves. The death rate per 1000
population of Manila for 1900 was 34.47:
that of Hongkong was 23.S3; Shanghai,
29.17; Bombay, 51.36; Rio de Janeiro.
Bill; City Of Mexico, 81; New York,
On Sg