The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1901-03-28


washington Letter.
washington, Mar. %, 1901.
Chinese cro0kedness In diplomatic mat
ters has been accentuated by the appeal
OF China to the other powers to assist It
In refusing to put into effect the Man
chnrian treaty 1t has negotiated with
Rassia. This duplicity appears TO have
s6sprised our government, which natural
~ refused the assistance asked, but the
Diplomatic representatives OF the other
powers in Washington merely smile and
Song their shoulders when asked their
opinion. They were not surprised. On
the contrary, they regard 1t as the usual
thing In Chinese diplomacy. Whether
cecky little Japan, which country is most
directly affected by the big Russian grab,
Will go to war II China ratifies the treaty,
az now threatened, is as yet an open
question, but 1t will not be surprising II
It does.
This Is the last week OF Attorney Gen-
eral Griggs in the cabinet, as his resigna-
tipn has been accepted, to take effect next
Sunday No other immediate changes
are contemplated In the cabinet.
Uncle Sam is now sole owner Of the
whole Philippine Archipelago, the Span
ish minister having received treasury
warrant for 800. 900, to pay for ''any and
all islands" Of the archipelago outside OF
the limits named in the Paris treaty.
Before Secretary Hay handed the Spanish
minister the warrant for the cash, they
exchanged copies Of the treaty gorgeously
gotten up, that of Spain being bound In
red. with the royal arms In gold, and that
ofthe U. 8. bound In blue, with the ma
tional coat Of arms embossed thereon.
This money was appropriated by congress
at the recent session.
Congressman, who have been to Cuba
since the, adjournment, express the opin-
ion that it will be some time before the
Cubans accept our conditions for the
Withdrawal of American authority, but
that they will eventually do so. They
also say that the longer it is the better It
will please three-fourths OF the property
holders and business men Of Cuba.
Representative Babcock of Wisconsin,
who is now In Washington, has received
80 many Endorsements Of his bill, intro
duceh just before the late congress ad-
jqlspedT providing for repeal Of the tar
iff on manufactured steel and iron, as a
curb on the steel trust, that he has de-
cided to broaden the scope of the bill and
make it also provide for the repeal of the
tariff on tin plate and plate glass. Speak
ing of the bill, Mr.. Babcock said: 81 am
not striking at the trusts alone. l go
further, and say that If any individual is
enabled, through the high protective tar
iff to impose extortionate prices upon the
people, he Is just as much an object for
congressional legislation as any trust. If
my bill leads to discussion of the
whole tariff question, as it may do, l can
not see where harm will result. We
ought not to get up the Dingley bill like
Chinese joss, as something TO be wor-
shipped and never altered. Conditions
have changed very materially since that
bill was enacted" Mr.. Babcock is very
earnest, and when he said, as he does,
that he will not allow his bill to be
smothered in committee, he evidently
means business. 1t will not be his fault
II the bill fails to become law.
Senator Burrows of Michigan, who will
probably be chairman of the senate com.
mtttee on privileges and elections, when
the committees are reorganized at the
next session Of congress-, predicts that
the new Maryland ballot law will cause
the whole question of representation ir
congress on the basis of men who are not
legal voters under state laws, to come
before congress. He says the congress
sional apportionment made by the last
congress. on the census OF 1900, will moi
necessarily stand for ten years; that ev
cry congress has authority to make a new
apportionment, If 1t sees fit.
The congressional library has recently
acquired sixteen old manuscript books
which contain historical date, to be found
nowhere else, and which are consequent
ly regarded as priceless. They relate te
the public and private life of Robert
Morris, the financier of the American
Revolution, and were all written by him
These volumes contain records of the U
8. treasury department for the first thret
years Of it's existence, which are not in
cluded In the government archives Th'
books were accidentally found in junl
shop, by the late Gen. John Meredith
Read, and during his lifetime, he woult
never part with them.
i DIR. George D. Leetch, formerly med
ical examiner in the pension burnau, wht
has just returned from Sonth Africa
where he served year as surgeon in tn
British army, said of existing condition.
over there: THE war in South Africa Il
by no means ended, and 1t Is liable to con
tinue for long time yet. OF course it Il
guerrilla, rather than actual warfare, bu
1t Is for this reason that the Beers will b.
able to keep up the struggle, and at leas
greatly harass the British probably TO
some years. In Pretoria business is at
standstill, save that which is conductet
by reason of the presence of the militar.
forces. The railroads are almost com
pletely utilized in carrying stores ant
provisions for the army, and the larg
force OF Boer prisoners to whom they ar
Issuing rations. Practically all the Boe
) men are either prisoners of war, or ar
under arms, congregated in small band
In the hills and mountains. There ar
probably 10000 Boer prisoners in tn
hands Of the British.n