The Press., 1901-07-04
Washington Letter.
washington, July 1, 1901.

washington, July I, 1901
Gen. Miles has an idea that 1t would be
wise to withdraw the most of our troops
from Cuba now, instead of waiting until
the Cuban government is established,
and he has officially recommended to Sec
retary Root that fifty per cent. of the five
Thousand American troops now In Cuba
be ordered home, and the work they are
doing be turned over to the Cubans. He
thinks it an excellent opportunity to test
the capacity Of the Cubans to govern
themselves In small way-the preserva-
tion of peace, protection Of property, etc.
but 1t is understood that Secretary Root
Is opposed to any further reduction of
our troops on the island, until the Cubans
haze their government established.
ID a large room of the Smithsonian In
stitution permanent exhibition will soon
besthrown open under the name of the
s.S9hildren's Museum" The ceilings are
huhg with artificial wild vines, among
which are many cages of live singing
birds, and the exhibits, which include
metorites, insects, dead and alive, models
of diamonds, gold nuggets and all the
commoner minerals, small animals and
many other things with which children
arr sufficiently familiar to be Interested
In being especially arranged for the COM
prehension of children The idea of a
museum especially for the amusement,
and incidentally for the education of chill
dren, came to Prof. s. P. Langley a year
or two ago, and he has since been arrang-
Ing to put 1t into practical effect. The
method Of exhibition isn't the only unique
feature of the new museum. 1t has, so
far as known, been the invariable custom
in every museum In the world to label all
exhibits with their technical names, which
are puzzing to the average we'll Informed
adult and absolutely meaningless to a
child. In this museum everything is Ia
beled withsits common name. and in addi-
tion, where possible, short fact relating
thereto.
The additional claims against China,
put in by Germany and several other pow
ers, which were at first SO puzzling to
this government, are now known to have
been prompted by greed of which the
powers should be heartily ashamed. By
some technical error in figuring, China
agreed to pay total indemnity which ex-
ceeded the aggregate demand of all the
powers by $25, ,4OO, 600 AS soon as that
became known, Germany put In a claim
for $40, ,0OO, 900 more and Japan for 3d.
900, 600, and other powers announce their
intention to do the same. This govern
ment proposed that the excess should be
deducted from the total indemnity to
be paid bys China, but from the manner
with which the proposal was received, II
isEatain that It will not be accepted, and
atkat the majority of the powers aresde-
termined to squeeze the last dollar possi-
BILE out of China.
Secretary Hitchcock believes in adopt
ing good ideas wherever found. An In
vestigation having shown him that Ger
many had been successfully renewing its
forests, he submitted plan for the es-
tablishment of a bureau In the depart
ment of the Interior for the restoration OF
American forests by similar plan, and
it was promptly approved by the presi-
dent and the other members of the cabi-
net, and the forestry bureau will soon be
In operation.
The receipts of the government for the
fiscal year just closed exceeded its ex.
penditures by $76, 600, 900, which was
about So, 600, 900 less than the surplus OF
the previous fiscal year. There will be
no such surplus for the fiscal year begin
ming to-day, as the act of the last con.
gress reducing war taxes, goes into effect
to-day, and that will reduce the revenues
of the government to the extent of be.
tween forty and fifty million dollars.