Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1901-01-31
ARMY REORGANIZATION.
Volunteers to Be Brought Home
and New Recruits to Take
The Places.
SOVEREIGNTY IN THE PHILIPPINES.
House and Senate Committees Del
uged with Bllls-The shipping
Bill Now In Hand-What That
Measure VIII Insure to the Amer
lean Producer.
Especial Correspondence

Inc army reorganization Dill Will Dt care
fully considered in conference, within a few
days, and immediate action will probably be
taken by each branch of congress to con-
firm the action Of the conferees. The ad-
ninistration has been very greatly EN-
barrassed by the delay in the perfection OF
this measure, and time is the most important
of all the factors at this time. The volun-
teers are to be brought home and newly re-
cruited regulars enlisted in their places, and
the transfer to occur before the middle Of
the present year. This being SO there is not
moment to lose, and it is gratifying that
matters are reaching point Of inality As
was expected from the start, the plan OF
the administration is upheld, and the pres
dents hands will be free to do as he deems
best to crush the instruction in the Philip
pines and establish law and order.
The senate has disposed Of the treaty with
Spain, whereby the latter nation relinquishes
to the United States sovereignty over the
Islands OF Sibutu and Cagayan, which are
really a part of the Philippine group, but
which, through an unfortunate geographical
designation in the first treaty describing the
area within which the Philippines were stu
ated, left out these two islands from formal
Inclusion This error costs the United States
100000, and with its payment by the United
States, practically assured by the ratifica-
ton of the treaty, this last incident in the
acquisition of sovereignty in the entire Phil
ppine group is closed.
The Nouse is rushing work through with
It's accustomed celebrity, and the senate CON-
mittees are being deuged with their bills,
although but few appropriation measures
have as yet found lodgment in the senate end
of the capitol. With the disposal Of the
legislative appropriation bill the senate, as
had been expected, resumed consideration Of
the shipping bill. As this is being written
certain amendments have been prepared
and submitted, it is said by Senator McMil.
IAN acting for three or four other republic
an senator's demanding that the compensa
ton for vessels of high speed shall be lin
tied to those of IS knots speed and over
This is in Difference to the clamor for slow
cargocarrying steamships, and to the op
position to high speed steamships, which the
opposition to the shipping bill has very care
fully fostered.
Nothing so clearly proves the influence
of the foreign shipping interests in the shap
ng of American shipping legislation, as this
concession to the clamor its agents have
raised The opposition to the pending ship
ping bill has been concentrated upon the
only line under the American flag in the
trans Atlantic trade, and this concentration
is due to the fact that the opposition lines,
under foreign flags, are most anxious TO
cripple if not ruin their only rival under the
American flag in the carrying of American
imports and EXPORTS There is one thing
that the people of the country must never
forget, in this connection, and that is that
the assured protracted reduction in ocean
freight rates whenever the shipping bill be.
comes law, and because Of the increase in
the number OF ,hip, offering for cargocs,
will be Of the greatest direct benefit to
those who produce the things the surplus
Of which is sent abroad,
Senator Vest last week brushed up hi,
adjectives and having carefully examined
his vocabulary OF iEvCctves, proceeded to
inveigh against the shipping bill, offering a.
an alternative his amendment to make q
free ship bill as the sole remedy for our lie
clning shipping in the foreign trade, There
has never yet been free ship advocate whC
could point out any American citizen whc
would put foreign built ship. under Amer
can register il he were privileged to do SO,
unless the government would give him sub
sidy for running them in competition with
foreign ships sufficient to make coed the ex-
ira cost of operating ships under the Amer
lean as compared with other flags
The president has been most careful dur.
ing his somewhat prolonged weakness result
ing from his attack Of the grip. He has
avoided seeing delegations, and has limited
his consideration of public matters entirely
TO those OF the most pressing and important