The Press., 1901-09-12
Washington Letter.
washington, september 8, 1901

"oo oAo 1AaSouy aI buHaiO. Inc people
OF this city have seldom been SO deeply
stirred. A great black shadow seemed
to have fallen across Pennsylvania ave-
nuebetween Tenth and Fourteenth streets,
for the three big newspaper offices are all
In those four blocks, and there were hum
dreds of people In front of each of them
reading the bulletins. It was not only
the. fact that the president of the United
States had been shot that interested thom
SO deeply. Whatever may be their poll
tics-and citizens of the District, being
unaole to vote, often come near having
no politics-the people of Washington
hava warm personal regard for Mr.. Nc
Kirley. For many years, as representa-
tfvtktad as president, he has lived here,
and there has been no more popular man
in tie White House, personally, since it
was built.
Perhaps his salient characteristic is the
dislike of inflicting pain. Some men say
yes In growing, forbidding tone that it
sounds like no, and very rough no at
that. President Mckinley could say no
In such a manner that the interlocutor,
when he got outside the room, rubbed his
ears and wondered If it was not yes after
all. His devotion to his invalid wife has
also won him many friends, and there are
many charming stories floating around
Washington, told by persons who do not
talk for publication, about his kindness
and consideration toward her.
the Schley case seems to be at stand
still at present. Captain Forsyth has
been forgiven for his reported expression
of opinion In favor of Admiral Schley
It seems he was not talking for publica-
tion. Nunez, the Spanish pilot who
brought Cervera out of Santiago, is to be
summoned as one of the witnesses.
The navy is having a hard time to get
enlisted men for the battleships and
cruisers, while"the war department is suf-
fering from most curious complaint-a
famine of officers. The increase of the
army to 100000 caused moving up along
the line, and men who did not expect to
get promotions this side the grave got
their ''step" in hurry. In consequence
of this, when all the promotions were ar
vacancies for the position of second lieu
tenant, the rank held by the newly grad
uated West Pointer. But West Point
has not graduated enough cadets to fill
f,o rN1o p,o% n
case OF round man in a square hole, but
of heles empty of all men, square or 9TH
erW BE, The rule In such cases Is to give
enlS5ad soldiers, who can pass the rather
stssz 4 nation. the preference and
this was done. About four hundred en-
listed men took the examination, and not
quite two hundred passed. The rest of
the places are for men who have served
in the volunteer army, within certain
age limit. There was no lack of applica-
tions. Secretary Root might literally
have waded through them, for he got
eleven or twelve Thousand. He weeded
them out as fast as he could by designa-
ting men for appointment in large patches,
but comparatively few of them could pass
the examination. Some of them have
been complaining that it Is too hard, but
the army authorities think that men who
are to be closely associated in the service
with graduates of West Point ought to
know somewhere near as much as the
latter do. It is not so much a matter of
actual knowledge of certain branches as
it Is of wedding out incompetent and H.
literate men, and securing officers from
the educated class of society-which does
not, of course, mean the well-to-do class
in this country. At present there are re-
ported to be more than four hundred va
cancies for the right men.
The International conference of Ameri-
can states will certainly be held in the
city of Mexico, and the state department
was much pleased recently to learn that
Peru has appointed three of her ablest
men as delegates to the conference.
There was tempest in teapot lately
over the reported intention of Secretary
Squiers of bringing number of Chinese
relics to this country and presenting them
to the Metropolitan museum. 1t was
said that the articles, though purchased
all right by Mr.. Squiers, were obtained
| by loot, but the state department shows
no disposition to interfere.
| 1t is reported that the Danish ministry
has accepted our offer of three and half
million dollars for the Danish West India
Islands, but the report has not been ofic-
tally confirmed by Minister Swenson, and
therefore the state department does not,
officially, know anything about it. 1t is
said, however, that the ministry has voted
to accept our offer.
| Senator Sewell, of New Jersey. who
sustains much the same relation to the
republican party of that state as Senator
Platt does to the party in New York, Is
seriously i'll, and several months sojourn
at Carlsbad seems not to have helped him
at all. Should he die, or illness cause
his retirement, the New Jersey republi-
cans would be emphatically sheep with
out shepherd.
A recent report from Consul General
Stowe at Capetown contains the cheering
information that American imports to the
Transvaal are making British manufac-
turers jealous. He speaks especially OF
American wagons, and says that Lord
Roberts considers American buckboarde
superior to any other wagons for trans
portation, and cheaper into the bargain.
"Bobs' shows his logical ability by rea-
soning that the strength and convenience
ofthese wagons probably resulted from
the fact that mule wagons have been
largely used In America for transporta-
tion Of goods over long distances; and he
might have added that the conditions OF
| transportation are often much like those
of the South African veldt. If the Brit
ish trooper can be remodeled like the
L .A-A4 49, 4 v1r