Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-04-26

OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Davis. Gen. Easan
RishtHand Nan is to Assist -.Aayor liar
rison Denies that He has an Eye on the Pre-,
idental Chair-The Philippines Want a So.
100000 Naval Station-McKinIey's "Pip'
Dream"
From our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON, April 10, 1901.
Denials having been rendered ride
nlons by press dispatches fiom Ma.
Mia giving names and details; Wal
Department officials now confess tina,
there have been extensive frauds in
the comissary branch OF the army in
the Philippines, and announce with a
flourish OF honesty and virtue that an
official investigation is now being
made with view to the exposure and
punishment of all those who have
been guilty OF wrong-doing. This an
nouncement would have carried more
weight with the disinterested public
had it not been accompanied by an
other saying that the conduct of the
investigation had been placed in the
hands OF Adjutant General Corbin.
Gen. Miles is commander of the army,
and as such should have directed that
investigation, and if the truth and the
whole truth, regardless of whose toes
might be trod on, had been sought, il
would have been allowed to remain in
his hands where it properly belonged
he had proven his fearlessness in
uncovering fraud in the embalmed
beef cases. But if the object of the
investigation be to whitewash the
guilty officers who have Republican
political pull, and to make scapegoats
OF those who have not, the choice of
Gen. Corbn to direct it was wise. He
has a record of political partisanship
meyer equaled by any holder of Ma
lor Generals commission in the Unit
ed States Army, and there have been
some radical partisans in the army,
too, while Gen. Miles has never been
partisan and is suspected of believing
In Democratic principles. Major
George b. Davis, one Of the officers
said to be implicated in the frauds, is
now in Washington on sick leave.
He has been connected with the COM
missary branch of the army for several
years, and was regarded as Gen. Ea-
CAMS right-hand man when he was
Commissary General. Major Davis was
at the War Department this week and
was questioned by Commissary Genera
Weston. He denied the charge ca
bled from Manila that the books of
Evans & Co., government contractors,
showed that sums OF money had been
paid to him and other officers; also
that he had any knowledge of wrong
doing on the part OF either officers or
contractors and announced his willing
ness to return to Manila at once and
assist in the investigation. He might
be able to render valuable assistance
in the whitewashing.
Mayor Carter Harrison, of Chicago.
whose third election to that Office has
caused his name to be more or less
talked OF in connection with national
politics, spent the most of this week
in Washington quietly resting. Asked
the blunt question, whether he had
any intention OF entering the national
political arena, Mr.. Harrison replied:
" l am not fooling with national poll
tics. 1t is enough for me now to at
tend to my duties in Chicago" When
asked what the Illinois Legislature
was likely to do, Mr.. Harrison said
"The Republicans in that body have
done almost nothing outside OF dis.
cussion OF apportionment bills. They
have quarrel among themselves over
the subject. and should not be sur
prised if the Legislature adjourned
without passing any measure for APP
portionment."
That the Philippines must neces-
sarily be q large and continuous
source Of expense to the United States
has been evident from the day Spain
goldbricked us into becoming their
owners. A board OF naval officers,
under orders from Secretary Long. are
now engaged in preparing plans for a
81, 1000 naval station, which is to
have a 100000 dry dock, at Olon-
gapo, Subig Bay, Luzon. Those plans
will have to receive the approval OF
Congress before they can be carried
out.
Senator Cockrell, who was met COM
ing out OF the White House, where he
had just had talk with Mr.. McKin-
ley on the subject, said of the coming
visit to Washington OF a committee OF
the Cuban Constitutional Convention
"The Cubans do not apparently fully
grasp their status. They are not now
a government. They have no power
to treat automatically with the Unit.
ed States. The present constitutional
convention was called into being
through our agency. 1t only has
power TO submit to the United States
for approval plan or constitution for
representative government. If we
reject it the existing status continues.
They can do nothing. But If the
notifications and conditions which we
propose are accepted then they can
proceed to organize q representative
government. And until such . gov
eminent is organized the troops of the
United States, in my opinion, cannot
DO completely withdrawn. 1 am firm.
ly convinced that the convention,
after it hears the report of the com.
mission which it has sent here, will
accept the Plat amendment. I be-
lieve that the members of the COM
mission will learn much of value to
Cuba on their visit here, and that
soon after their return the constitu.
tional convention will take favorable
action"
Every Republican President from
Grant to Mckinley has had dreams of
establishing respectable white Re.
publican party in the South, bot every
effort to make the dream reality has
miserably failed. For that reason Mr..
Mckinley's effort in that line, in
South Carolina, is more amusing than
alarming to Southern Democrats.
Senator McLaurin, who has been for
all practical purposes an administra-
ton Senator for several years, al