St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-07-16
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Especial Correspondence

4 tablished at the Washington barracks
n has begun and is under sufficient head
way to indicate something of the re
, suit. A large force of workmen is en-
. gagged in constructing the sea wall
, which has extended along only a par
J of the river front heretofore. Several
= hundred feet have been built from the
southeast point of the grounds near
: the officers quarters, and the whole
wall will be in course of construction
: for several months. 1t is being built
of rubble masonry on concrete fOunda-
ton and will be a strong and artistic
barrier when completed. This new
wall will include seven acres not hith-
erto embraced in the grounds and will
increase their area to seventy-siX acres
in all. Congress having provided the
funds, the buildings required for the
college will be planned and construc-
ton begun this summer and fall. The
quarters now occupied by officers and
men and dozen or more large old
buildings standing in the south end Of
the grounds will be torn down to give
room for an extension of the parade
ground. The new buildings will be on
the higher ground, near the entrance.
The site chosen requires the filling in
of a large area on the eastern side Of
the grounds, which will take year to
complete, 1t is not expected that any
of the proposed new buildings will be
ready for occupancy under two years.
Color of Army Uniforms.
The uniform board of the army,
which is conducting a series of expert
ments to determine the effectiveness
of color in military service, has an in
teresting report in course of prepara-
ton. Its object is to secure the best
color for service in the field. The fact
that the British army has abandoned
the buff Of the familiar khaki and
adopted a neutral gray of the same
texture led the board to get cloth of
the same description and put it to the
test in number of experiments. For
several days eight enlisted men, in as
many different shades of gray, have
been marching back and forth at the
foot of Seventeenth street, in the Mall,
while the officers of the board studied
them under different conditions of
light and with the naked eye and I'M
der fieldglasses. At a measured dis
lance of LOO yards the officers with
their fieldglasses took a long series of
observations, They find that the khaki
in the various shades of buff and vel
low is far less visible to men in the DO
sition of sharpshooters than the neu-
tral gray Of the British army. The
neutral gray was adopted during the
Boer war, and it is believed that there
Is something In the clear South Afri-
can skies and light that justifies the
conclusions of the British experts. On
the greensward of the Mall the buff
gives the better results.
Uncle Sans BOUQUETS.
Regarding the resolution of inquiry
introduced in the house by Repre-
sentative Bell of Colorado relative to
the distribution of surplus cut flow
ers among the families of the house
and senate members, it is said by a
number of those in position to know
that there has been no discontinuance
OF the custom whenever flowers are
available. If Mr.. Bell or any other
member has not been remembered.
they say it has been due to an over
sight as it is intended that all shall be
treated alike in the distribution. The
greenhouses from which the flowers in
question come are maintained princi-
pally to supply the city parks with the
plants, which make them such a fea-
ture of the city's beauty throughout
the greater part of the year. In the
cutting Of the flowers in these green
houses, much of which is done for the
! Improvement Of the plants, the White
House supply of flowers is augment
ed. After the White House is sup
piled the hospitals and other public in
stitutions receive flowers. Many other
worthy causes also share in the dstri-
button. Families of members of the
cabinet, the supreme court and legis-
lative members come next. This Gus
| tom, which has prevailed for years, of
distributing the cut flowers is still fol-
| lowed.
Want Russian Treaty Changed.
American Hebrews have not given
up their hope that some day this coun-
try may induce Russia to change her
treaty relations so as to admit Amer
lean citizens of the Hebrew faith to
that country without their passports
having to be signed by the Russian en-
bassador. This discrimination against
the Hebrews is resented, and Presi-
dent Roosevelt had the matter brought
10 his attention just before leaving
Washington for his summer vacation
by a delegation of New York repre-
sentatiyes, accompanied by Simon
Wolf. The delegation consisted of
Representatives Sulzer Ryan, Goldfo-
gle and Wilson, and they told the pres
ident that the Russian discrimination
ought to be remedied by negotiations
with Russia that would change exist
ing treaty relations. The president
said he would take the matter up with
Secretary Hay.
Promotions For Clerks.
Secretary Cortelyou has announced
the following appointments in the ex-