The Springfield herald., 1902-07-18
LATE WASHINGTON NEWS AND
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS

in the uniforms of the United States
army. recommended by the uniform
board. has been prepared and will be
submitted to the President before final
action is taken.
The contract made by the Louisiana
Purchase exposition committee to keep
the fair closed on Sunday in compli-
ance with the act creating the com
mission has been received ut the
Treasury Department. 1t was signed
by tifty-four commissioners.
The controller of the treasury has
decided that the salaries and expenses
of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition
Commission can not be paid until the
provision of the act appropriating So
100000 for the exposition which re-
Quires ':as n condition precedent that
the directors shall contract to close
the gates to visitors on Sunday during
the whole duration of the fair is exc
cuted.
Indications are that by next spring
the secretary of the interior will,
through the geological survey, begin
work on the first irrigation system 10
be built under the recently enacted
law. Where this project will be To-
Gated has not been determined, but III
all probability it will be n project of
: Adest proportions, costing from 5000
y to S1,OO0,OOO, and one whose sue
cess is reasonably certain.
Charles j. Jones, popularity known as
Buffalo" Jones, has been appointed
buffalo warden for Yellowstone Park.
Mr.. Jones has devoted much attention
to the preservation of the American
bison and was largely instrumental in
obtaining an appropriation during the
last session of Congress for the estab-
lishment of a government buffalo
ranch in the Yellowstone Park. ms
establishment will be in Mr.. Jones
charge.
The navy department contemplates
making n material reduction OF the
naval forces on the Asiatic station
soon. While our interests in the East
are most important, it is thought here
that the large number of American
warshipS gathered in Chinese and Phil
ippine waters is much above the pro-
per ratio. The plans, it is said, CON
template ordering at least one of the
flag commanders on the Asiatic sta
ton to other duty.
Assistant Attorney General Charles
w. Russell is completing his prepara-
tions, and within week will start
for Paris to investigate the ability of
the new Panama Canal Company to
give the United States n satisfactory
title to concessions and property on
the isthmus. When this preliminary
work shall have proceeded to GER
tain point the attorney general, ac-
cording to the presidents expressed
wish, will probably go over and look
into the matter. He has invited Sen
ator Spooner to go along and assist
him, in view of the senator's we'll
f.,,, in,itx n
apl the attorney generals opinion of
l0ability, and hopes that he will go.
Secretary Moody, after consultation
with his bureau chiefs. has given or
ders that one of the battleships au-
1horiZed at the last session of Con
grcss be constructed at the New York
navy ward. The secretary was under
strong pressure in this matter Be
sides New York, Norfolk and Boston
were competitors for the work. The
secretary was finally influenced in his
decision by these facts: That no less
than two years time would be re
qured to bring the plant at Boston
up to Il point where it could undertake
the work of building a battleship; also
that the S175,00O authorized by Con
gress to be expended in making ready
for the construction of the ship would
be insufficient at Boston.
Senator Warren of Wyoming called
uDon the President n few days ago and
suggested that he take trip this sum-
mer through the northern tier of west
ern states adjoining the Canadian bor-
der. President Roosevelt had some
time since suggested horseback ride
across Wyoming. and Mr.. Warren told
the president he would arrange relays
of horses for such trip II the Presi-
dent would take it. The plan would be
TO give the President jaunt of several
hundred miles through Wyoming and
Montana from the line of the Union
Pacific to some point on the Northern
Pacific 1t would take the President
through part of the country where
he rode the range when in the cattle
business along the Little Missouri in
the early eighties.
The navy department has its plans
pI Otically complete for the four big
w;fships just authorized by the new
naval law, and to bear the names of
Louisiana. Connecticut. Tennessee and
Washington. The distinctive features
of the new ships are the strength and
arrangement of their batteries. and
greater thickness in armor. The bat
tleships are to have displacement of
10000 tons, and will be built for n
speed of eighteen knots. Their batter
les will consist of four twelve-nch
guns. eight eight-inch guns, twelve
scyen-inch and twenty three-inch guns,
and n large number of smaller weap-
ons. scattered over the ship. The ar
mored cruisers are to have n displace-
mept of II. 800 tons. and speed of
twenty-five knots. Their batteries will
consist of four ten-inch guns. sixteen
six-inch and twenty-five three-inch
guns. and large number of smaller