The Press., 1902-07-17

follow, that the recuperative power Is less
assisted because of the invasion of the
toxin.
WASHINGTON LETTER.
washington, July IA, 1902.
Secretary Moody and Secretary Root
are planning the most extensive and in
teresting navy and army man@uvres that
have ever been held In this country. The
exhibition will consist Of extensive naval
man@uvres at sea, followed by an attempt
on the part of the naval force to attack
some port on the North Atlantic coast,
presumably New York, by way of Long
Island Sound, and repulse by the army.
Not only will all the available forces be
requisitioned for the manmuvres, but the
various governors have been requested to
contribute such state militia as may be
found practicable, and even II unable to
send men, to at least designate officers to
be present. The operations Of the army
being on land will, of course, be open to
observation, and It will be hopeless to at
tempt to conceal their movements from
the press, but Secretary Moody has an
nounced his intention of making a novel
experiment, which will consist Of an at
tempt to hide from the press the inten-
ti0ns OF the naval force, 80 that a surprise
may be effected on the army. just how
the secretary hopes to prevent the news
paper men from following the movements
of the naval vessels in tugs and launches,
and publishing to the country the move-
ments OF the feet as fast as they are made,
Ia not stated.
The president will be present at the
manHuvres, which he will witness from
the decks of the Dolphin which has been
especially fitted up for his use, but 1t is
doubtful II he will take command of eth
er OF the forces In his capacity of COM
mander-in-chief. Every effort will be
made to give the attack the appearance Of
real war, and already thousands of blank
cartridges of all calibres have been served
out, and many more will follow. The
forces on land are to be kept In ignorance
of the proposed point Of attack, and will
be ready for day or night attack at all
points Major General Macarthur will
be held responsible for the defense of
New Y York, which he will supervise from
Governors Island In New York harbor.
Who will have command OF the naval
forces has not been announced. In fact,
1t Is already evident that the newspaper
men will receive no information from
headquarters In regard to the proposed
manduvres, and all that Is secured must
be extracted from subordinate officers un-
| til the time arrives when facts may be
gathered from personal observation.
The state department has been advised
by Governor Taft of the pope's refusal to
accede to the demands of the American
government In regard to the removal of
the friars from the Philippine Islands
The pope points out that, according to
the treaty of Paris, such subjects of Spain
as may desire to continue their residence
In the Philippines may do so as long as
they do not violate the laws of the coun-
try. The pope, 1t is understood, has
further given Governor Taft to under
stand, verbally, that he will, as rapidly
as possible, replace the Spanish friars by
those of different nationality, but he holds
that he has not the right to order out OF
the islands those citizens of Spain who
desire to remain there. Governor Taft
has communicated the pope's reply to
the state department, and Is now awaiting
instructions. Secretary Root and Secre-
tary Hay have already held several con.
ferences, and Secretary Root left Satur.
day for Oyster Bay, where he will confer
with the president before Issuing further
instructions to Governor Taft. The pope
further agrees to instruct all friars and
priests In the islands to recognize the
sovereignty Of the United States, and tc
take no part In any demonstration against
this government. The question which
the president will have to determine Ii
whether 1t will be more advantageous te
the Philippine commission to have the
pope and the priests who are loyal to him
assisting them in the islands, with the
virtual promise of the pope to gradually
replace all Spanish friars, or whether II
would be wiser to antagonize the pope
and the members of his church by expell
ing the friars by force, even If that coult
be done, without serious protest from
Spain.
| Negotiations with Senior Concha, the
Colombian minister, for a treaty provid
Ing for the necessary right of way for the
Panama canal, are not proceeding witt
the facility that was hoped. The consti
tuition of the Colombian government pro
vides that the authorities shall not part
with the sovereignty of any portion of the
territory Of the country, and the provis
ions Of the Spooner amendment provide
that this government shall acquire com
plete control of the strip of land through
which the canal will pass. Senior Concha
is ready to make a treaty In accordance
with the demands of the secretary oi
state, but will not approve such treaty
on his own responsibility, end states that
1t must be submitted to his government
which will require considerably more
time than 1t was originally anticipated
would be needed for the completion Of
the negotiations, In view Of the fact that
plenipotentiary powers had been vested
In Senor Concha.
Apropos Of the cost OF the canal, gen.
tleman who has been recently visiting In
Washington, and who has spent some
time In Panama, tells me that he was on
the Isthmus when Slavin, an American
contractor, came there and made q con-
tract to remove earth from the bed Of the