The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-24
SENATOR TELLER so CHARACTER.
lies THE EXECUTION OF COM
MANDANT SCHEEPERS
VIOLATE GENEVA CONVENTION
Proposed Transfer of Labor BureaH
to New Department of COM
merce Gives Rise to Tart
Debate in the Senate.


duct while in command of the American
fleet at the victorious battle of Santiago =
The effort, however, was not successful
Mr.. MasonS resolution, in addition to
the thanks of congress, provided that Adj
miral Schley should be presented a sword.
that bronze medals commemorative of the
battle of Santiago should be distributed
among the officers and men under the
command of Schley during said battle. =
and that $4,000 be appropriated to meet
the expenses of the resolution. On mo-
ton of Mr.. Hale the resolution was re-
ferred to the committee on naval affairs
The resolution introduced yesterday by
Mr.. Teller, providing for intervention on
the part of this government in behalf Of
Gen. Scheepers, sentenced to death by the
British South African authorities, was
postponed indefinitely, as Scheepers al
ready has been executed. Mr.. Teller made
a brief and caustic speech on the action
of Great Britain. He explained that he
had introduced the resolution because his
attention had been directed to what
seemed to be violation of articles 1 and
of the Geneva convention.
Since introducing the resolution, how
ever, he said he had been informed by
the Associated Press that the death SEN
tence upon Commandant Scheepers had
been executed last Saturday. Several
senator's Mr.. Teller added, had criticised
him for introducing the resolution, al
though he had always been very careful
about introducing bills and resolutions
relative to the governments foreign rela-
tons.
Assassination Charged.
"It is said, continued Mr. Teller, 'thaa
the resolution might be offensive to TIC
government of Great Britain, but If the
Geneva convention, Of which the United
States and Great Britain were parties,
meant anything, We should intervene in
such a case as this If this man was
captured as stated, while lying in a hos
pital, Great Britain, in putting him to
death, is guilty of vile assassination"
Mr.. Teller read the articles of the Ge-
neva convention applying to the case and
said:
These are rules of warfare which the
car of Russia would respect; which half
civilized Turkey and semi-barbarous Per
STA would respect. Under these rules this
was a case in which the United States or
any other nation party to the Geneva
convention had ample right to intervene.
1t was the business of this government
to have ascertained the facts regarding
this case and to have protested against
this execution.
Are we SO pusillanimous, so afraid of
offending the susceptibilities of Great
Britain, as to have refrained from doing
our duty in a case where humanity was
about to be violated?"
Mr.. Teller referred to what he said was
Great Britains efforts to destroy two
struggling republics, and asserted that if
the truth had been told by British Off
cial reports, more Beers had been
Slaughtered during the past year than
had been admitted by Great Britain to
have been in arms in the whole of South
Africa.
Without further comment Mr.. Teller, in
view of the execution of Commandment
Scheepers, asked that the resolution be
postponed Indefinitely. 1t was so or
dered.
fitting Over Labor Department..
Consideration of the department of COM
nerce' bill was resumed, the pending
amendment being that offered by Mr.
Pettus (Ala.l providing that the depart
ment of labor be not transferred to the
proposed new department. Mr.. Pettus
made a brief argument in support of his
amendment.
In reply, Mr.. Nelson, in charge of the
pending measure, said that throughout
the consideration of the bill he had
heard 10 protest against the transfer OF
the department Of labor to the depart
cial Of the labor organizations had oh
jected to the transfer. He maintained
that it was a mistake to leave the labor
department without the jurisdiction Of an
executive department.
Mr.. Bacon (Ga) strongly supported
Mr. Pettus' amendment, and urged that
in the absence of some pretty good rea-
son, the protest entered by Samuel Com
pers, president Of the American Fedora
4iA,, ae boz &Joo - \,
department of labor to the new depart
ment ought to be needed.
Mr. Hanna (Onio) said the establish
ment of the new department was in the
interest of both capital and labor Ale
believed the labor interests of the coun-
try would not object to the transfer of
the labor department.. Personally, he be-
lieved all bureaus or independent depart
ments ought to be attached to some eX-
ecutive department. The time had come
when we must expand our commerce Or
restrict our production.
Hanna COntFadicts Hale.
At this point he was interrupted by Mr..
Hale (Me), who said that the United
States already had captured all the for
eign trade worth having. 1.-The record of
what has been accomplished by the Ding
ley law continued Mr.. Hale, is to me
the most amazing record ever exhibited
to the world in the absorption of foreign
trade. We have invaded England, Ger
many. Australia. Italy and Russia, and
for the senator (Mr. Hanna) who stands
as a representative of the achievements
of the Dingley law to join the ranks OF
men who declare that we will be ruined
if we dc not get additional markets for
our goods is to me a matter of surprise.
We do not need further action, nor do
we need additional markets.
Mr.. Hanna replied that the United
States had not conquered the markets of
Europe and the markets Of the world
were yet al unexpIored field for us. In
order that the direct attention of the
government might be given to the com
merciaI and industrial interests of the
United States the commercial, industrial
and agricultural bodies of the country
had demanded bill Of the kind pending,
and he asserted that when he spoke of
the industrial interests he referred to
capital and labor, organized and unor-
gained.
Mr. Hale then offered an amendment
transferring to the new department the
interstate commerce commission.
Pending action upon this and other
amendments the senate, at 4:3O p. M,
adjourned until Monday.
RURAL CARRIERS GET INCREASE.
ON Philippines.