The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1902-06-05
At Washington .

Decoration Day was observed here to.
day perhaps more generally than ever
before. The announcement that Presi-
dent Roosevelt would deliver the Grafton
at Arlington brought to that historic
city of the dead vast concOurse of PEG
pie. The local arrangements we're in
charge of the Department of the Poto
mac and included parade of all the q.
A. r. and other patriotic organizations,
the decoration of graves and monuments
and addresses by men prominent in the
affairs of the government.
Hon. Michael Henry Herbert who is
nominally secretary to the British en-
bassy at Paris, will probably be the next
British ambassador To the United States
in succession to the late Lord Paunce
fote Mr.. Herbert's appointment will
probably not be announced until the re-
mains of Lord Pauncefote arrive in Eng
land. The only question in regard to
Mr. Herbert's selection is the approval
of King Edward.
Representative Babcock, the author of
the bill to remove the tariff from articles
controlled by trusts, defines his position
in an article in the Independent, in
which he ascribes himself as an ultra
protectonist. He says he has always
been protectionist and is now. He
would remove no duty which is needed
for the protection of labor His plan is
simply to remove protective duties from
giant industries which have become SO
strong that they control not only the
home market, but are reaching out and
successfully competing for the foreign
market
Senator Platt of New York, Thursday,
introduced bill making train robbery a
felony and providing the death penalty
for the offence.
Gen Leonard Wood who has arrived
here from Cuba, in an interview con
corning the people over whom he has
ruled as military governor and into
whose hands he this month committed
their destinies, said: "rhe people of
Cuba are good hardworking lot. There
is less than 2 per cent of Americans on
the island. The population is almost
exclusively foreign to us. When ono
stops TO think that today Cuba has no
beggars, one must be impressed with
the belief that there must be some vir-
tue in the people themselves
The President has decided to appoint
Senator McLaurin as Judge of the Court
of Claims, and his nomination will be
sent to the Senate in few days 1t will
be for him happy escape from South
Carolina policy.
The Senate committee on the Philip.
pines heard the testimony of Col. L.
Wagner, assistant adjutant general of
the army, who spent two and one half
years in the Philippines Col. Wagner
said hat one of the principal purposes
of concentrating the native people in the
Philippines was to protect them against
the Ladrones. rhe policy had been
necessary to protect life and property
and he did not see how any other policy
could have been successful
By direction of the President, Sec.
Root has issued general order decreas
ing the strength of our prominent mill
tary department and changing the ratio
of its makeup as provided in the general
order issued last May 10 carry out the
army reorganization law. Under the
general order of last May the total
strength of the U. S. army was fixed
II ,287 men. The order issued Saturday
reduces this figure to SO, 497, reduction
of 10, 100.