The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-27
Texas Pro-Boer Predicts the Author
of "Little B~reeches" Will Be
Forced Out of the Cabinet.
HAY DEFENDED BY MR.. HIT
No OBSTACLES IN WAY OF SENDING
MONEY TO THE BOERS.
Army Bill Debate in the House and
the OleOmargarine Bill Dis
cussed in the Senate.

WASHINGTON, March 26.-General de-
bate on the military appropriation bill was
concluded to-day and consideration of the
bill under the fve-minute rule begun.
During the debate Mr.. Burleson, of Texas,
renewed the attack on Secretary Hay on
account of the allegations regarding the
Boer relief funds subscribed in Illinois.
Mr.. Hit, of Illinois, replied briefly, saying
there had been no developments in the
matter and the secretary had done all that
was possible. Several other brief speeches
were made, SOM in criticism of different
provisions of the bill.
At the beginning of the session the House
passed the Burleson resolution calling on
the President for Information relative to
the application of General Miles to so to
the Philippines.
When the army bill was taken up Mr..
Warnock. of Ohio. protested strongly
against the provision in the bill which de-
prived retired army officers from receiving
an increase in longevity pay after their re-
tirement He contended that this provision
cid an injustice to officers who were
wounded or had become disabled in the
service. The longevity pay, he argued,
should be increased up to the maximum of
40 per cent. allowed by law to active Of
ficers.
While Mr.. Warnock was talking about
the sanguinary battles of the civil war and
contrasting the percentage of lose with
other decisive battles of the world Mr..
BurleSon raised a laugh by asking him to
furnish some comparisons with the bloody
battle of San Juan hill. Mr.. Warnock re-
piled that the question was somewhat en-
barrassing. whereupon Mr.. BurlessOn with
drew it. a moment after Mr.: Burleson
asked for a comparison of the brevetS
granted at Gettysburg and San Juan. An
other laugh followed and Mr.. Warnock said
he knew little about the Spanish war. Il
was not in it," he said; Il rendered my
services. but the President thought L was
too old TO go to Cuba or Porto Rico"
Mr.. BurlesOn then secured the floor and
reverted to the resolution passed by the
House sometime ago calling on the secre-
tary of state for information relative to
the refusal of the State Department 10
grant a request preferred sometime ago
in behalf of Rev. DR.. Hiram w. Thomas
and wife who desired TO enter the Boer lines
III South Africa for the purpose of dis
tributing relief to noncombatants. In do
ing so, he took occasion to renew his criti-
cism of Secretary Hay. who, he said, had
been charged with being an "Anglomaniac,'
who had used this government TO further
the cause of Great Britain in South Africa.
He commended that Secretary Hays letter
to Mr.. Hit relative 10 the application on
tehalf of Mr.. Thomas was disingenuous
and produced certain papers and letters in
uDI0l I u Ills III III 4 Il
not a passport for DIR. fThomas which was
desired, but the good offices of the State
Department to secure a permit to enable
DIR. Thomas to get through the Boer lines.
Mr.. Hays letter 10 Mr.. Hit, he declared,
was ar evasion"
He read a second letter written March
IL to Secretary Hay by John o. Knight,
acting for the Boer relief committee, again
calling attention to his request of March
II, - which, Mr.. Burleson said, no reply
had been received. Furthermore, he said
tho. tho naxr~GnnnnrG had nnnnnnnnH that
Secretary Hay did not propose to make
further reply TO the House resolution. In
the course of his remarks Mr.. Burleson
paid a high tribute to the fighting Beers
and expressed the hope that they would
keep up the struggle for liberty until every
British soldier was driven from South At
RIGA. He contrasted the "magnanimous
treatment of General Methuen by the
Beers with the horrible execution of Gen.
Scheepers by the English. In concluding
Mr.. Burleson predicted that in less than
one year there would be another inter-
change Of notes between the President and
a member of his Cabinet and the little pro-
British secretary of state. the little author
of Little Brooches would follow the other
Cabinet officers of a former President into
private life"
Mr.. Hit. chairman of the foreign affairs
committee, replied very briefly to Mr..
Burleson. Everything Mr.. Burleson had
produced, he said. had been presented be-
fore. AS far as the charge of evasion"
on the part of the secretary of state was
concerned, he said, the secretary's frank
| letter completely disposed of that. He had
done all he could and was now in consulta-
ton with Governor Yates. through whose
fundamentally the Boer fund had been
raised. and no doubt a way would be found
TO get the relief funds to the Beers. The
lepithets and vituperation of the gentleman,
he said, he would not reply to, but he called
attention to the fact that the American
government had offered mediation and
would do so again if ii were acceptable.
After further debate the reading of the
bill for amendment was then proceeded
with under the fve-minute rule.
The provision limiting the longevity pay
for retired army officers to the sum allowed
and paid at the date of retirement went
out on a point OF order.
Mr.. Stevens, of Minnesota, then offered a
substitute, which he said involved two
propositions, one providing that no further
Increase of longevity pay shall accrue TO
officers now on the retired list. and the other
that officers hereafter retired shall not be
paid any increase of longevity pay above
the sum paid at the date Of retirement.
The amendment was adopted and at 5
o'clock the House adjourned.
OLEOMARGARINE BILL DEBATE.