The Grit-advocate., 1903-01-02
'ASHINGTON NEWS AND
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS

in the matter of securing a coaline
station on the Isle of Pines. 1t is un-
derstood tl,at the United States asks
for one naval and three coaling sta
tions.
The Geological Survey has been re-
uussted by several western congress
mel to devote q portion OF the funds
available for reclamation of arid lands
under the new irrigation act TO ex-
perments with artesian wells If these
experiments should prove what is eX-
pected, great areas of land would be
made productive that neither bitches
nor reservoirs could reach. The French
colony in Algeria. on the edge of the
Sahara, has made a success with arre-
sian wells. In California. thousands of
acres. once considered worthless. have
become remunerative through the use
of artesan water, and are a. produc-
tive as any in the state. In Hawaii the
people have delved for this snpterra-
mean flow and found water in abund-
ance. A clause of the irrigation act
authorizes construction Of artesian
wells and the Geological Survey is in
clined to grant the request and to con-
duct a series of experiments in arte-
sian well digging in eastern Wyoming.
, the Dakotas. eastern Colorado western
Kansas, and other portions of The arid
| and semi-arid West.
Several days at least must elapse
before anything in the nature of a pre-
liminary protocol can be made ready
for signature in the Venezuelan arbi-
i,,G
prepayment of ten per cent. of her
/ full claims before submitting her case
to arbitration and perhaps President
| Castro's resistance to meeting what
the allies regard as the Obligations of
! honor, are believed to be now the
sticking points. But it is hoped that
| these can be passed within he next
| few days. and It is further hoped that
some arrangement will be made in the
| preliminary protocol for the raising of
( the blockade. though it is minated
/ that the allied ships will be Ig.ut ready
I to renew it in case of any DEFAULT on
. the part of Venezuela in hr. obliga-
/ tions. Washington having been the
| pivot about Whicn al tha regulations
| have turned up to this point is sur
missed that it TAN also be lbr secHe Of
,l4e N.isri'N..r -sne, snape .u.- a,s,-
/ nature of tn prctocol eitl hy the
resident rerT0 sentative here Of the
powers interesied or by special agents
! sent to this neutral grounG for the
purpose.
There is now in progress an active
exchange OF notes between the allied
| powers, Venezuela and the United
] Ctp4y s,sz
mitting to arbitration the issues which
have arisen between Venezuela and the
allies. Questions are being put and
answers are forthcoming. bur il is said
that the negotiations are in such shape
that it would be extremely iniudicious
and lndlscreet to make each phase
public, if there really existed a desire
to reach satisfactory settlement. The
part Of the United States government
just now is that OF good friend to
all parties; it not undertaking TO draw
up protocols or impose limitations up
on the parties, but is confining its Of
fees to getting them together and
keeping them So In this view it will
not be necessary for our government
to prescribe how the Monroe doctrine
shall or shall not figure in the proto-
coils; it Will judge for itself by results
how our interests are affected and
will not indulge in premature or un-
called for protests. AS for the terms
of the arbitration agreement. il is stat
ed that they are in n fair way to be
speedily adjusted, but nothing can be
said OF the details. 1t is presumed that
the allies will agree to terminate the
| blockade, though no stipulation has
yet been entered into on that point.
Nothing has been heard recently of the
part to be taken by United States Min
lister Bowen III the final settlement and
it appears that, after all, Venezuela
Will probably be Represented by one OF
her own people
Because OF abuse of extending special
courtcsies 10 arriving passengers at
ports OF entry the Treasury Department
has issued the following circular. lin
iting considerably the granting of such
courtesies in the future: "Thc chief
officers OF customs are hereby instruct
ed that the extension Of special cOur-
tesies to arriving passengers will here
after be limited to foreign ambassa-
dors, ministers, charge daffaires secre-
taries. naval. military and oiher at
taches oil EMBASSIES AMI legations and
high commif fsioners. and TO similar
representatives of this government
abroad retnlplng from their missions,
All the abovi officers are entitled by in
ternauohal lFage to the free entry of
the baggage tnd effects of themselves.
their familie4and suites without exam
lnalloh. III ne case of invalids and
their companPns and OF persons arriv-
ing in chargt of their dead or sum
moned nome haste by news OF aiflic-
ttlon or dlsax,er, instructions will be
issued 10 lacl late the landing and eX-
aminatloh OF hell baggage. but such
instructions II be construed as only
renewing sucl persons from waiting
thelr turn III ne. Their baggage Will
carelully De mined and duties in full
corrected as u ugh no favor had been
sho"h' me ru courtesy has grown
10 rave Heti ing never intended and
its use must o. avoided in the issuance
vi pelsohai con iueration cards No re-