The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1903-12-03

guard of New York, New
Jersey, Connecticut and pennsylva-
MIA will take part in thd minnie
war, and will be on equal footing
with the regular troops Two mill
tary camps will be established
about fifty miles apart and the hos
tile operations will take place be-
tween them. All arms will be inn
ployed and the usual military prob
lens worked out on a large scale.
Xxx
The House is determined that
the Senate shall not take a vaca-
ton before the regular session, un-
less it takes action on the Cuban
bill, which has been favorably re-
ported from the Committee on For
eigh Relutions. The regular ses-
sion begins December 7, and the
Senators agreed to postpone the
vote on the reciprocity bill until
December 10.
When the Senators hinted to the
House that they wished to adjourn
the extra session, the House said
no; and there is no doubt that this
answer IS popular with the country.
Congress was called for a special
purpose and there is no sound rea-
so1 why it should adjourn without
taking action on the measure sub
mitted to it. AS neither branch of
Congress can adjourn for more than
three days without the consent of
the other the House can force the
Senate to remain in session. Speak
er Cannon will announce the COM
mittee appointments in few days,
instead of waiting until the begin
ming Of the regular session. Sew
eral thousand bills have been in.
troduced and are waiting to be sent
to the different committees. The
House can do at least one week S
work before the regular session
begins.
XXX
To get evidence concerning the
administration of the island by Cen
eral Wood, the Senate Committee
on Military Affairs will send a sub
committee to Cuba. 1t is generally
believed that the committee will re-
port favorably on the nomination Of
General Wood, and that the affair
will then be discussed on the floor
of the Senate.
XXX
Senator Newlands' resolution in
viting Cuba to enter the American
Union as a state and annexing
Porto Rico tol her as county called
forth an interesting debate in the
Senate, i'll which the republican
Senators, Lodge, Hale, and Platt of
Connecticut, opposed the measure,
claiming that it would expose the
country to the charge OF breaking
faith with Cuba because an invita-
tion to her would be looked upon
as a command.
The resolution caused a good
deal of comment in Cuba and Porto
Rico, and it appears that most of
the Cubans, except the Spanish re-
sidents and large business interests
of the island, were not in favor of
it. President Palma said that the
island was getting OH very we'll as
it was and did not desire annexa-
ton. The people of Porto Rico
also were opposed to the plan of a
union with Cuba. No doubt they
aspire to statehood and feel that
their chances wonld not be increas-
ed by this becoming a county of
the State OF Cuba. Senator New
lands argued the immense benefit
Cuba would receive from free trade
with the United States and the sta
bility which her finances would ac-
quire as state of the Union. In
speaking against the rsolution SEN
ator Platt, who is the author of the
Platt amendment, which was in
corporated in the constitution OF
Cuba, said, IL think that our re-
lations with Cuba have been mis-
understood. l do not think that
we are exercising any protectorate
over Cuba. / do uot think that we
have even constituted ourselves the
guardian of Cuba or made Cuba
our ward" Senator Lodge con-
tradicts this statement by saying,
1--WE have all the control in mill
tary point of view and a political
point of view that we can possibly
desire" He added that he was
opposed to island states forgetting
that this was a slight to the aspira-
tions of Porto Ricans. He stated
also that he hoped all European