Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-12
ALASKAN TREATY RATIFIED
Senate Quickly Assents to Protocol in
Executive Session.
cOURTS-HARTlAL DECISIONS ILLEGAL
For Forty Years Naval Men Have been
Arrested and Tried without RE-
ceiving Proper Notification
of Offences Alleged.


WASHINGTON, Feb. 11.-In executive
session today the senate ratified the Alas
kan treaty and came near taking similar
action on the commercial treaty with
Greece
The Greek treaty was read through and
then Senator Cullom (Ill.) asked that it be
ratified; but Senator Hoar (Mass.) OBJ
jeeted.
He said il seemed to him to be loosely
drawn.
The principal purpose of the treaty is
the regulation Of commerce between Greece
and the United States. It contains full pro-
vision for the control Of the consular serv-
ice along the lines laid down in the re-
Gently negotiated Spanish treaty.
There was no delay in securing action
on the Alaskan treaty.
Senator Teller (Colo.) considered the
Alaskan boundary so well determined as to
make IT not a matter Of dispute. There
fore, while he would not delay the treaty
he would not vote for it.
Senator Mason (Ill) considered The pro-
oedure proposed by the treaty non-Ameri-
can.
The ayes and noes were not called, but
there were several negative voices when
an informal expression was called for, but
the ayes were SO much more numerous that
the decision of the chair was not chal-
lenged. ..-.
Senator Cullom asked the senate to give
up the day after tomorrow, after the con-
clusion of routine morning business, to
executive works and no objection was made.
1t is Senator Cullom's intention to take
up the canal treaty and the Cuban reci
procity treaty.
Holds Courts-MartiaI Illegal.
The court Of claims has rendered de-
cision of far-reaching Importance to naval
establishments.
If sustained by the United States su-
preme court, to which an appeal has been
taken, the decision will affect every court
martial tried during forty years in which
the sentence involved loss of pay.
The case decided was that of John Smith,
a fireman. who was convicted Of refusing
to obey a proper order from his superior
officer and sentenced to one years impris-
onment with loss of pay.
The court gave judgment in his favor for
the full amount of pay claimed, amount
| ing to about 1876. The decision was based
! on the broad ground that the accused had
not been furnished with a copy of the
charges and specifications on which he was
| to be tried. "at the time he was put un-
der arrest" according to the requirements
OF the naval regulations.
Loan Money Comes Easier.
The senate committee on finance today
| authorized a favorable report on the bill
| recently introduced by Senator Aldrich (R.
| I) to permit the secretary Of the treasury
| IN 20 han nLo oil
securities than government bonds, and
agreed to report 1t with the following
amendment to section 1:
The United States shall have a lien on all
| assets Of banks In which public moneys
1 are deposited from time of deposit. fer the
! repayment of the same on demand of the
treasurer of the United States. but the
| securities deposited with the secretary of
the treasury, for the safe keeping Of such
| is enforced and the proceeds applied to the
| discharge of said lien to the extent of the
! proceeds of the sale.
The bill was also so amended as to make
the securities Of cities of $1,000 people good
for loans. The limit in the original bill
was fixed at 100000.
OdeM Guest of Roosevelt.
Governor odell Of New York is in Wash
ington and may remain here a day or two
During a part of his sojourn here he will
be a guest of President Roosevelt. The
governor took luncheon with the president
today. This afforded them an opportunity
| to consider matters of particular interest
to both.
President Signs Trust Bills.
The president late tonight signed the bill
to expedite the hearing and determination
of suits in equity pending and hereafter tc
| be brought under the Sherman anti trust
law and the law regulating commerce.
Construction Corps is Crippled.
The naval construction corps has beer
still further crippled by the breaking dowr
OF Constructor Zahm, in charge OF impor-
tant work at the navy yard, Mare Island
California, and the resignation Of Con
structor John G. Lawresey, superintendent
of the government work at the Union IroI
works, San Francisco. No action has beer
taken on the latter's resignation and, h'
may be induced to remain in the service.
Constructor zahm has been granted leav,
of absence for three months to enable
him to recruit his health.
The shortage of officers Is shown. b!
the fact that vacancies now exist at tn,
head Of the copstruction departments o
the navy yards at Boston, San Francisc,
and Puget sound, with no officers available
for assignments to those stations.
To stop GIFT Schemes.
The house committee on ways and mean
today authorized a bill TO be reporte
which provided that no package Of manu-
factured smoking or chewing tobacco, snuf
cigars OF cigarettes shall have anythin