The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-10-06
WASHINGTON LETTER
Especial Correspondence.

gives SOmc interesting anu pertinent IN
formation on the much discussed sub
ject of race suicide" According to the
figures in his possession there is little
to support the theory hat the United
States is threatened with race extermi.
nation. Turning to the records. lie pro.
lduced figures showing that in the year
were at work. there were 2.049. 132
children born in the United States and
the total number of deaths reported
during the same period was 1885, 94.
In other words. there were 1.O1O.O3s
more births than deaths.
"Does that look much like race sui.
cide?" inquired Mr.. King. You must
bear in mind also that these figures do
not represent the exact number of
births and deaths in that year. for the
reason that our data were incomplete
because there is no uniform and rigid
law requiring the registration of births
and deaths. Birth statistics are the
most incomplete and unsatisfactory of
any we have to deal with, while death
statistics more nearly represent the ac-
tual number Of persons who died. The
number of unrecorded births is. there
fore. undoubtedly larger than the num-
Der of unregistered deaths, giving still
stronger proof that we are not a dying
race"
Mount Vernon Mansion Crumbling.
In an effort to preserve from further
decay the tomb and mansion of George
of men under the direction of Superin-
tendent H. H. Dodge is treating the
limestone of which the tomb is built
with a vulcanizing process which it is
supposed will make it waterproof and
imperishable. Similar treatment will
be given the stone foundation of the
mansion.
Some time ago Superintendent Dodge
noted that the stones of the old tomb,
the one built by General Washington.
in which his body and that Of his wife
rested until 1881, were in such a condi-
ton of decay that with a penknife or
even with a finger nail one could easily
scrape away large surfaces of the
stones. They had decayed owing to
vestigation disclosed that the sandstone
foundations Of the historic mansion in
which General Washington lived were
undergoing a like process of %disintegra-
ton and that with small effort they
could be made to crumble. 1t is evil
dent that if the process now being
used on the stones is not a success the
foundation will have to be replaced or
the building will collapse perhaps with
in two years.
Assistant Secretary Oliver.
General Robert Shaw Oliver Of New
York. successor to Assistant Secretary
of War Sanger, has been formally in
Quoted into Office and is now perform
ing his new duties. General Oliver will
be acting secretary of war until the re-
turn of Secretary Root or the qualifi-
cation of that officials successor in the
event Of separation from the depart
ment before his return from Europe.
The organization of the general staff
relieves the assistant secretary of much
routine labor that previously required
his attention. The secretary is also
relieved of many matters relating to
the army and it's personnel that were
under his exclusive jurisdiction before
the general staff was created. and
while the secretary is made the imme-
date representative of the commander
in chief and as such may issue orders
to the army through the chief of staff,
it is reasonably certain that the acting
secretary will not be called upon often
to take the initiative in matters relat-
ing to the military administration Of
the army.
Back to Washington.
President Roosevelt and his family
will return to Washington Sept. 26 if
nothing occurs to interfere with the
present arrangements. The summer
home at Oyster Bay will be closed at
that time and again Washington will
be the home of the president. With the
president will come Private Secretary
Loeb and the clerks who were trans
ferred early in the summer to Oyster
Bay.
The presidency is the only Office
which follows the incumbent. During
the absence of a cabinet official from
Washington some one is left to act in
his stead. However. wherever the pres
ident goes there goes the executive of
the nation, and enough clerks must be
taken along to transact the business
| coming before him.
Barring Disease Immigrants.
Commissioner General of Immigra-
ton Sargent will in all probability
adopt a new policy in the neal future
to prevent immigrants afflicted with
the two dreaded contagious diseases of
trachOma and fayus from gaining adj
mission into tho limited States. The