The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-07-03
WASHINGTON LETTER.
rom our regular correspondent.


According to cable advices received by
DR.. Harlan, the Colombian Minister, the
for ratification Of the Panama
canal treaty are decidedly more favorable
than they were short time ago. The
Colombian Congress has assembled and
organized. Several of the members who
have heretofore been opposed to the
treaty have signifed their intention TO
vote for ratification. AS soon as the
treaty is ratified and copies exchanged it
will be necessary to pay over $50, 900, 900
$40, 900, 900 to Colombia and $40, 900, 900
to the Panama Canal Company.
~
President Roosevelt has agreed to send
10 the Gar of Russia petition begging
that the condition of the Jews in Besse-
rabia be ameliorated. This petition will
be drawn by the executive committee Of
the B'nai Birth and it is the expectation
of the committee that thousands of sig
natures will be obtained from members of
all religions in the United States. 1t is
maintained in some quarters that before
giving his consent to the forwarding of
the petition the President conferred with
Count Cassini, the Russian Ambassador
and learned from him that no offense
would be given to the Car by the Pres
ident's good Offices. AS it had been pre-
viously stated that the President would
not participate i'll any movement looking
to the calling of the attention of the Car
to the Kisheney affair there's much spec
ulation as to his change of mird, ard it is
ascribed by some to the belief that Rus
STA is standing in the way of the opening
of Manchurian ports to American trade.
~
Numerous reports sent out from Wash
ington to the effect that Postmaster Cen
eral Payne was about to resign FROM the
cabinet are positively denied by both N Ne.
Payne himself and by Senator, Hanna
who spent Friday in Washington. : Nki
Payne has been seriously i'll as a result of
chronic stomach trouble, which, a~as
doubtless accentuated by the nervous
strain of the Postofice investigator, bttt
he has largely recovered and attended the
cabinet meeting on Friday last. ,.He. says
that he will remain in Washingtap.d direct
ing the investigation for at least a;maSth
more. The relations between Mr.nHa
and his First Assistant, Mr. Wynne%are
sorely strained but the President has told
both men that they must manage to get
along together for the present.
~
Several more indictments have been OBJ
tanned within the past week as a result of
the Postoffice Investigation. Machen
and the two Groffs have been indicted
again. George E. Lorenz and his wife,
charged with being go-betweens, have
also been indicted, as have also J. V. Mil
Ter and ex-Representative briggs of
Brooklyn. briggs and Miller have been
indicted, the former for accepting a fee
of $E,25o in payment of his services,
while member of Congress, i'll securing
the purchase by the Postoffice Depart
ment of number of automatic change
makers Miller for having made the pay
ment to briggs. 1t has been positively
decided that George A. c. Christancy
cannot return to his position as law clerk
in the legal division of the Postoffice De-
partment but as he is not deemed guilty
of criminal conduct he is being given an
opportunity to resign, an opportunity he
appears to have no intention of accepting.
Ex-Postmaster General Smith has issued
a lengthy statement regarding the Tul-
loch charges. There is nothing new in
Mr.. Smiths communication except an
attempt to prove collision between Tul-
loch and Inspector Smith whose report
made the important part of the Bristow
reply. Mr.. Smith bases his charge of
collision on the fact that both Tulloch
and Inspector Smith use the same express
sions in their respective papers, but this
is explained at the Postoffice Department
by the fact that both men made use of
the expressions contained in the letter of
Comptroller of the Treasury Trecewell, in
which the latter objected to the payment
of the irregular vouchers.
~
There are grave fears entertained by
the Administration that the United States
is not getting her share of the payments
of the Chinese indemnity. 1t is reported
coniidentially to the State Department
that the European nations which were
party TO the peace negotiations are receiv.
ing their invasion indemnity more rapidly
than the United States and it is regarded
as probable that it will be necessary to
send two American officials to Pekin to
insist on fair treatment of the United
States.
~
Sir Thomas Upton, who has come to
this country to make another attempt to