Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1904-09-14
From Washington.
r, e.pondence of the Alexandria Gazette. !

NaSulHgVOD, ~ vi OOPI' IL
Authorities here incline to the belief
that the Lena will tie up at San Fran
cisco until the end of the war, precisely
the same as the Askold is now at Shang-
hal. Her officers claim that she is I'M
5 ,aworthy and that opinion is shared by
the experts of this government who have
examined her boilers. They say that
six weeks time is the minimum in
which they can be repaired sufficiently
to allow her to put to sea with any de-
gree of safety, while eight months will
be necessary to supply and install new
boilers. Although there has been no
official pronouncement upon the point it
has heen practically stated that she will
not be allowed to install new boilers or
machinery. On the other hand the
japanese are fully aware OF the Lena s
presence at San Francisco and even Six
weeks would be an ample allowance for
Admiral Togo to get ship to Golden
Gate and for this purpose as small
boat as a topedo boat destroyer
would suffice, although a cruiser
might be required because of the
coal capacity. The armament Of the
Lena is of small Importance, and though
no explanation of her coming to this
country has been given which sufficiently
EXPLAINS. it is believed here from the
extraordinary speed which she made
across the Pacific and the additional
fact that her boilers we're burnt out on
the voyage, that she was merely trying
to get away from the enemy. Should
she decide to remain until the close of
the war her crew and officers will be
paroled by this country and thus pre-
vented from adding TO the fighting
strength of the Russians. There seems
to be very little anxiety on the part OF
Japan that her interests will suffer at the
hands of the United States and it was
for this express purpose that Minister
Takahira called at the State Department
Yesterday. lie assured acting Secretary
Adee that he had no protest 10 make
and that his country was perfectly salts
fed with the fairness of this country.
Some people in Washington are inclined
to believe that the appearance of the
Lena in the harbOr of San Francisco
was for the purpose of involving this
country in the Oriental troubles. Others
are apprehensive lest some ''accident'oc-
cur to the ship while it is under the pro-
te,ting guns Of San Francis harbor
The report OF the Boiler Commission
on the inspection Of the boilers of the
Russian transport Lena, was received
this morning by the Department OF Com
nerce and Labor, forwarded by that
department to Acting Secretary of State
Adee and by him duly sent to the Navy
Department. The report states that
careful examination has been made OF
the boilers of the Lena and they were
found in a bad condition. According
to the report the boilers of the ship
could be put in such condition, in
from twenty to thirty days, that the ship
could make eight knots speed and be
seaworthy. The Lena has several thou
sand boiler tubes on board which could
be utilized for this temporary work. 1t
is still the opinion in official circles,
however, that the commanding officer of
the Lena will decide to dismantle his
ship. No further action will be taken
in the matter pending the receipt by the
Navy Department of full report from
Rear Admiral Goodrich, who, it is I'M
derstood, has been directed to ascertain
the desires of the Russian commander.
If he should, for any reason, decide not
to dismantle, it is probable that the
United States will give the Lena thirty
days for repairs and then made to put to
sea.
The executive council Of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor at this morn
iugs session denied the application of
the Flint Glass Workers, numbering
2. 800 withheld from the federation last
wear owing to differences with the Glass
Bottle Workers Association over juris-
diction disputes. The federation took
the matter up and decidedln favor OF the
Bottle workers. The Flint Glass Work
ers severed their afiliation with the fede-
ration as a result. They have now ap-
piled for reinstatement, but the execu-
tive council decided that unless they
complied with the decisions Of the feder-
alton of a year ago they could not again
enter the fold. The application con-
tanned no pledge that the Flint Glass
Workers would abide by the decisions OF
the federation.
The alleged discrimination of the
existing government of the Transyal
against the American negroes has been
formally brought TO the attention of the
State Department through petition
transmitted from Pretoria by Joseph f.
Profit, the American consul there,
which petition is signed by number Of
resident American negroes. They ap-
peal to the consul because their treaty
rights are denied them, because the lib
critics they enjoyed under the late gov
ernment are abrogated and they are left
without protection. They allege they
are debarred from riding in second class
railroad coaches because of their color,
that they are prohibited from walking
on the sidewalks, for which they are
thrown about like chattels, that they are
not allowed to do business because they
are Americans, and lastly, they are told
that the American natives must expect
the same treatment as the Africans"
Lieut.. Col. w. w. Wotherspoon,
Fourteenth infantry, has been selected
L g tba o,anara1 81 IF IN All