Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1904-07-23
From Washington.
d, Jurisprudence Of the Alexandria Gazette. ]
Washington, ID. c., July %.

Washington. ID. c., July p.
Some interesting complications are Of
fered provided the Russian volunteer
feet continues its capture of the ships OF
neutral nations under the plea that they
are carrying contraband of war. II is
suggested at the State Department this
morning that it will first be necessary to
determine the status of the Russian fleet
itself and what are its prerogatives under
its quasi-official charter. In the second
place there are numerous ships which
are in reality the reserves OF neutral
nations. For instance, it is said, the
Cunarder and White Star lines on the
Atlantic belong to the reserves of Great
Britain and their captains bear com
missions in the Royal Naval Reserves.
The question that is presented is, What
would Great Britain do in case one Of
these ships was captured and its captain
subjected to indignity by Russian officer?
Would it be construed as an open act oil
war against England? Is the captain
of the captured boat an actual officer OF
the British navy or merely a civil
liam? If he is the latter why should
he have a commission and what
would be the effect of his exhibiting
his commission to his Russian captor?
There is no anticipation at present
that any OF these questions will come up
in this form but they are no doubt sug-
gested to the State Department because
of the fact that number Of ships chart
cred by this government as transports
during the years OF the Spanish war and
those following have been returned to
their owners and now have the right to
hv the American flag, being of American
register. and yet holding charters from
Great Britain.
This Isthmian Canal Commits sion to-
day held its final meeting before the
departure of the members for Panama,
which will be on next Tuesday. The
session was devoted to going over matters
attended to since the last meeting and
arranging details for work in the immedi-
ate future. A large party will accom-
pany the commission when it leaves
Tuesday, including officers and employees
recently appointed.
-Four negroes, all non-union men, were
at work this morning at The Washington
Barracks in place of the % union brick
LAYERS who went out on strike Tuesday.
Capt. Sewell, who is in charge of the
work, is experiencing difficulty in per-
suading the men on the eligible list OF
the Civil Service to take the places OF the
strikers, and will probably find it neces-
sary to look to other cities for non-union
labor. He will defer radical action,
however, until the Bricklayers' Union
here shall have had opportunity to meet
and reconsider the order to strike. He
is in hopes that the constitution of the
union may be so amended or interpreted
as to permit of its members working with
non-unionists on government jobs.
From the Eastern Store of Maryland
comes the report that former Governor
Elihu f. Jackson is candidate for the
democratic nomination for Congress in
the Fist district. Should he enter the
race he will likely win, and it will then
be campaign of brother against brother,
as w. II. Jackson, the present represen
tative from that district, will surely be
renominated by the republicans. Both
brothers are wealthy.
1t looks as if every official of conse-
quence holding Il government position at
| Washington, and who is capable of max
ing a speech, will be called upon to &c
on the stump for the republicans in the
forthcoming campaign. Thelist already
includes practically every member OF the
Cabinet and many assistant secretaries
and heads of bureaus.
What appears to be a remarkable in
stance Of forgery has just been unearthed
by the Navy Department. H. I. Hor'
ton, of Greenville, S. c., was civilian
candidate for commission in the Marine
Corps and as such appeared before The
board of examiners. He passed at thu
head of the competing men in all save
the physical requirements and in con
sideration of his remarkable record HI
was given until July 81 to appear before
the surgeons and be re-examined. Or
July IS, however, he received lette
from this city telling him that the date
had been cancelled. The letter was al
in typewriting, bore the heading, "Oflic'
of the Secretary" and was signed
"Charles NJ. Stewart, Assistant to the
Secretary" the latter being an Office
which does not exist. Even the envel
ope was a fraud, upon its face having
in typewriting the words, Navy De
partment. Official Business" The let
ter was turned over to the department
which has instituted an investigation.
Compositors of the Government Print
ing Office, realizing that the installation
of typesetting machines is at hand anC
that their permanence as n part of thu
equipment of the great establishment il
assured, are devoting themselves to thu
task of '1earning the machine" They
recognize the desirability of becoming
proficient operators, and in many in
stances are utilizing all their spare time
in this work.
The Postoffce Department today is
sued a fraud order against the Pacific
States Mercantile Company, of Sar
Francisco, bond Investment company
Excursion Steamer AblaZe.
The steam yacht Castanet, of the Wis