Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-10-19
From Washington.
Correspondence of the Alexandria Gazette.l
Washington. ID. O., Oct. l9.

The annual report of Brigadier Gene
raj George B Davis, judge advocate
general of the army, shows that during
the past year 35 commissioned officers
were convicted and l3 acquitted by
courts martial; cadets tried and con-
yicted and 4, 1913 enlisted men convicted
and 956 acquitted, making a total Of
4. 800 trials in the army by general
courts-martial. General Davis calls at
tention TO the increase of 551 trials by
court-martial over the previous year
which, he says, is due to the fact that a
large number of deserters have been APP
pretended and brought to trial. Six
ieen commissioned officers were dis
missed from the army during the year;
and ia four cases the sentence Of dis
missal was committed. The number OF
enlisted men sentenced to disbOnorable
discharge was 1929. The percentage
of enlisted men tried was about 56, and
of the men tried about 60 per cent. were
tried only once. and about 80 per cent.
we're tried not more than twice.
Scarcely has the wrath of the conven-
lions of the letter carriers, the rural free
delivery carriers, the railway clerks and
of the Office clerks subsidized when Post
master General COrtelyou shows his
hand, undoing the important work OF
their various conventions. Now the
members of the conventions are figuring
out if it was worth while to engage in
rows which split their organizations into
factions when their accomplishment Is
checkmated in another direction. Every
one of the conventions, it is said, drew
up resolutions urging Congress to In
crease the salary Of the government
postal employees. In most cases com
mittees were appointed to bring the
matter before the proper committees
in Congress. Right here is where
Postmaster General COrtelyou, chairman
Of the republican national execu-
tive committee, took a hand. He
raked up an old order, promulgated
when Charles Emory Smith was Post
master General under Mckinley, to the
effect that any attempt of employees to
secure increase of salaries by appealing
direct to Congress would be ground for
immediate dismissal. Postal organiza-
tons mixing up in politics are not pleas
ing f4ctors with which to deal. Repre-
sentative Loud found that out. Post
master General Cortelyou hes had that
order sent to every employee in the ser
vice. If there is to be request for adj
ditional salaries, he will make it, not
the employees or their organizations.
Taken with the amendment to the civil
service regulations to the effect that the
heads of departments can dismiss with
out trial offenders whose guilt is a
matter of personal knowledge to the
head of the department, the postal en-
ployees are thinking theirs is double
potion.
When Governor General Wright leaves
the Philippines for his visit to America
the report has given rise to the story
that he will not return to his present
duties-he will be accompanied by W.
Cameron Forbes, a member of the Phil
lipine Commission. Commissioner Forbes
was invited by Secretary Taft to be pres
ent in Washington when the bids for
railroad construction in the PHILIPPINES
are to be opened at the War Department
December Is. Mr.. Forbes is to make a
hurried trip and will be absent from his
post less than three months. He is at
the head of the bureau which has charge
of the commerce of the islands, in which
are included the railways, and he thinks
it would be well for him to gather all
the information available on the subject
in the United States. During the alb
sence Of General Wright and Commits
sioner Forbes the PHILIPPINE Commits
sion will have but three American mem
bers on duty, Mess. Ide, Smith and
Worcester, deprivlDg the Americans of
the balance of power which they custJ-
marily hold. There are three Filipinos
on the commission.
District Attorney Baker is making
plans for the second trial of William G.
Crawford for alleged conspiracy with
August w. Machen and DR.. George E.
Lorenz to defraud the governmental the
purchase of letter carriers satchels and
shoulder straps. The trial will proba-
bly, commence next month. At the
first trial the jury failed to agree in
Crawford's case, after August w.
Nachen had pleaded guilty and DR..
Lorenz had turned government witness.
Secretary of State Root is doing all
that he can to assist in bringing about a
settlement of the differences between the
French and Venezuelan governments,
growing out of the refusal of the latter
to longer maintain diplomatic relations
with NJ. Taiguy, the French charge
d affaires in Caracas. In official circles
here it is thought that a pacific adjust
ment will be reached.
Careful reading of the Presidents
speech, delivered at Raleigh today, on
subject of railroad rate legislation, re-
veals the fact that he has TO some extent
accepted the advice of certain leaders of
the Senate. His previously expressed
views as to the methods to be employed
in correcting the evils now complained
of have been modified so that prediction
seems warranted that he will obtain the
support of many who have opposed his
plans hitherto-even of Senator Foraker.
1t will he noted that the President does