The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-09-28
WASHINGTON.
Legislative and Gem
eraI Topics from
the Capital.
Sentpm her 02 LONG


ficialS like them. Both the in
surgentS and tue Palma govern
ment have been holding an ire
cOncilable pose, each declaring
that the other was everything
that 1t should not be, and making
the task Of Secretary TAFT as
peacemaker exceedingly difficult.
1t was even said at the State
Department late in the week
that armed Intervention on the
part OF the United States might
after all he necessary. This an
nouncement was received with
different emotions, according as
it touched the diplomatic or tue
militant department of the gov.
ernment. Armed Intervention in
Cuba just now might result in
guerrilla war of year or more,
and would almost certainly force
this government To take perma.
nent possession Of Cuba whether
it wanted to or not. This, OF
course, is just the thing that the
pro anuexatiOnists would enjoy,
but it would he adding to the
white Mans Burden" at a rate
not to be relished by a govern
ment which has Just finished
pay ing off $50, 900, 900 insurrec-
ton in the Philippines. 1t is
barely possible that this govern,
ment may intervene without act
ual hostilIties. Neither the in
surgents nor the Palma govern
ment want to see civil war ram
pant in the island, aud for this
reason they may agree to let the
United States administer affairs
without attempting themselves to
interfere
Al the same time the outlook
is not at all promising. The De
partment of State does not pre-
tend to be thoroughly advised as
to the situation in Havana be-
cause President Roosevelt has
largely taken matters in his own
hands, and is in direct tele-
graphic communication with Sec
rotary Taft. But unofficial adj
vices received from Havana agree
that it il almost impossible to
reconcile the difference between
the existing government aud the
aspiring faction. 1t was said
at the State Department that the
American officials were almost
ready 10 give up and that a rupt-
ure might occur at any time.
The officials did not admit having
any c0ntirmatoTy advices, but
they were not cheerful over the
| outlook.
Que of the most curious feat.
ures Of the situation is thst a
guerrilla war of any magnitude
will almost certainly necessitate
the establishment of recOncen.
tradO camps, such as were the
deepest blot on the last months
of the Spanish occupation. OF
course, these camps need not be
such charnel houses as they
! proved to be under General
Weyler. Similar camps were run
for the benefit of the Beers in
South Africa during the British
campaign there, but they are an
expensive luxury and would add
very heavily to the cost of an
American campaign in Cuba.
AS to the force at the disposal
OF the United States, it is ample
to meet almost any emergency.
The new battleships the Louis.
lana, the Cleveland and the Vir.
ginia are already in the Ha-
vana har6Or. The Marietta, the
Columbia and other vessels of the
cruiser aud gunboat type are scat
tered around the island, and fully
5000 marines and blue Jackets
could be landed at an hours no.
tice without crippling the work
ing force of the great American
fleet To send soldiers to Cuba
would necessitate hiring or buy.
ing transports and would be an
expensive undertaking while the
insurgents are OF such . char.
acter that they could retreat TO
the hills and keep up a guerrilla
campaign for a long time before
they were finally crushed. Mean.
while Cuba would industrlally
stagnate and her era of material
prosperity, which had been one
Of remarkable growth in the past
few years would be brought to an
abrupt close.
From high diplomacy to the
corner grocery is a sudden and a
sad drop. But a very important
period has been reached in the
! preparation of the Agricultural
Department to enforce the new
meat inspection law, and in all
probability this is of more imme.
date interest to the householder
than war and rumOrs OF wars in
Cuba. The department has inst