The National tribune., 1906-05-31

Every other day we may expect a
sensation from our new island posses
sions. This time it comes from the
Philippines, and in the shape of an
entirely new race of people. speaking
ethnologicaIly. At least, that is what
celebrated scientists say. The new peo-
pie are called Tagbanus. and they diff
fer from all other known races of peo-
pie in that they have not woolly hair
nor yet straight, but black as midnight
and wavy. They have a new kind of
writing also, something that not one OF
the worlds renowned scientists knows
anything about. They wrote once, be-
fore paper became known to them, on
bamboo canes. The writing is com
posite," and not Ineligible to white
man as yet. During the st. Louis EX-
position it was found that some of the
Filipnos who were on exhibition there
were writing home in language and
in characters that no white man knew
anything about. Maybe these people
have a past that will some day be un-
earthed. Who can tell?
Here's a pretty howdy do
IN good. set terms Rear-Admiral Ma
Son, Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance,
declared TO Congress and the Navy De-
partment the other day that if war
should break out within the next few
years. the condition of the Navy will
be such as to lead to disaster"
He says there is no reserve ammuni-
tion for the big guns of the Navy; that
the ships about to go into commission
will have no ammunition in their mag
ezines. and will be worse than useless.
and target practice will have to be
abandoned. There will be no reserve
guns, torpedoes, or reserve mines on
hand. and range finders, the use of
which is so essential in a fight, are
lacking, and there is no money to buy
them
Admiral Mason states that more than
s12,000.000 has been cut out of the
Bureaus estimates by Congress, and
he describes the condition of the Bu-
reau as "a little short of desperate" for
the coming year. Congress has provid-
ed for an increase in ships, but refuses
to supply them with the necessary ord
nance and ordnance stores.
Admiral Mason declares that the peo-
pie of the country are fooled; that they
are led 10 believe their Navy as efficient
as any other, but the fact is that it
stands to-day with empty storehouses
and magazines. He says:
The people of this country believe.
and justly. that. ship for ship. our Navy
is as efficient as any other, but this
efficiency disappears the minute it be-
comes impossible to place aboard ship
such stores and articles as are neees-
sary for use in war, which may be or
are expended or damaged ia use. That
minute is upon us now, in spite of the
Bureaus best efforts, and we stand to-
day with empty storehouses and maga-
zines. so far as modern reserve material
Is concerned"
1t seems, now, as though Admiral
i ~. -
upon a time. It wifi also be remem-
bered that one reason why Mckinley
held off the declaration of war SO long
was because we had not a load each
for our big guns.
Mrs. Mark Hanna. widow of the late
Senator Hanna is disposing of all her
Cleveland property, and it is thought
she will come to Washington to live.
The beautiful home on Euclid avenue
is offered for sale.
The President has made another shift
in the power of his subordinates. When
the Chief of Staff was created it was
supposed that that officer would rank
everybody else below the Lieutenant
General of the Army, and so he did,
until somebody was made Chief of
STAFF over the heads of men who out
ranked him about SO to l. and then
there was one grand kick all around.
The President relieved the Chief of
Staff of lot of his authority. Now
he has done it some more. He has just
signed an, order which makes the Mill
tary Secretary rank the Chief of Staff.
and makes him also Acting Secre-
tary of War in the absence of the Sec
retary and Assistant Secretary of War.
This shears Gen. Sherman Bell of most
of his power as Chief of Staff, and takes
from him all the glory.
The general order was made neces-
sary on account of certain friction
which has been in evidence and could
not be set aside. since Gen. Bell took
up the duties of Chief of Staff The
fact is that the Chief of Staff had only
the rank of Brigadier-General, while
the Office has always before been filed
by a Lieutenant-General, placing him
in the position of giving orders to sew
eral officers above him in rank.
Notably was this the case in the
signing of military orders. Gen. Aims
worth who as Military Secretary, has
the rank and pay of Major-General,
refused, II is said, to sign the orders of
a Brigadier-General. II was sought to
avert friction on this score by chang
ing the orders so that they should not
carry the name of the Chief )f staff
but shen1d read instead "By order of
the Secretary Of War"
Sweet peace does not reign, however
While there are some officers who posi-
lively declined to receive orders from
one so much lower in rank, they at the
same time do not like the present order
of things, and say-at least, the more
conservative ones do-that the order is
extremely unjust to Gen. Bell. They
gay he has brought order out of chaos
in his very brief tenure OF office, and
that he works very hard, and every
branch OF the service has felt his in
fuence.
The National Zoo received the other
day from the Government OF the Prov
ince of Ontario, Canada. a pair of Can
adian black squirrels.
The Canadian black squirrel Is moth
ing more nor less than the common
gray squirrel OF this section and the
whole of the East, but in Canada this
gray form has developed pure black
variety, specimens of which are con-
The pair at the Zoo are jet black-so
black that they appear shiny-with an
exceedingly thick and heavy fur for
protection against the Canadian Win
ters.
A big footprint, relic of an ancient
American race. has just been received
at the National Museum. The specimen
is concrete cast of the first footprint
yet encountered of the most highly