The National tribune., 1908-08-13

summer, IOT because VI lHtIIl lie mas
been deprived of hrs yacht, the May
flower, which has been ordered into
commission for Port au Prince, Haiti
The Mayffower has been by common
consent called the Presidents yacht,
tho it is Government boat.
The Mayfiower is a converted yacht,
armed with light guns and fixed to
do gunboat duty The ordering of the
Mayfiower to regular duty in the Car
Iibean is not thought to have any sig
nificant bearing on Commander Snow
ien's recent mishap in running down
schooner in the sound while conveying
the President to the Navy conference at
Newport Other gunboats, including the
Petrol, Yicksburg and Princeton, have
been ordered from the Pacific to SINH
lar duty along the Central American
coast.
The President still has under his
command the uuarncd yacht Sylph. The
Sylph. is too small for work outside
the sound. and Secretary Loeb's an
nouncement that the Mayflower will not
be replaced by any other Government
vessel is taken to indicate that Presi-
dent Roosevelt does not contemplate
taking any extended excursions by wa
ter this Summer.
Attention of alI.-recruiting officers is
directed to circular issued by the War
DEPARTMENT. a.
the Regular Army of a man who has
been member of the National Guard
of State or Territory until he pre-
SCENTS evidence that he has been honor
ably discharged from the service.
1t is further ordered that in no case
shall an applicant known to be MEM
Der of the National Guard be accepted
as a recruit Recruiting officers will
question carefully all applicants regard
ing membership in National Guard or
CARNATIONS, and will require those who
acknowledge themselves to be or to
have been members of such organiza-
lions TO exhibit discharges therefrom
before accepting them.
Hazing at West Point is as rampant
as ever. it now develops. Eight cadets
have been dismissed for the very worst
kind of hazing. and have been at Oyster
Bay to appeal TO the President to have
them restored. 1t is said that the Presi-
dent At first expected to look into the
matter. but later concluded to let mat
tiers take their course.
Early in 1903 EIihu Root, then Secre-
tary Of War, promulgated regulations
for the Military Academy, which set
forth three kinds of punishment that
may be visited upon cadets. The fol-
lowing section says how the punish
ments shalt be inflicted:
flISl CldSS SIlitil Dc lillllClGh Wy
the Superintendent: the second by
general court-mar.ial. and the findings
and sentence of which. if they involve
dark prison" confinement at hard Ia
bor), must be approved by the Presi-
dent. and, quoting the language of the
section, those of third class by the
Secretary of War or by virtue of the
sentence of a general court-martial."
In the digging OF the Panama Canal
Il always has been considered that, out
side of the construction of the big lock
and dam works, the chief difficulty TO
be encountered is the great cut thru
the backbone of the American continent
at cuIebra The problem there was OF
removing a mountain, and by the aid
of modern steam shovels, drills and
dynamite the solution is being rapidly
worked out. In fact, according to in
formation which has reached the offices
of the Isthmian Canal Commission here,
one-half of this great work has been
completed
This cut thru the hills and noun
tafns extends distance of nine and
pne-half miles At the highest point
khe original surface of the ground was
zoo feet, and a hole from 40 to 1000
Seet wide and $50 feet deep is being
aug there. This work involved the ex-
eayation of S0,698,24S cubic yards of
aarth and stone.
The old French company took out
tz66D. 00G- cubic yards between 1881
Ind 1889; the new French company took
1ut 10000, 600 cubic yards from 1895 to
aeO4, and since the Americans have
3aken charge of the work they have
Axcavated 1S,445,426 cubic yards This
teayes only 1862, 822 cubic yards yet
10 be removed. less than half of the
Sotal
In view of the fact that 11,191,488
yards were taken out last year after
She Americans had got their machinery
IN operation and their organization per-
y 3ected. the indications are that, at the
Same rate of progress. the Culebra Cut
kiIi be completed in three years and d
half
In the opinion of engineers here that
will fix the date for the completion of
Che entire canal: in other words, they
think that the work ON the other sec
lions will be so timed as to be finished
1t the moment when the excavation is
hone. IL they are correct in this, the
Panama Canal should be open for BUSH
hess in January. 1912.
Cooper, of Texas, was defeated in the
primaries, and so Will not be eligible
tor nomination to Congress. His sue
eessor will be Martin Dies. of Kountze,
Tex. All the present Texas delegation
Gere renominated. Representative
Cooper was big, good-natpred man,
but not brilliant.
Capt. ]. A. T. Hull had the dickens
pwn time getting back 10 the House. He
was thought to be defeated in the pri-
maries, but he was not, and has been
finally awarded the certificate of nomi-
patton in the primaries. SO, OF course
Is all right.
President Roosevelt is making de-
tsrmined effort TO suppress the Mexican
Insurrectionists who are taking refuge
in Texas and making occasional raids
fnto Mexico.
He has recently written TO the De-
partment of Justice and to other De-
partments, urging vigilance in the
guarding of the Rio Grande border. II.
has also suggested the advisability OF
appointing special counsel to investigate
the claims of immunity from prosecu-
ton made by some of the Mexican sus.
poets in the United States. who assert
that as political offenders they are moi
subject to extradition. They might bs
punished for violating the neutralit,
laws of the United States. is a conten
ton urged by the State Department
backed up by the President, but the De.
partment of Justice is disposed 20 ac
slowly in the matter of proceeding
against them on such grounds.
The Mexican Government Is making
representations to the State Department
almost daily on the subject.