Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-12-04
DRYAN's HARD TASK
MUST DECIDE WHETHER SANTC
DOMINGO OR SPAIN HAS THE
BONES OF COLUMBUS.
INDIANA MAN RESPONSIBLE
Stutesman's PROPOSAL That Remains
of the Discovsrer Be Carried
Through Canal Involves State De-
partment in Old Controversy.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

pal Ia Wv WIN
BY GEORGE CLINTON.
Washington.-In the chapel of the
government Naval academy at Ann
apolis there are supposed to repose
the remains of John Paul Jones, the
Scotch-American naval hero of revolu-
tionary days. AS everybody probably
remembers, the admiral's body was
found or thought to be found in a
French cemetery and after as conclu-
siTe Identification as was possible had
been made it was brought to this coun-
try, accorded high honors, and buried
beneath the Naval academy's chapel.
Now it seems likely that the state
department will become involved semi
officially in the same kind of trouble
over the identity Of the remains of
Christopher Columbus which the naval
department had over the identity of
the bones Of John Paul Jones.
An Indiana man-James F. Suites
man of Observation-Disclosures shoulder
advance responsibility for the state
departments future troubles. Mr..
Statesman is the commissioner gen.
eral of the United States to Central
America and the West Indies, in the
interest of the Panama Pacific expo
sition. 1t was at a dinner given in
Santo Domingo by the president of
the Dominican Republic that the Indi-
anian suggested that the bones of the
great navigator be taken from their
resting place in the Santo Domingo
cathedral, be placed in an appropriate
receptacle at the prov of the battle
ship Oregon, that will head the process
sion of battleships through the Pa
mama canal and be taken to San Fran
cisco for exhibition purposes.
What Bryan Must Decide.
The Dominican Republic has diplo-
matte representative in Washington,
Senior DR.. Don Francisco ]. Peynado,
who voices his governments desire
that this government shall sanction
Mr.. Stutesmans plan. The Dominican
Republic is urging the carrying out
of the transportation and exhibition
plan is attempting apparently to Sc
cure not only the sanction of the Unit
ed States for the proposal, but with it
what will be tantamount to an official
state department decision that SantO
Domingo has the only 'well-authenti-
Gated remains" of the voyager and
discoVerer which are in existence. Mr..
Bryan therefore may be called upon to
decide between the claims of Santo
Domingo and the claims of the Span
ish city OF Seville, which asks the
world to believe that the only real
bones of Columbus are in its keeping
The controversy over the final rest
ing place of what is left of Christopher
Columbus began many years ago and
it is an exceedingly lively controversy
to this day.
Christopher Columbus died in 1906
at Valladolid, Spain. In his will he
asked that his bones be taken across
the ocean and buried in Santo Do
mingo. For long time this wish re-
manned unfulflled. Finally, according
to accepted tradition, his bones were
transferred to Santo Domingo-prob-
ably between 1889 and 1549-and
placed in the cathedral, together with
those of Diego, his son.
Story of the Controversy
Nearly two centuries and half later
in 1795-the Spaniards, about to
abandon Santo Domingo to the French,
resolved not to allow the remains of
him who had given them new world
to eo11 INT IL of
ers. So they took from the cathedral
a coffin supposed to contain his bones
and sent it in a ship to Havana No
body seemed to harbor any doubt that
the transferred bones were indeed
those of Columbus and the resting
place to which they were consigned in
Havana became a shrine and one of
the chief sights" of the Cuban city
But III 1877 Santo Domingo gave
Cuban and Spanish confidence a rude
shock. A Dominican priest named
Billini, wishing to open a door long
walled up in the cathedral, uncovered
one end of a metal casket in a for
gotten vault He lost no time in no
tifying Bishop Cochia of Santo Do
UIiHoOp VIM, III HIS IuI Il, iulO1ISu q
number of notables Of the city, includ-
ing several of the foreign consuls, Of
the priests discovery. Before them
all workmen dug into the vault and
uncovered the coffin. In it were found
quantity of bones and dust and two
inscriptions. One of these was deci-
phered and declared to be an abbre-
Walton Of the Spanish words meaning
''DiscOveTer of America, First Admi-
raj" The other inscription was read
as ''Illtre Esdo Varon On Cristoyal
Colon (Illustrious and distinguished
gentleman, Don Christopher Column
bus)" This seemed to show beyond
all doubt that the remains of the dis
coverer had never left Santo Domin-
go. The natives of the republic took
that view without hesitation and cele-
brated the find with great enthusiasm.
Spain and Cuba made an investiga-
ton and declared there was nothing
in the Santo Domingo story. Mr.
Bryan probably will be called upon to
settle this matter of state and he will
have no easy job.
FiIipinos May Have to Wait.
The senate Of the United States
has confirmed four native island
ers appointed by President Viii
son as members of the Philippine
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