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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 11, 1903)
1 wi 17 flr5 !.""" ' i . 13 The Commoner. VOLUME 3, NUMBER 4j, IRPiMMM 'if : -I iAM4p I THE WEEK AT WASHINGTON f On November 2S it ivas announced that General Reyes, Colombia's special representative, brings to this govern mont a proposition from Colombia to grant all the canal concessions protid cd for in the Hay-Herran treaty ab solutely free to this country. All that Colombia asks in return is to be left free to settle the revolution in Pana ma and conduct its own affairs. This proposal of Colombia has aroused much comment throughout the country. It was reported on November 29 that former Commander Richmond Pearson Hobson of the navy has pre pared a bill which he has requested Representative Wiley of Alabama to introduce in the house on the con vening of the regular session of con gress for the purpose, he says, of making the United States the first naval power of the world during the next eighteen years. The bill makes a total appropriation of 2,750,000.000, a certain portion of which is to be used each year for new ships. Fifty million is made available for the present fiscal year, ?G0,000,000 for the next and so on, increasing by $10 OuO.OOO each year up to 1915, when a lump sum of $1,500,000,000 is made to carry on the program to 1925. In regard to the recognition of the provisional government at San Domin go, it is learned that United States Minister Powell has received .instruc tions to refrain from recognizing that government until he has proper as surances that the interests of the United States will, not suffer from so doing. It follows that Mr. Powell is to 'make sure that the arbitration of 'the claims against Santo Domingo of tn"e San "Domingo Improvement com pany shall proceed just as the pro gram has already been arranged. cases: At Chicago. January 7, nine cases, involving the recent advances in freight rates on east-bound grain; at Washington, December 15, the case involving alleged allowances of pre ferential rates on grain by the Union Pacific railroad to the elevators of Peavy & Co., and at Richmond, Mich., December 21, the case of the Ricb mond Elevator company against the Pere Marquette railroad, involving al leged discrimination in the supply oi cars. The seventh annual report of the secretary of agriculture was Teceuily submitted to the president. Accord ing to a Washington dispatch by the Associated press on November 30, Secretary Wilson reviews at length the production and exports of Ameri can agricultural products. The in crease in the exports of farm prod ucts for the half century enoed 1901 was from $147,000,000 to $952,000,000 550 per cent. The exports of farmJ products for the closing decade of the last century was over $700,000,000, and for 1903 over $878,000,000, an amount second only to that ol 1S01. Of grain and grain products the ex port exceeded in value $221,000,000, and in the supply of animais, meats and meat products, the value of ex portation was $211,000,000. Dr. Herran, the Colombian charge d'affaires, called at the slate depart ment on December 1 for the first time in many weeks. His purpose was to inform Secretary Hay or General Reyes arrival, and during his call it is said that he was given to under stand that the government -will not receive General Reyes for any other purpose than to talk over terms of peace, as the United States does not desire to have any other proposal from Colombia in regard to the Pa nama republic Major General J. R. Brooke, re tired, former governor general ol Cu Ja, appeared before the senate com mittee on military affairs and jgave testimony in the charges against General TLconard WTood on November 30. ... -General Brooke's teslimonx against General Wood is regarded as -TiirrVilw rlnmri finer a-nri tonrt tr 5iin;j;Tn the charges of insubordination. It is thought that General Wood may liave to return from the Philippines to tes- ,tify in his own behalf. Full recognition of the new repub lic of Panama lias been given to it by "the governments of Germany and Austria through their ambassadors at Washington, and M, Varilla, the Pa nama minister, has been informed of the recognition extended. the republic of Cuba is confronted with a serious problem fa regard to the adjustment of the claims of the veterans of the Cuban army for back pay. Originally these claims aggre gated $10,000,000, but have now in creased to about $50,000,000 and with some other claims pending against the government, it is believed that Cuba must borrow not less than $75, 000,000 very soon to satisfy all claims. Negotiations for this loan are now in progress. A meeting in the interests of in ternational arbitration -was held in Washington on December S at the home of General John W. Foster, former secretary of state. It is un derstood that the movement has the hearty approval of the president, and the meeting on December 3 was at tended by many of the prominent men of the country. A meeting of the na tional arbitration committee is to be held in Washington on January 12 next to consider plans for extending the principle of arbitration among all nations of the civilized world. The recent movement in Washington is headed by General Foster and Admiral Dewey. A dispatch from Washington under date of December 3 says that the Dominican arbitration commission ha3 been organized rath. Judge George Gray as president and Captain Lemly secretary. Senor Galvin, secretary of finance in the Dominican government that was lately overthrown, in spite of the protests made by the provi sional government now in power against his selection. John G. Carlisle has been named as a representative of the United States In the arbitration proceedings. The steamer City of Washington, having on board the canal treaty with the new Panama republic, arrived at Colon on December 1, and the treaty was immediately turned over to tne minister of foreign affairs of Panama, who will take it to tne capital to be ratified and signed. ' It is understood that proposed Phil ippine legislation will not be enacted at the approaching regular session of congress. Governor General Taft of the Philippines and others are in favor of a reduction of the duties on Philippine products coming inlo this country, but so much opposition has developed to the proposed legisla tion that the political leaders fear the effect of the agitation in the com Jng presidential campaign and It will' undoubtedly be postponed nnlil the short session of this congress. It is announced from "Washington that the Manchurian question may be submitted to The Hague for arbitra tion and settlement, although no offi cial confirmation of this report may yet be obtained. It Is said, however, that China Is willing to refer the queslion to arbitration and Russia .may ue persuaded to do likewise. On December 4 the state department was informed by Minister Beaupre, stationed at Bogota, Colombia, that the Hay-Herran canal treaty was re jected by the Colombian senate! on its merits, and that the Colombians are still hopeful of being able lo negotiate a new treaty with the United Slates in place of the one rejected. In spite of this Information, however, it is not concealed that no hope of success can b'e extended by this, government to Colombia in its anxiety to place mat ters on their old footing in regard to the canal. It was announced from "Washington1 by the Associated press on November 30 that the Interstate commerce com "mision has postponed until January 18 the hearing to be held in this dty in the case of W. R. Hearst of New York . against the anthracite coal-carrying roads, involving alleged unjust rates ' on coal frosa the anthracite fields to the seaboard. It has assigned the fol- lowing dates for hearings In other Senator Penrose, chairman of the committee on postofnees and port roads, on December 1 introduced a resolution requesting the postmaster general to send to the committee all! tne papers connected with the recent investigation of the postoilice depart ment and if necessary the commit tee is to maue further investigation and report to the senate. The resolu tion was referred to the committee on contingent expenses of the senate. It was announced on December 2 that the canal treaty had been signed at Panama, On the same day the Pa nama representative at Washington was notified of the fact and the treaty will be immediately sent to Washington. On December 4 Representative L.iv ernash of California introduced a joint resolution in the house "defining the intention of the United States con cerning the isthmus of Panama," It disclaims on the part of 'the United States any intention to impair Colom bian sovereignty-, or to -support the republic of Panama aeainst Colombia. or to interfere in the relations be tween Colombia and Panama. Representative Wachter of Mary land has introduced a bill, making April 14 of every year a lesal holiday, to be known as "Martyrs' Day," in commemoration of the death of Abra ham Ldmoln. cial request for recognition to the diplomatic and consular bodies vin ister Powell had made known "r ditions upon which the. Unite . - will recognize the new'governni I follows; The government m.- arre to abide "by and respect the acre ments made "by the preceding alcn istrations, must recognize thf zlzixlt of settlement arrived at in the case cf the Improvement companv cf New York and the Ros and Sala " ie3 must recognize and carry hto fVf effect the concession to the stanithto company and must grant the proles to the United States to esUtl:-h at dangerous points on the coast Lett houses to aid maritime con-mtrce. Should the provisional govtrLcent not accept these conditions, its reos nition by-the United States is dcuH-ful. Additional News of the Week, Dr. Cyrus Edson, the famous rhy sician and "well known as an author ity on the treatment of lung diseases, died at his home in New York ci' on December 2. He was a chemt'and analyst of high repute, and has writ ten a number of valuable artKes on medical and sanitary subjects. He served for some time as chief inspec tor for the city of New York. According to a London cablpcam under date of December 4 negot-ations begun recently by the powers xnaj re sult in an international administrate a for Macedonia along the lines cb served in the present government cf the island of Crete. This plan was broached by Russia and Austria and it is believed that it will be put in operation to prevent another Mace donian uprising in the spring. An ' Associated press dispatch frcm St. Paul, Minn., dated December S, says: The supreme court today Le'J tuat the state was under no moral ob ligation to pay sugar bounty und-r the law enacted in 1895, and declare:! the law unconstitutional. The ?-.l-nesota Sugar company sued the sta and -secured a writ of certiorari to compel the state auditor to pay a bounty of ?20,000, which it claimed ic had earned under the sugar bounty act of 1895. Subscribes' Advirtiskii Department Sir Mortimer Durand, the succes sor of Sir Michael Herbert as the am bassador of Great Britain to the United States, was -received formally hy President Roosevelt on December 2. According to Washington advices, "Former Representative Wflliam M. Sprineer of Illinois, a democratic lead er, and conspicuous in the house of representatives dnrlng the Foriy-Tottrth- and Fifty-third ronsresss, died at his residence in"Wahinpion on December 4. aged 54 years. Mr. Snrineer was the author of the bill admitting "Washineton. Montana. "Worth DaVota and So'ith Dakota into the Union, and of the bill onranirjn: the terrlforv of OMaomn and creat Ini? a judicial system for TifltqTi terri tory. p- was United ftts 1'idrp "for the "Nortfcom district Tndten rr rHory. nnd cbipf ineHre of lh Un? tntes com nf appeals for Indian ter ritory, 18P5-P9. 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