Evening Star Newspaper, May 4, 1898, Page 11

ees THE EVENING STAR. i PUBLISHED DAILY EACEI'? SUNDAY. AT THE STAR BUILDINGS, 1161 Penasylvaaie Avei2:, Jor, 11t) Ss, The Eveni 8. H. KAUFFMANN, Pres't. Few York Ofice, 49 Potter Building, ‘The Evening Star ts served to subscribers to the eity dy carriers, on their own account, at 10 cen’ Per week, o- 44 certs per month. Coples at f! geunter 2 cents each. By mail—anywhere in the United States or Canada—postage prepald—30 ceuts per menth. Saturday Qrintunle Sheet Star, $1 per year, withy foreign postage added, $3.08. (Entered the Post Office at Washington, D. C., a8 second. + mall matter.) £7 All mail subscriptions must be pail in advance. Rates of advertising made known on application. | by Star Newspaper Company, WASHINGTON, D. C., WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 1898-FOURTEEN PAGES. If you want to buy, or exchange anything, lease property or rent rooms, want a situation or want help, it will pay you to announce the fact in the advertising columns of The Star. They are closely studied by more than three times as many people as read any other paper. HIGH SCHOOL NINES Opening the Annual Championship Season. CENTRAL AND BUSINESS TEAMS MEET of the Clubs. ~ Personnel Different GOOD CONTESTS EXPE! STED The bace ball teams of the Central and Business High Schools will play the first geme of the season's series for the cham- Pionship of "88 this afternoon at National Base Ball Park, beginning at 3:30. The Easterns and Westerns will try conclusions Friday. Saturday the Business and Wes erns. On the 13th the Business and East- erns; on the 18th the Centrals and East- erzs, and on the 20th the Centrals and Westerns. Last year marked the beginning of a regular High School contest for the base ball championship, in which all of , the schools were represented. The Central team came out victorious, the Western boys obtaining second place, and the East- ern and Business boys third and fourth, respectively. Central triumphed on ac- count of the excellence of its pitchers. H. M. Shuster is captain and short stop of the Central team. He is a fine infielder and a timely hitter. Shuster made an excellent record last year on the foot ball team, and the students expect as much from him on the nine. Pitcher White, the left-hander who pitch- ed the Centrals to victory last year until he broke his collar bone in the game with the Western, will, it is hoped by the Cen- trals, be as effective this year. Durdin, who succeeded White, excellent control and will White this season's work. Catcher McKinney played third for the team last y The first base is covered by a new man, Devlin, who has shown good form {n practice. Burbank, last year’s second baseman, will cover the same ition this year. ‘Another new man, hreiner, will cover third. The three outfielders are all new men—left field, Ford; center field, Brady, and right field, Nolan. The manager is Mr. John Gunnell, a memb2r of the third-year class, who has fine abilities in that line. The Westerns The Western team fs an unknown quan- tity this year, but the individual players are hard workers and always in earnest. R. Brewe>, catcher, is a good man, both betind the bat and with the stick. He fan play short if necessary. Brewer was on last year’s team and h: good repu- tation among foot ball fiends. Fernow, first base, is a little weak at the bat, but pleys well on base. He is a new man and showed share with LESTER FISHER BURIED. Tribute to His Memory by Columbia Athletic Clab. - The funeral of the late Lester 8. Fisher, an account of whose sudden death at Mades' Hotel was published in yesterday's Star, took place this afternoon. It was strictly private. Yesterday afternoon, af- ter Deputy Coroner Glazebrook had per- formed the autopsy, the coroner gave a certificate of death from heart disease. ‘There was a special meeting last night of the board of governors of the Columbia Athletic Club, of which organization Mr. Fisher was vice president, and resolutions were adopted setting forth that “the mem- bers of the Columbia Athletic Club have learned with intense regret and inexpress- ible sorrow of the decease of their respect- ed, honored and beloved associate and friend, the late Lester S. Fisher, their vice presiden That “by. the untiring and devoted labors of Mr. Fisher in behalf of the club, by his unbounded faith in and devotion to us, his assogiates; by his charity and honesty to all the world; by his unswerving fidelity to friends his love of truth and hatred of wrong, and, furthermore, by the purity and nobility of his personal life and chs acter, our deceased companion had so thor- oughly endeared himself to us that the en- tire membership of the Columbia Athletic Club, by its board of governors, do hereby express the grief which they all feel, in common with his host of friends outside its membership, at the loss of so honorable, upright and valuable 2 citizen so warm, true and steadfast a friend, and so beloved @ member as their noble and manly vice president, and to convey to his family, in their great sorrow, the tenderest feelings of sympathy and condolence.” —_.__ BOND PROVISION DEFEATED. Hyattsville Declines to Order System of Improvements. The proposed plan for the bonding of the town of Hyattsville to the extent of $25,000 for the purpose of establishing a complete water works und partial sewerage system was d2feated in the municipal eiection there Monday, the voie being 78 for the improve- ments and 106 against it. ‘ot since the single-tax question was agitated has any measure in that village elicited so much interest. The movement was opposed chief- ly on the grounds that roads should first be improved; that there was no guarantee that a water supply could be furnished for $45,000, and that no provision was made for a complete system of sewerage. Chief among the opposition were a number of prominent single-taxers. Balloting for the election of two town commissioners and town treasurer resulted in the election of Messrs. Charles Acker and Howard Markward as members of the board, and Mr. W. H. Richardson as treas- urer. The vote was as follow Charles Howard Markwa) 94; M. V. A. R. Holden, 85. For town H. Richardson, Bladensburg the following commis- Fran Gasch, Ma- At sioners were eiecte rion Duckett, J. H. Rogers, John Rohr- back and John Lepper. postin tote ROCKVILLE ELECTION. Mayor and Four Members of Town Council Chosen, The municipal election held in Rock- ville, Md., Monday, result2d in the elec- tion of Spencer C. Jones, Mayor; Hatters- played up north last year. Kengla, sec-| ly W. Talbott, John T. Vinson, William ond or pitcher, is a fi r boy and | W. Welsh and John G. England, members is developing good qualities for the box. |of the town council. No members of the eee het timely Hitter andl) covers decom’ eae) munleioal board ware) candiaetse fairly well. Huck, a first-year student, plays short in good style. Sherrier, t r student. He 4 re-election. manifested in Not much interest was the election and not half and is a handy man with | the vote of the town was polled. In fact, kK, one of the best hitters the W ‘ pet aie PSG eae = cate Grunwell, left field, is a third- | 7 On SRE ee abepane A VeEY udent. He was a sub on the team | Short time year. His work has improve e fields the ball almost faultl art, center field, form, and is both fielding and batting much better than he did last year. Hilton, right field, is a new man at the game, but is doing rly He is a little weak at the bat, but sure s. Caching, right field or short stop, a new man, is showing up well at present, and it is probable that he will prove a great help to the team. Captain Buck, pitcher or second base, is to the Western team what White is to the Central. Besides a fine ball player, he | has an excellent record as a foot ball player, and was captain of the school foot ball team last fall. He is one of th popular students in the school, and is -es- pecially liked by the boys for his athletic ability. The Easterns. The Eastern team has suffered a severe loss thus arly in the season, when Pitcher Alien, son of Senator Alien, was obl leave school and return to his home west, when the National Guard was out last week, Allen being a prominent member of his home company. Man. mith has for the last two years t position for every team, foot ba nd track, d to Pp tudents. Captain Lee Coom s alse captain of last year’ is due to his efforts and enthusiasm that the Eastern boys have taken such an interest in the game. Coombs is an excellent fielder and a fair batter. Cate’ holds the same position as he r, and is considered one of th High School league. The pitchers are Briggs, an old player, and Schafer. and they are abl part of the Springsguth, new men, will cover first and second bases, respectiv and Burrows, who held down the same position last year, will be found at third. The fielders ar2 ali new men and are as follows: Smith, right fieid; Bostrum, center field, and Waller, left field. CI ¢ 3 ry 3 The Business Team. ‘The Business team ts captained by Short Stop Reach, who is an excellent all-around player. He played on the team last year, and !s also a member of the Mount Pleas- ant nine. Catchers Henley and Civerett played last year with the Franklins and Mount Pleasant, respectively. Civerett also played on the Business team, Haas, pit er, played with the Central|team and the Mount Pleasant nine last year. Kingdom, pitcher, played wita the Business and Rockville nines last year. First Baseman De Maine vlayed first on last-year's team The second base is covered by Heider, a new man. Swormstedt, third base, is also & new man. Right Fisider Burns, Left Fielder Brush and Center Fielder Riley are ell new men, but have shown up well in practice. Eight-Hundred-Dollar Blaze. There was a@ fire on 7th street southwest gbout 8:30 o'clock last night, for which Policeman Hawkins turned in an alarm from box 413. The fire started tn the grocery store of R. Cy Harris, but from what cause is not known. The flames Spread rapidly, and by the time the fire- men reached the scene the adjoining houses were burning. The three houses Dr. Lee Cole while another is owned and occupied by George E. Weide. The building in which the grocery store was located is owned by irs. Jarboe. It is thought the damage gmounted to about $800. The property was fully insured. ee Poison by Mistake. George Beckett, a colored coachman, who Hives at 515 N street, took a dose of sugar of lead last night. He thought it was eream of tartar. When he realized what he had done he hurried to. the Emergency Hospital. An antidote was administered ‘and he was soon relieved of the poison. is showing up in good | 4 | with the company at this place, has be before the polls were opened. 3 y th Unde lest Maryland legis! Statement of the financ’ jon before the; mount of S10, ree until these requirements of the law shall have been complied with. Mr. Raymond Scheiner of Rockville, a member of Company K, Ist Regiment, Maryland National Guard, who enlisted relieved of duty in order to accept a posi- | tion in the electrical department at the Washington navy yard. oe Reasons for the Annexation of Caba. By Louls 8. Amonsen. 1. The age for establishing petty govern- is pa’ Empires are replacing alities all over the world, to the d benefit of mankind. troub e to Centraltzetion fs imperative to a proper @ccnomy in rational @ud material forces. Aub 3 jocal as Island, distri territory or ile our strong federal government ection to business, stability to nd a just enforcement of equal affords oppor- 8. Territorial exparsion Itles for nercial growth through : breaking down of artificial barriers in and gives to Cuba, ae to 6, a wider market for the cts of both. 4.A common flag promotes free tnter- course and the tnflux of surplus capital and labor from the states would in a few dgcades make Cuba as thoroughly Amer- ican as Florida, California or Texas, pro- ducing a complete mingling of the two peu- ples in a unfor beneficial to both, 5. Educational facilities, sanitary en- gmecring and improved methods always follow American enterprise, and annexa- tion would mean free public schools, mod- ern appliances and intelligent drafnage-— thus removing the yearly danger to our shores from yellow fever, which we are now unable to rectify because international barriers prevent us from applying the proper remedy at its source. 6. Havana with Cuba is the key to th gulf which we cannot from prudential rea. sons suffer to be placed in doubtful hands, and a broad, statesmanlike regard for th needs of the future should prompt us to secure its permanent acquisition at the earliest date, lest it trouble us hereaftec as the resting place and cozling station for hestile jleets. The certain completion of an interoceanic canal at some future day ren- ders it doubly necessary that we secu commercial and strategic control of all im- pertant approaches, lest the bond of com- munication between our two oceans be cut off in the hour of our direst need. 7. No objections can be advanced to the apnexation of Cuba that did not apply with ecual or greater force to the annexation of Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Alaska and the remainder of our national domain be- yond the original thirteen colonies. But our fathers were practical, far-sighted men, who bravely pre-empted a continental wilderness peopled by savage tribes, and it devolves on their successors to round out the empire they began to its logical and —— completion when opportunity offers. the United 8t prod In conclusion, let us safely assume that the American people is equal to every emergency, and whatever system or meth- od is still needed to bring the great work of empire building to a triumphant close can be invented and supplied. Cuba under stable government will comfortably sustain over thirty million inhabitants. Whether this population will be flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone, a very portion of ourselves, depends on our statesmen of to- day. Shall we plant Cuba as a young, strong productive tree in our national gar- den, or shall we let it shift for itself be- yend our walls, the prey of periodic revo- lutions, the sport of the winds and the tides, to furnish perhaps in some fateful hour the battering ram to a hostile race which shall prove our undoing? THE CITY OF MANILA. A Description of the Capital of the Philippine Islands. Manila, the capital of the Island of Luzon and of all the Philippine Islands, is a city of about 100,000 population, not including the adjacent suburbs, which have a total population of about 60,000 additional. ‘The name of the city is pronounced by the Spaniards as though it were spelled Mah- nee-la, with the accent on the middie sylla- ble. It is the see of the Roman Catholic archbishop and one of the great empor- ivms of the east. It is located on the bay of the same name at the mouth of the river Pasig, latitude 14 degrees 36 minutes north; longitude 121 degrees cast. The city proper forms the segment of a circle between the river and the sea, and its suburbs extend over numerous formed by the river and its branches. The Pasig is prolonged inte the bay by two piers, terminating, the one in a small fort, the other ina light house. Vessels of some hundred tons may come up as far as the bridge. On the south side stands the city, having a dilapidated look, but strongly for- tified. On the north is situated the Binon- Go suburb, more populous than the city itself. It is the residence of the foreign merchants and the great center of trad The aspect of the whole is at once Sp: ish and oriental. Long lines of heavily mounted tterii somber churches, un- gainly towers and massive houses of solid sonry mingle with airy cottage groves of tropical trees, raised on pusts to permit the free passage of the waters in the rainy season and so constructed as by their elasticity to stand the shocks of an earthquake. The streets are straight, but for the most part unpaved and during the rains almost impassable. In the city the houses are two stories high and each ha its central court yard. Here reside the heads of the state, church and army, and all who would be thought to be of the aristocracy. A bridge leads across the river into the Binondo suburb, where a street, called the Escolta, runs to the right and the left, lined with innumerable shops and 1s and crowded with a strange and motle pepulation of various ra Beyond the Escolta a swarm of Chinese, Indians and kalf castes appear as goldsmiths and jewel- s and enamelers, oil and soap confectioners and keepers of ng houses and cook shops. Other suburbs have each its special char- acter. San Ferando is the seat of great cigar manufactories, and Santo Mesa of a ccrdage manufactory. At the Alcaiceria the Chinese sampans discharge their car- gees. Fishermen and weavers inhabit the division of Tondo and its gardens supply the markets with fruit and Malate is famous for its Paco is inhabited by artis ents resort in ns and artists. for health to Santa d San Pedro Macati. principal public buildings are the 1, the palaces of the governor and hbish iful town house, ten church to different reli- teries and con- rsenal, three colleges for young the su- court, prison, civil hospital, univer- ine and a commercial school, a theater, the om house and bar- racks. The city has several squares, in th largest of which, the Prado, there is a atue of Charles IV. and Pontifical University of is in the hands of the Domini- aS an attendance of about 500 The College of St. Joseph be- the its of St. John Lateran gives a pl. aud half breeds. and is for fon to Indians cuela Pia belong: Spanish children al mai chool ¥ ab- nd a commercial school in The colleges of St. Potentiana and hed in 1820 1840. the latter for seat of govern- courts. The mu- » which erly eccupied a rank mparative obscurity, is now regarded as commercially equal to Calcutta and Ba- ange has been wrought by politica century. Philippine: nineteenth Being the chief of the all their produc- tions flow to and through it, and it is the number of colonial ves- It exports sugar, and resort of a gr of all si baceo, nila hemp gold nests, coffe pan wood, mats, , trepang. tortoise shell, cigars, cotton and rice. ‘The manufacturs of Ma- consist chiefly of cigars and cheroots, overnmen nopoly which gives em- loyment io ral thousand men and women; cordaze from the filament of the abaca and the heautiful fabrics called as, woven from the fibers of the pine- le leaf and afterward beautifully em- breidered. Manila was founded by Legaspi in In 1615 it was nearly destroyed by earthquake. In 1762 it was taken b: British fleet and heid for fifteen months. gees MYSTERY CLEARED UP. of Two Young Men Charged With Robbery. Special Dispatch to The Evening Star. ROCKVILLE, M4., May 4.—The mystery surrounding the robbery of the drug store of Joseph Reading, at this place, some co, has been cleared up by the ar- ‘or Dann, a youth who has lived several years. Circumstances pointed to him as one of the guilty parties, and be was arrested Monday and lodged in jail. He made a confession of the robbery, implicating one Perey Moulden, a young man who recently left here a member of Company K, M. N. G., now in camp at Pimlico, near Baltimore. After the, commitment of Dann, Sheriff Thompson left for the camp, and yesterday evening Lieut. Talbot and three men of the eompany arrived here with Moulden under guard, and after changing his uniform for citizens’ dress, he was taken to the county jail. He will have a preliminary hearing before a justice of the peace Thursday. According to the story told by Dann, Moulden secreted himself in the cellar until the drug store was closed for the night. and at a concerted signal the former was admitted through a side door into an ad- joining hall, from which an entrance was effected into the store. The money taken (some $2) was the property of the Potomac and Washington Telephone Company, which has an office in the store, and was principa'ly in small change. as dropped into the slot by customers of the line. EXAMINATION OF DOCTORS. Arrest for Eighty Candidates for Positions as Assistant Surgeons. A board of medical officers has convened in this city for the purpose of examining |\ eighty candidates for positions as assistant surgeons in the regular army. There are eight vacancies in these positions and seven more are expected. Gen. Sternberg has appointed the follow- ing named persens, who are yallow fever immunes, for service in the army. They will be stationed at various places in fhe south and may accompany the army when it_goes.to Cuba: Dr, John Gutteras of Philadelphia, Drs. W. @Parker and W. W. Calhoun of New Orleans, all of whom will b2 stationed at Tampa; Dr. Barnard E. Baker of Charles- ton, S. C., who will be stationed at Key West, and Dr. Aristides Agramonte, a Cuban by birth. His assignment has not yet been determined upon. Further ap- pointments to these positions, which pay $150 a month, will be made. : The surgeon general is completing prep- arations for utilizing the convent at Key West, whose use for hospital purposes was donated by the sisters. Accommodations will be made for 250 beds. In addition, the department, if necessary, will avail itself. of several sugar factories at Key West, where there are accommodations for 300 or_more beds. ‘ x The barracks at Fort McPherson, Ga., will also be used for hospital purposes if necessary.” There are accommodations at Fort McPherson for 500 beds. during | EFFECTS OF THE WAR Advances in Prices of Various In- portant Products. > BUNTING, PRINTING PAPER AND WHEAT Probable Scarcity of Ice a Matter of Concern. GREAT DEMAND FOR FLAGS — The effect of the war bi ween the Unit Staics and Spain has been very materially felt in the prices of a ver of product of this country. Prob the rise in the first among these is due to the patr it of the Am n people, as shown in and place: ng. There but two manufacturers of bunting in the Sta 2 Enghind Bunting any and the United States Bunting ny. Both of these corporations have orking ni , but have been unable to supply the demard upon them. Under ordinary circumstances these two companies have always been able to fill at once orders for hunting, of which to make flags, but the advent of war caught them with a short suppiy on hand, and they have been able to furnish but a small portion of the quantity called for. A reporter for The Star learned of Washingion’s largest flag 1 ers today that the supply of bunting on hand in this city had been almost entirely exhausted “We have never had such a demand for flags in our entire experience,” said this manufacturer, “and we have been com- pelled to turn down thousands of dollars’ worth of orders. Price of Bunting. The price of bunting has advanced fully 100 per cent on account of the great de- mand for flags and the shortage in the supply of material. Never in the hi’ nces of tory of the country, it was stated, has there been such a de- mand for the national c s of all SI ds command here d ki has al manufi ing for time the practic the s been a the flag ut flags’ and bunt 8, but bandone ive purpc had to b yphy the to much annot get lurge ss to rent i flegs the r to be perfectly satistied te get the sn jer ones in price, incijert to the Coes not appear to make any difference. The bunting manufacturers are arranging to increase their ities and work their their utmost the trade. Advance in Paper, mills te supply apacity in order te Another product which has ‘very ma- terially advanced in price is paper for printing purposes. This is not due, to any la si ck of capacity of the mills of the United States to furnish the necessary quantity, Lut to the fact that before the war came on the mill owners were of the opinion that they had on hand a sufficient qua tity of paper for ordinary usage, and turn- ed their attention to the manufacture of the finer jes. When war became a reality, however, the newspapers through- out the country made such a demand upon the mills on account of enlarged circula: tions, due to the issuance of extra pape and the enlargement of the, regular edi- tions, that the supply immediately began to melt like ice under a hot July sun, now there is hardly enough on ha meet the daily requirements, and, as ernsequence, the price has ‘been | raised nearly 1 cent a pound. It is believed, how- ever, that this strain will be relfeved shortly by the mills turning their atten- tion to the manufacture of print papers. Those newspapers which have not alread a supply of paper on hand will have t le to get out their regular editions. The local dealers in print paper have run out of stock almost_entirely. One of them told a Star reporter to that they had had orders out for severs s, but had been unable to get eve The fact that sulpher. wh Is used largely in the manufacture of the pulp from which paper Is made, has been declared to be contraband of war, may int seriously with the manufacturers. how large a supply of this material the pa- per mills have on hand will govera the price of paper as it Is manvfaetured. Tt is understood, however ral mills. have already been cc ut down owing to a shortag ply of sul- phur Upward Tendency of Wheat. he price of wheat naz advanced very materfatly, and for a time it was thought that th would make it necessary for the bakers to advance the price of bread. At a mceting held iast week, however, it was decided that for the peesent, at least, there weuld be no change. Now that summer is rapidly approaching in attention of consumers i3 turned to the price of ice. It has been statei that the shippers of Kennebec ice have been afraid to start their vessels souch for fear they will be capturad and taken as prizes by Spanish warships. In view of this fect it is stated that the ice men contemplate rais- ing the price to local consumers to a large extent. It is interesting to observe what the manufacturers of artificial te2 will do in this connection. Wille it may be impos- sible to get the natural ice from the usual sources there will, as heretofcre, be a suf- ficiency of water in the vicmlty of Wash- ington to mak2 all of the ice necessary for home consumption. May Take Advantage. It Is believed to be possible that the arti- ficial ice men will try to take advantage of ths scarcity of natural ice to raise the price of that made at home. It ig more than probable, however, it is said, that the sup- ply of natural ice will reaeh here in plenty of time to prevent such action. While the dealers say they aré afraid to make bids for supplying the government and others with ice in large quantities, it is generally believed that this #s but one way to command an advance in thy price of this very necessary commodity. So far as the other necessaries of life are concerned, it is not feared that the war will create much, if any, change in quotations. —_._— Gaithersburg Eleetion. The first municipal elaction héld in Gal- thersburg, Md., under the’ provisions of the new charter passed by the recent leg- islature took place Monday. Only @ pass- ing Interest was taken in the contest, as there was but one ticket in the field for council. The mayoralty tht was waged by ex-Counellman R. Dorsey ‘Trundle and Mr. Geo. W. Meem. By a majority of three votes Mr. Meem won. Messrs. Thomas-I.. Fulks, James T. English, David G. Carlisle and Richard H, were Warteld and Mets Be leld a1 . C. Scott Duvall by ma- Jorities of six and two votes, tes] rely. Many complimentary votes were for prominent citizens who wefe not candi- dates. Among tHose recefving such votes Were ex-Councilmen Lee M. Lipscomb and ‘Thomas Gloyd and Dr. E. H. ‘Etchison. ‘The mayor and council elected are consid- ered to be favorable to the reforms contem- plated in the new charter of the town, and Were elected for two years. i ns The suit is not yours until you Pronounce the fit 0. K.— Always bear that point in mind. Now ( ; usually asked for ready made. What a revolution we've created \S in the tailoring business. 5 years ago—pay your tailor high @ prices or wear ready made—today—the Mertz idea of making > ( ( ( ‘ \ night. PRP Special this week, suits to-order, os Sh LO LS Is a good time to get in that order for a Spring Suit. No time like the present—this week. Better not wait until Saturday— the choice styles might be gone. We would like to keep up this selling suits at $8.70—it sounds so pleasant to hear the words of commendation on all sides—sonnds nice to have people tell s they RELY ON US TO KEEP AND EXORBITANT PRIC DOWN ’ clothes prevails. Special sale of $8.70 suit closes Saturday ~ Mertz and Mertz, Progressive Tailors, 906 F Street. PIPPI THE | HIGH S OF TAILORS and at the same time protect them from the poor quality of the ready made. Ours is the happy-go-between tailoring at the prices Eo lees PS Special this week, suits to-order, = BIAS PFE AA™—N9R—oyv= RSA LAAs <LVARARA AAA ER Or The suit 4s not yours until Fou pronounce the fit 0. K.— Always bear that point in mind. FRENCH ATTACKS UPON US A Newspaper Campaign Against Our Army and Navy. The Mixture of Ignorance and Un- ny truths Served to French Readers— Officers of Rank Responsible. From the New York Sun. PARIS, April 18.—It would be a difficult matter for any one to keep track of the attacks on America and Americans made by the French newspapers for the last elght weeks, because about every newspa- per in France has printed such attacks. The American visitor in France, who in nine cases out of ten has arrived here with a pleasing idea of the traditional friendship of France for the United States, has probably been rudely shocked by these disclosures of public opinion; the resident, on the other hand, has become accustomed to them. Upon three occasions within a month, in Paris, Americans who have aired their views on Cuban affairs publicly have been set upon by Frenchmen and mal- treated. ‘The French battle for Spain in the news- papers is carried on in three distinct ways: First, by violent editorials abusing America and ‘lauding Spain, putting the United States in a false and ridiculous light, and assiening to the govgrnment unworthy mo- tives: second, by printing false dispatches and rumors, and, third, by publishing in- terviews with ail sorts and conditions of some of which may be authentic, but most of which are palpably false. Authen- tic or false, however, they are believed by some of the people who read them, which desired end. ‘This is all rendered par- ; casy of accomplishment in France, because with the French—even the French otherwise Intelligent—the knowledge of con- ditions in the world outside the borders of France is akin to that of the Chinese. Many men of real prominence have con- tributed their views in these interviews, and it is to be remarked that they &re apt to speak of American affairs with a bit- terness, and an unseemliness, no less than that of the newspaper writers themselves —even when they speak in a semi-official ca- pacity. Thus the Americans of Paris have had the sorrow to hear from the mouth of a rear admiral of the French navy the opinicn that the officers composing the Maine board of inquiry ‘‘were not, under the circumstances, to be believed upon oath.” This opinion was echoed by news- papers throughout France. The same naval authority asserted that “there was not an officer in the United States navy capable of commanding a vessel, and few vessels worthy of command.” Other nava! officers have delivered themselves of like opinions, and army officers have joined them in views of the other branch of the service. Of course, these interviews have been made up largely of mere matters of opin- ion; all the naval officers of France, for instance, seem to agree that the officers of the United States navy are incompetent, inexperienced and ignorant; that discipline is lax and instruction nil; that the sailors are merely mercenaries, that there is no such thing as patriotism among them, as they are “mostly deserters and drunkards kicked out of other navies.” As one of these French officers has expressed it, “The Spanish navy is three times as strong as the American as far as ships go; when you take into account the way these ships are manned, the Spanish is, ten times. as strong.” Coming to matters of pure fact, French officers are not quite so positive. A captain of the French navy has lately drawn up a hypothetical plan of campaign for the side of the United States which would doubt- less assist Captain Sampson, provided that officer had no more -nautical knowledge than is to be acquired in the French navy. This plan might quite properly have been considered a huge newspaper joke had not the author's name been signed to the ar- ticle and had it not been seriously discuss- ed by other naval officers. To give an idea of it it will be gre Ege oe say aeat one raph jan by remarking, “, Guba ts not far from Havana, it would be easy for the United States to transfer its fleet in the secondary, movement from the one to the other,”” and that the author placed the Philippine Islands in the Indian ocean and ccanevoeet the aes and the Carolines. It probably only France that an intelligent man and a naval officer can make mistakes like that—and not’ be of truth and fact. This practice is so fre- quent and so widespread that it is hard to select an example more typical than an- other. Perhaps the following interview, which is put forth by the Patrie as com- ing from “a high officer of the Canadian military forces, now in Paris,” will serve. lt is to be remarked beforehand t Patrie is a very popular paper in France, a that it is the “organ of the nationa’ defen: : alled Cana- ‘all this commotion about Cu- hides a gigantic speculative op- ation on the part of American financiers. for the moment they are baffled and their schemes are at the mercy of Spain; let us hope they will remain so, “The United States are in no condition to sustain a war with Spain. A war, even if they were victors, would bring such dis- aster to American commerce that It would be equivalent to their ruin. “With the exception of two or three armored ships, the United States navy is absolute! valueless. The officers who command it may be decent enough engi- neers in theory, but they are entirely ig- norant of the method of fighting guns. As to the sailors, they have never been drilled to fight; they are worth! as artillerists. “The United States army does not exist. There are, to be sure, some 22,000 men un- der arms, but they are not soldiers. Doubt- less one could get recrufts, but in order to raise an army of 100,000 of them an enormous amount of meney would be re- quired, and it would .ake several months. Still they would be only mercernaries, who would draw bounties at the recruiting sta- tion and then desert. During the war of secession every recruit got a bounty of $3,000, and I have known personally of one man who drew this bcunty three times within a week, and then immediately fied to Quebec, where he went into business on the money. “The American soldier, the typical Amer- ican soldier, is not what one would call a soldier in Europe, where one expects a man to be amenable to discipline, intelli- gent and docile in the hands of his chicfs. Individually he is a good marksman and capable of withstanding fatigue, but he is of no use as a component of a body of troops, where he would have to learn tac- tics. However, the American officers are not tacticians, and are absolutely ignorant of the art of war. Remember, too, that I am now speaking of the standing army of 22,00 men. You may judge from this what the recruits would be. “Several years ago I was sent with some Canadian troops to the frontisr, where a revolt of the Sioux was in progress. Upon our arrival we learned that a squadron of American cavalry, commanded by a well- known general, was encamped in the neigh- borhood. With one of my officers and an escort of a f2w men I crossed the border to pay a visit to this general. We entered the American camp as freely as we would have entered an open field; ther> were neither guards nor sentinels. I met the American gcneral at the entrance to his tent, and we wer? invited to ctay for breakfast. “In the course of conversation I remarked to the general that he was very imprudent to leave his camp so exposed. “The Sioux are the bravest u1.d most savage of your Indiars,’ I said, ‘and you ought to guard against a surprise.’ ‘Bah!’ ejaculated the general, ‘I have 300 soldiers with me, the best troopers in America, and all the say- ages of the earth could not stand up b>fore them.’ “I persisted in warning him, and he got angry. Shortly we parted. A fortnight aft- erward a party of Sioux came to our camp. They bad with them the scalps of these 30) heroes, including the long sid> whiskers of the redoubtable Yankee general. The troop- ers had been surprised by the savages. They had fought, and they had been anni- hilated. “There is jingoism in the United States, but no patriotism whatever, as that word is understood by other peoples. Amerieans will work, and sometimes fight, but only for money. That is the on2 consideration, no matter what circumstance arises. Perhaps if the United States were. to undertake a war of pillage in Cuba they would he able to raise armed bauds who would fight in axchange for the proceeds of the robberies they could perpetrate. Otherwise not. “All the ports of the United States, from New Orleans to New York, from Florida to Newfoundland, are entirely open and un- protected. Not one has a single gun or sol- dier for defense. A small fleet of Spanish gunboats could bombard ali the principal cities, one after the other, and soon bring th> Yank: to terms. It would be the work of a few days only. 5 igh ar Sine soniet adigerna ‘the might ne ie outcome doubtful. But there are many un. foreseen things to take into account. We must remember thet it would be a war be- CENTRAL LABOR UNION Proceedings of Regular Weekly Meet- ing Held Last Evening. The usual weekly meeting of the Central Labor Union was held Monday ening, President N. C. Sprague presiding, and Mr. J. M. Kreiter secretary, ‘The body indorsed the report of a com- mittee which favored the placing of a firm of cerriage manufacturers in Washington on the unfair list. A letter read from Dr. W. Tindall, secretary ef the board of District Commis- sioners, Stating that ihe board has no con- troi over Mr. Doby of Lithonia, Ga., the contractor for furnishing granite curb to the District, other than to see that the terms and conditions of the contract ere strictly complied with. A resolution was adonied authorizi “s the committee having chasge of the matter to clese a contract with ‘apt, dali for an excursion to River View on Labor day. sharin Dewey at Manila. Written for The Eycning Star. Boys, Con't you wish, say, don't yon, row, You had been where omr gunboats plough Their foamy furrows of the main, To harvest home the feet of tpain? Say, give it straight end on the square, Now, don't you wish yeu bad been there When Dewey took Mowlla? Said Dewey, “I'll get shcrt of coal Unless I hunt into his hole Some Spanish admiral Senor— And he’s the chap I'm looking for. Hong Kong has no more coal to spare. Manila—guess we'll find it there— Up anchor for Manilat”* Away they went. cur Yankee fleet, Throagh shining seas and tropic heat, Away six hendred miles or more— The notion of a commodore, One who had shell, not coal, t spare— Say, boys, don’t you wish you'd been there When Dewey took Manilag He found the bay and tucked so neat Within the bay the Spanish fleet, Wita forts behiad, to help them whip The Yankee pigs, ship after ship, But Dewey, well, he didn't care So long as they had coal to spare For shot, around Manila, Great Jumbo! didn’t Dewey pour Shot into ships and into sbore, ‘Till Spanish flags went reeling down, And smitten forts c.uld enly frown! ‘Thon silence held the smoke-choked alr, And Spain had learned Dewey was there, The master of Manila, The Spanish fleet—there was no fieet, Except where wave and bottom meet. Seme wounded ships imprisoned ride, And some were drowned, of suicide. ‘The fort. were beaten blind and bare, A Yankee eailor had been there ‘Two hours, before Manila, Give three times three—hip! hip! hurrab! Spain gets just what she bargains for: Hayani herbor boids the Maine— Manila’s, the dead fleet of Spain! For every brave man breathe a prayer When battle comes with Yankees there— Like"Dewey at Manila. ALMONT BARNES, —— eee Terms of Peace. ‘To the Malitor of The Evening Star: A treaty of peace with Spain should em- brace the following conditions among others: 1, Absolute and unconditional evacuation of Cuba and Porto Rico, the latter for a United States naval station, with the forti- fied harbor ef San Juan. 2. The surrender of the Spanish fleet still afloat in American waters as reparation for the destruction of the Maine.