Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 January 1898 — WASHINGTON. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON.

Secretary Alger, who hns l>een ill at Washington for some time, is threatened with pneumonia. * Secretary Sherman denies the report that the United States Ims demanded SB,000,000 from Spain for losses sustained by American traders in Cuba. Commissioner Hermann, of the General Laud Office, hns rejected the claim of Messrs. Healy and Wilson to the town site of Dyen, Alaska, on the ground that the survey of the claim was not regularly made. After a new survey the case will come up again on its merits. Great interest has been aroused in an old subject by the meeting in Washington recently of the ladies of the Washington University Association. These ladies have ofganixed for the purpose of establishing a university such ns Washington wished to see when he lived and such ns ho provided for when he died. In Washington's will a bequest Is left for such nu institution of fifty shares of Po-, toihac stock. These shares, of SS(X» par value, have never been accounted for, and nobody to this day Jtnows frhere they •re or who has possess lon of them. In 1828 the Potomac company turned over its franchises and privileges to the Chesapeake and Ohio Cnnnl Company, but the flnnticiiil affairs of thia company become so badly involved that when it failed the shares of stock wore never ncknowkalged to the general government, na provided for in Washington's will. The bequest, with compound interest to dnte, would amount to more than 14.401,000. Senator Morgan of Alabama, of the Committee on Foreign Relations, said at Washington that it would be impossible for the United States to remain complacent should European nations undertake the dismemberment of China. Senator Morgan said: “If partition involves the abrogation of treaties this country would

be left to make terins again with each European’nation separately tn the territory to which its sovereignty extended. Therefore, unless the powers now ambitious for territorial extension take into account the importance of American commercial relations with China, it will be necessary for the Government to intervene >n self-defense. If the cession is absolute, then American interests must be taken care of through the treaties between America and the countries to which the absolute cessions are made respectively. If the territory is given up merely for a time there will lie a mixed responsibility, and it is a good time for intervention and the exercise of American diplomacy. The .German occupation of a part of China nnd the prospective occupation of other parts by various European nations is an effort to complete a cordon of offense to American commerce from Vladivostok to Marseilles or to Liverpool. That cordon is being stretched to contract the trade of 600,000,000 of people who have direct trade and intercourse with the Pacific ocean. There is a great deal in the Chinese problem that vitally interests Americans and which to demand immediate consideration from the State Department and Congress.”