tional interests there must be immediate and sufficient protection known of all men. We have courage, but behind it little strength immediately available. We have great national interests, but it is now known of all men that the protection behind them, though possible, is remote. Neither in the Atlantic nor in the Pacific had we six months ago a spot where an American ship could coal as of right. Within six months the God of Battles has planted our flag upon islands in the Atlantic and unfurled it upon islands in the distant Pacific, and a friendly people have unfolded it where the waters break on Honolulu's coral reef. There it will remain as long as American courage backs up American genius upon the decks of an American man-of-war. [Great applause.]

"With the Antilles protecting the eastern end of the Nicaragua Canal, and the Hawaiian Islands and the Philippines as strategic and distributing points in the Pacific, we will be prepared to keep all trade courses and doors open to ourselves, and, if necessary, to coöperate with Great Britain, who at present is fighting single-handed for the "open door" in the Orient. "In this policy England's course runs with ours. May they always run together. In the eloquent words of our recent Embassador to the Court of St. James: These two peoples are bound by ties they did not forge and that they cannot break; they are joint ministers in the same sacred mission of freedom and progress, charged by the imposition of irresistible hands with duties they cannot evade.' [Applause.]"

CURRENT HISTORY.

On May 1, 1899, the State Department received the French Ambassador, M. Jules Cambon, who has represented Spain since our diplomatic relations with that country were interrupted; he to receive from the Secretary of State four warrants for five million dollars each, which settles the sum of twenty million dollars that we agreed to pay Spain for the Philippine islands. After the courtesies of the occasion were over and his authority shown from the Spanish government to receive the amount the warrants were handed over to him for which he signed four receipts-one was sent to our newly appointed Minister to Spain, one to our Ambassador in Paris, one was filed in the Treasury Department, and the fourth retained by the French Ambassador.

Warrants are the same as checks. One of our enterprising "Daughters," Frances Benjamin Johnston, who is by far the most artistic photographer in the city, and is well known in diplomatic and official circles, for most of the personnel have thrown themselves under a sunbeam at her request and posed as she dictated and have left their shadows more than Bradyied by this magician of the new art, thought an interesting subject for the public would be photographs of these warrants. Thus it came that after the kind-hearted Ambassador and others interested had given her a sitting of themselves, she got consent to take a snapshot at the warrants. Four fine negatives were secured. It was not until after she had reached her home that an official went flying after her to tell her that they had been guilty of a breach of law, which declares that it is unlawful to reproduce any United States securities. She very politely told the Treasury official if he would wait she would finish the negatives for the Government. He left with four negatives, as perfect as this artist is renowned for making. This is a copy of one of the warrants:

DIPLOMATIC SETTLEMENT WARRANT, UNITED STATES TREASURY DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, D. C., April 21, 1899.

NUMBER 4509.

TO THE TREASURER OF THE UNITED STATES:

Pay to His Excellency Jules Cambon, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France, representing the government of Spain, five million dollars ($5,000,000).

The Assistant Treasurer United States, New York, will pay this warrant.

ELLIS H. ROBERTS, Treasurer.

F. A. VANDERLIP, Assistant Secretary.
Countersigned: R. J. TRACEWELL, Comptroller.

By C. M. FORCE, Chief Clerk.

THE CURUTTI CLAIM.-From time to time fragments of this story have appeared in the papers. As our Ambassador at Rome, Hon. William F. Draper, has lately taken a hand to ward an amicable settlement of the affair, it may be interesting to know the story to date.

In 1885 there was a political disturbance in the Republic of Colombia, South America, whereby Signor Curutti, a citizen of Italy, who was in business there under the firm name of E. Curutti & Co., had his property confiscated and business destroyed. A claim for damages was put in by the Italian government. The case was given over to arbitration and the two governments submitted the matter to Grover Cleveland, then President of the United States. His decision was that Colombia must pay $300,000 to Italy. Colombia reluctantly made. the first payment. When the time for the next payment came Colombia repudiated her agreement, and after due time Italy sent a war ship to Gartazena, Colombia, and demanded her money. Colombia agreed again to stand by the Cleveland award. Not many days elapsed before a request from Colombia was presented to Italy asking for three months grace; over this there was great indignation on the part of Italy, and she flatly refused. This was the supreme moment, when our Am

bassador stepped in and by his diplomacy and tact secured an extension of time.

But if Colombia does not fulfill her agreement now, she will have to stand alone, as this Government will in no way intercede any further.

QUEEN VICTORIA.-To-day, May 24, 1899, Queen Victoria completes her eightieth birthday. In her long reign of sixtytwo years she has accomplished more for the glory of England than all the kings or queens that have gone before. She has done more for universal peace than any other sovereign, the "Czar of all the Russias" notwithstanding.

Her grandfather's obstinacy lost him the prize colonies of England, but Queen Victoria's sympathy and good will have won back their love, their respect, and has again re-united the Anglo-Saxon race in sentiment if not political bonds. Jefferson and his compeers had given the colonies the Declaration of Independence and on that fourth of July that Jefferson died she was seven years old.

When Adams first presented to the Court of St. James what the Declaration meant to this people, she was not yet born. The War of 1812, with all its intricate questions had not been settled when she was christened. What American will forget when she prevented war in 1862 over the Trent affair by changing Lord Palmerston's dispatch. This act opened the way out of difficulties more serious than had confronted this nation in fifty years. For this the nation will forever hold her in grateful remembrance. Notwithstanding some of her subjects in some of her colonies across the line, could they have their way, the eternal strife of nations would never cease, and notwithstanding some of them fan the flame, go on forever with torch in hand, but after our "one hundred years of experimental government" and success we look upon these cousins with pity, and ask them to take up the refrain of one of their spokesmen: "We are all of us as the Lord made us, and some of us a great deal worse," so we forgive. We shall still pay homage to the Queen of our Mother Country, and nowhere in any country will there be deeper affection shown to-day than in the United States for the woman who has rounded four score years in a reign crowned with glorious memories.