Show OUR FOREIGN MAILS American Steamers to be Employed in the Ocean Service WASHINGTON May 7The transportation transporta-tion of the United States mails to foreign countries has been the subject of a Cabinet Cabi-net meeting PostmasterGeneral Vilas had with him maps showing in the rough the lines of mail communication between the United States and all foreign countries coun-tries The prospect of war between England Eng-land and Russia in which event all l English steamers might be subject to capture cap-ture naturally attracted the attention of the President and his Cabinet to the effect of the policy which has heretofore been pursued by the United States of depending depend-ing upon French English and German steamers to keep up mail communication with the countries of Europe The map which PostmasterGeneral Vilas brought to the Cabinet meeting showed that NOT A SINGLE AMERICAN LINE OF STEAMERS Was engaged in carrying the mail to Europe Eu-rope If war should be declared between England and Russia and this should involve in-volve France and Germany mail connection connec-tion between the United States and Europe Eu-rope would be subject to serious interruption depending upon the attitude of France and Germany toward either England or Russia The English mail steamers would of course make their trips if the Russian cruisers did not capture cap-ture them The point was made and agreed to at the Cabinet meeting that it was A MISTAKEN POLICY FOR THE UNITED STATES To depend upon the ships of foreign governments for the transportation of its mails to other countries No determination determina-tion was reached On the 1st of July 400000 will be available for contracts for carrying ocean mails in American steamers but the Postmaster General has not yet been able to advertise for contracts for carrying this mail as provided pro-vided for by the law enacted by the last Congress The Foreign mails office in the postoffice department has not been managed for the last twenty years with the same energy that has characterized his management of the railway mail I service If it had been there would not be any necessity for delay about advertising I adver-tising the new service Under the law THE NEW CONTRACTS Should dale from July but the law requires re-quires also that the advertisement be published for six weeks and it usually takes three or four weeks to perfect the contracts after the bids under the advertisement ad-vertisement are opened For this reason it is doubtful whether the contracts for carrying the mail to foreign countries authorized au-thorized by the new law can be made to take effect before the 1st of August |