Our Government has been quietly making provision for strengthening our navy and coast defences in case of war.
This fact does not mean that the governmental authorities believe that war is sure to break out. It means simply that they are taking precautions to be prepared for any circumstances which may arise.
The Department of the Navy has been hampered by being obliged to wait for the approval of Congress before it can carry out certain important work. It has, however, lately put two more vessels in commission without the approval of Congress and on its own responsibility. They are the monitor Miantonomoh and the harbor-defence ram Katahdin.
Since the disaster to the Maine, the Government has received a great number of applications for the regular army and for the naval service.
During the past few months some very rich "finds" have been made in the Klondike, and a great deal of excitement has been created there. The facilities for carrying on the work are now greater than they have previously been, and to this fact is attributed the new discoveries.
If the latest reports are to be credited, the gold region is proving to be as valuable as it was thought to be during the first excitement. Nevertheless, it is only the few who win great profits, while the majority suffer.
The Canadian Government is taking an active interest in the Klondike, and it will probably undertake before long to have surveys made to discover the best route from the interior of Canada to the Yukon, and will also have the Mackenzie-River route improved. Sir Wilfrid Laurier has lately expressed the belief that there are gold regions in the Rocky Mountains yet to be discovered.
Our Government has several questions to settle with Canada, arising out of the conflict of opinion regarding the boundaries between the American and the Canadian Klondike. These are likely to be settled, however, in a perfectly friendly way.