Current Mention

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 20, 1908

— Hon. W. B. Allison, senior United States senator from Iowa, died in Dubuque, August 4. He had been in ill-health for some time, but the immediate cause of his death was heart failure.

— The American fleet of war vessels left New Zealand last Saturday morning for Sydney, Australia. Their departure was the occasion of a great demonstration on the part of the New Zealanders.

— The aeroplane flying-machine invented by the Wright Brothers of Ohio, is now making a series of very successful flights in France, and has been pronounced by French experts in aeronautics the best flying-machine so far produced.

— As a result of criticism on the part of the Russian Parliament, the czar has dismissed his uncle, Grand Duke Nicholas, from the presidency of the council for national defense. This action on the part of the czar speaks volumes for the influence the douma is acquiring in the control of the highest affairs of state.

— The German Foreign Office is exchanging views with the United States over the question of assisting the republic of Liberia in its efforts to withstand the encroachments of France and England. The officials of Liberia have appealed to both the United States and Germany for assistance in this matter.

— The famous composer, singer, and evangelist, Ira D. Sankey, died last week in Brooklyn, at the age of sixty-eight. Mr. Sankey has been blind for the past five years, but continued his work of hymn-writing almost to the very last. Mr. Sankey’s hymns have been sung in almost every language, and almost every country of the world. It is stated that he has sung many of his hymns into phonographs.

— The Dutch government is seeking America’s views with reference to conditions in Venezuela, and the various contingencies that are likely to arise before the present dispute is settled between Holland and Venezuela. The Dutch government has already discontinued the sending of mail to that country, and the reports indicate that another war-ship is being despatched to the seat of difficulty.

— There was a terrible outbreak of the mob spirit in Springfield, Ill., last week. The outbreak was caused by the repeated assaults of negroes upon white women. The local authorities being unable to cope with the situation, three thousand militiamen were called out. The reports received up to the time this paper was printed showed that five persons had been killed, and twenty-eight injured. The governor of the State of Illinois issued a statement declaring that “the entire resources of the State will be drawn upon, if necessary, to protect every citizen of Springfield in his person and property, and those who violate the law must suffer the consequences.” To prevent another mob from lynching two negroes at Portsmouth, Va., the accused men were taken to another place for safe-keeping. These men are also charged with an assault upon a white woman.

— Eight men were killed, about twenty others more or less seriously injured, and thousands of dollars’ worth of property was damaged by the explosion of a boiler in the York Rolling Mill at York, Pa., on August 10.

— Mylius Erichsen, the Danish explorer who has been mapping the unexplored regions in North Greenland, perished with two of his companions recently while adrift on an ice-floe. The date of his death is not given in the despatch.

— Dr. Harvey W. Wiley, chief of the Bureau of Chemistry in the United States Department of Agriculture, after prolonged investigation of certain preservatives used in preserving foods of different kinds finds that benzoic acid and benzoate of soda can not be used for this purpose without injury to the health of those who partake of foods thus preserved.

— The great German firm of war-implement builders known as the Krupps have purchased of a Swedish inventor all the rights outside of Sweden, to a weapon of war known as an aerial torpedo. It is claimed for this torpedo that it can be directed with great accuracy, fired without noise, and that it will completely demolish any vessel or fort upon which it may fall.

— An indication that the air-ship has really become one of the permanent factors in modern life is seen in the movement that is now on foot to have the names of the villages and cities of the country printed in large white letters on the roofs of large public buildings, so that aeronauts may know where they are as they sail over the country. The city of Columbus, Ohio, will be the first to adopt the suggestion.

— The result of the Cuban elections thus far has been a disappointment to state department officials at Washington. It seems that the element that is winning in the elections is not the element that would give the best indications of permanent peace, as viewed by American officials. The press report states: “The possibility of complications arising that might necessitate a change in the program of evacuation is found somewhat disturbing to the War Department.”

— Canadian government surveyors have begun to lay out a railway route to the southern shore of Hudson Bay. It is expected that legislation allowing the construction of this road will be begun in the Canadian Parliament during the present year. A steamer line in connection with this road will give to northern and western Canada a summer outlet to European markets. The promoters of this project believe that it will greatly help in developing middle and north-western Canada.

— At the present time there is much comment in English papers over the visit of the American fleet to Australasia. Some of the papers are blaming the government for not having a fleet of British war-ships in Australasian waters to welcome the Americans, and others are excusing the government for keeping the fleet at home because of “the necessity of concentrating the British fleet in home waters in view of the more immediate struggle.” The belief seems to persist that Germany and England are soon to be testing each other’s military and naval strength.

— On August 10 the American battleship fleet arrived at Auckland, New Zealand. The fleet is receiving an enthusiastic welcome from people and officials alike. The prime minister, during his address of welcome, presented to Admiral Sperry for President Roosevelt a beautiful gold and silver album, a souvenir of New Zealand. While the newspapers publish long articles welcoming the Americans, they also take occasion to denounce the alliance between England and Japan, which has never been popular with the Australasians.

— At the annual orphans’ picnic, held recently at Pittsburg, Pa., by the Catholics of that city, a number of very questionable methods were employed for raising money. In the past, this picnic has yielded from twenty-five to forty thousand dollars. While the methods of raising this money in the past have been questionable, the mode of procedure for this year was in complete defiance of the law. Gamblers had been brought in, with all kinds of gambling devices, with the understanding that the church was to receive a portion of all sums won by the gamblers. The matter has been reported to the district attorney, who has instructed the county detectives to make a thorough investigation. A number of persons who lost heavily in these games of chance are threatening prosecution. The church officials expected to receive fifty per cent of the winnings, but the reports state that some of the gamblers got away without giving any commission at all, in which case the church received just recompense for its unrighteous combination with evil.