Current Mention

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 10, 1908

— The population of Chicago at the present time is 2,425,000, a gain of fifty-eight thousand over the figures for last year.

— An order has been issued by the postmaster-general, which makes a postage rate of two cents an ounce applicable to letters mailed in this country to Great Britain and Ireland, beginning October 1.

— Treasury officials are greatly encouraged in their belief that business conditions of the country are gradually improving not only by increasing receipts from customs and internal revenue, but by the favorable showing made by national banks throughout the country.

— The United States government has officially recognized the new language, Esperanto by appointing Major Straub of the army medical corps to represent this country at the fourth international Esperanto Congress, to be held in Dresden, Germany, Aug. 16-22, 1908.

— In one day last week, twenty-six persons were sentenced to death in Russia. The newspapers have ceased to publish a record of these sentences as they have been prohibited by the government from doing so. Another unsuccessful attempt has been made to assassinate the chief of police at Pyatigorsk.

— A conference of national significance, to consider problems relating to the religious education of the negro, was held by invitation, August 18-20, at Dyke Rock Cottage, Clifton, Mass., in the home of Mr. W. N. Hartshorn, chairman of the executive committee of the International Sunday-School Association.

— A fire which involved a property loss of between one million and two million dollars occurred in the center of the commercial district of New Orleans early last week. The explosion of a large number of barrels of whisky and brandy stored in two of the burning warehouses was a feature of the conflagration.

— The first official test of the Maxim-gun silencer was recently made at the United States armory in Springfield, Mass. It was found that while the discharge of an ordinary rifle is audible at 7,700 yards, this distance was cut down to 1,500 yards by attaching the silencer. The reduction of the velocity of the bullet was found to be not more than five or six per cent.

— The commissioner of insanity for the State of New York, who has recently returned from an inspection of the asylums throughout the State, declares that the records of this year will show an abnormal increase in the cases of insanity over last year. He states that in every one of the hospitals the increase in the number of cases is greatly in excess of other years, and altogether out of proportion to the State's increase of population. The average increase for the last ten years has been seventy-one cases a year, but last year the increase was about seven hundred fifty, and this year he estimates that it will be at least one thousand. Most of the increase is from the city of New York and its vicinity.

— Enormous financial loss to the liquor trade has already occurred, owing to the prohibition wave that is sweeping the country. The large importing houses in New York are doing practically no buying abroad. The imports of wine and liquors for August were far behind the imports of the same month in preceding years.

— On Sunday, August 30, all places in Atlantic City, N. J., where liquor is sold were closed, it being only the fourth time in fifty-four years when the Sunday-closing law was regarded. This unusual experience was due to the threat of Governor Fort that he would employ the State militia to enforce the Sunday-closing law unless it was voluntarily regarded by the liquor-sellers.

— It is stated in a press despatch that the widow of Robert G. Ingersoll is endeavoring to communicate with the great agnostic's spirit. Mrs. Ingersoll is reported as saying: “I do not know that there is a hereafter, but there may be one. I am not a spiritualist, and I do not know that there are spirits; but if spirits exist, I think my husband's spirit will seek me out. I am trying to aid it.”

— Acting Postmaster-General Granfield has promulgated an amendment to the postal regulations, by which cocain and its derivatives are to be barred from the mails. The reason for this new regulation is that many who are addicted to the use of that drug, and have been unable to procure it from their druggists, have been receiving it from some central supply house through the mails.

— A despatch from Berlin states that Vatican circles favor the election of W. H. Taft for president, on the ground that he is the proper man to reconcile the Vatican's interests with those of American Catholics. Mr. Taft's visit to Rome in 1902, when he conferred with the pope about the purchase of the friars' lands in the Philippines, made a favorable impression upon the Roman Catholic authorities.

— Some consternation has been caused throughout Europe during the past week by the announcement that Germany intends to withdraw from the Algeciras agreement in reference to the conduct of affairs in Morocco. According to this agreement, which was signed by all the great powers, including the United States of America, France and Spain were given the work of bringing about a condition of peace in Morocco. For some time Mulai Hafid has been carrying on a war against the sultan, and seems to have been achieving success. Germany now insists upon an immediate recognition of the usurper, while France and Spain insist upon his acceptance of a certain definite program before he is recognized as the ruler of Morocco. The latest despatches indicate that France proposes to stand by the agreement without regard to what Germany may do, and will appeal to the powers for a ratification of her course. Germany's course in this matter is being quite generally criticized throughout the world. Opposition to the French forces in Morocco continues unabated, and during the week two assaults have been made upon the French post at Boudenib, which have been repulsed with heavy loss on the part of the Morocan tribesmen.