Current Mention

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 24, 1908

— The inter-parliamentary union met at Berlin, Germany, on September 17, in the chamber of the German Parliament. The German chancellor honored the convention by his presence, as did also nearly all the members of the Prussian and imperial cabinets.

— The Catholics of England propose, upon the opening of the next parliament, to make a vigorous effort for the repeal of all laws prejudicial to the interests of the Catholic Church in England, and also for the elimination from the king’s oath of the declaration against Catholicism.

— Despatches received from French forces operating on the Algerian frontier, state that last week, the French completely crushed the force of Berber tribesmen which had for some time been threatening the smaller forces of French near that place. The Berbers are said to have lost many hundreds in their frantic efforts to capture the French camp.

— A congress of veterinarian surgeons was held in Washington, D. C., last week, the principal topic of discussion therein being the existence of tuberculosis in dairy herds, and plans for eradicating the disease. In this convention, Dr. D. F. Luckey, of Missouri, in setting forth the true condition in the dairies of the country, declared that in some herds tuberculous cattle numbered as high as seventy per cent. He took direct issue with Dr. Koch on the question of the probability of transmission of this disease from cattle to human beings. Dr. Luckey holds that the tuberculous germ in cattle is transmissible to the human being.

— The election of the governor of Maine took place on September 14. Mr. Bert M. Fernald, of Portland, Maine, Republican, was elected governor by a majority of about 7,300. This is the lowest Republican majority chronicled during the last quarter of a century, and is regarded by some as being due to the question of resubmission of the prohibition law. Mr. Gardner stood for resubmission and Mr. Fernald against it.

— By prompt action on the part of the postal authorities of Philadelphia, Governor Fort, of New Jersey, was prevented from receiving an infernal machine, which seems to have been designed for the purpose of taking his life. The contrivance was mailed the day after the governor declared his intention to enforce the Sunday laws in Atlantic City.

— Advices from Manila, dated September 17, state that thirty-one new cases of cholera have been reported in that city, with a death record of twelve up to that time. The health bureau of the city has entered upon an energetic campaign against the disease, and hopes are expressed by those in charge of this campaign that they will be able soon to stamp out the disease.

— The airship tests at Fort Myer, near Washington, D. C., carried on by Mr. Orville Wright, came to a sudden termination on September 17, when through the breaking of a propeller blade the airship became suddenly unmanageable, and dashed to the ground with Mr. Wright and Lieut. Thomas D. Selfridge. The latter died three hours after the fall, without regaining consciousness. Mr. Wright sustained a broken thigh and the fracture of three ribs. The surgeons report that he will doubtless recover. The machine became practically a total wreck. Mr. Wright’s brother, in France, continues to make successful flights in the same pattern of machine as that destroyed at Fort Myer. On the same day that the Wright airship was destroyed, a French aeroplanist, René Gasnier, met with a similar accident in his flying-machine. He was severely wounded about the head and his flying machine was wrecked. The attempt to navigate the air is proving a very costly one in the matter of human lives.

— For many days the press of Great Britain and also of the United States has been filled with conjectures as to what would happen in London during the great Catholic Eucharist Congress to be held there. This congress ended last week, and was one of the greatest Catholic demonstrations ever held. It was, in fact, the only really great Catholic congress ever held in London. The Catholic Emancipation Act of 1821 left some restrictions still upon the activity of the Catholics in the English realm. For instance, they were not permitted by the law to have processions in the streets, or to carry the “host” through the streets. As soon as the Protestant alliance of England learned of the purpose of the Catholics to conduct a procession through the streets of London bearing the “host,” a vigorous protest was sent to the premier, Mr. Asquith, and the law in reference to the matter was called to his attention. The Catholics felt that the government would hardly dare to forbid the procession; nevertheless the prime minister sent instruction to the leaders of the congress not to attempt to carry the “host” through the streets, because of the probability of riot and bloodshed following such a demonstration. This was a great disappointment to some of the Catholics; but the demonstrations of the people along the route of the procession showed that it was a very wise prohibition under the circumstances. As it was, many were injured in the crowds which obstructed the streets, and almost prevented the procession from passing.

— At the present time the larger republics of South America are all arranging for a powerful increase in their navies. Brazil at the present time is having three of the most powerful warships built for her at private ship-yards in England. Argentina and Chile are also laying plans for a considerable increase in their fleets. These republics are said to have formed a tacit alliance for the purpose of combining forces in time of need against any nation that might threaten or seem to threaten their interests. Thus South America is being brought into line with the United States, Europe, and Asia in that work of war preparation which is to characterize the present generation.

— There seems to be no diminution in the interest of the public in the work of the aeronauts. During the past week a recent record made by Count Zeppelin in Switzerland, when he remained in the air twelve hours on two separate occasions, has been surpassed by Major Gross, a German officer, who has been able to remain in the air with his dirigible balloon for thirteen consecutive hours. Mr. Wilbur Wright, who has been demonstrating the ability of his aeroplane near Paris, France, continues from day to day to exceed the records previously made by him, and his brother Orville, at Fort Myer, near Washington, D. C., has during the past week surpassed the flight which he made as reported one week ago. In the last long flight recorded, Mr. Wright remained in the air one hour and fifteen minutes, lacking a few seconds.

— A list of the greatest conflagrations in the world since 1835, disregarding all fires in which the estimated loss is less than $10,000,000, will show the following startling exhibit for the United States, as compared with other countries:— 1835—Dec. 10, New York, $ 17,500,000 1842—May 4, Hamburg ........ 35,000,000 1848—Aug. 16, Constantinople ........ 15,000,000 1851—May 4, St. Louis ........ 15,000,000 1861—Dec. 12, Charleston, S. C. ........ 10,000,000 1866—July 4, Portland, Me. ........ 10,000,000 1870—June 5, Constantinople ........ 25,000,000 1871—Oct. 8, Chicago .... 165,000,000 1872—Nov. 9, Boston ..... 70,000,000 1876—Sept. 3, St. Hyacinthe, Canada ........ 15,000,000 1877—June 4, St. John, N. B. ........ 15,000,000 1882—Dec. 11, Kingston, Jamaica ........ 10,000,000 1892—July 8, St. John’s, Newfoundland ........ 25,000,000 1896—Oct. 5, Guayaquil, Ecuador ........ 22,000,000 1900—April 27, Ottawa, Hull, Ontario ........ 10,000,000 1901—May 3, Jacksonville, Fla. ........ 10,050,000 1904—Feb. 7, Baltimore .. 50,000,000 1904—April 10, Toronto, Ontario ........ 12,000,000 1906—April 18, San Francisco ........ 350,000,000 Within the last five years, as fire insurance statistics show, the loss of property in the United States from fires alone reaches a total of $1,257,716,855, an average of $251,000,000 a year.—The Outlook.