Current Mention

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 17, 1908

— The closing session of the Sixtieth Congress of the United States was called to order at noon, December 7.

— The steamer “Soo City” was wrecked off the coast of Newfoundland about December 1, going down with her crew of twenty-eight men.

— It is now stated that the United States will not completely evacuate Cuba on the first of January as at first planned, but will retain a portion of the present army of occupation until April.

— The steamship “N. M. Clemson” is reported to have gone down with her crew during a gale on Lake Superior about the first of December. She carried a crew of twenty-five men.

— The revolutionary army in Haiti has marched into the capital, but order is being maintained. There is some indication that a civil war may be brought on between the north and south portions of the republic as a result of the revolution. Reports indicate that General Simon, the leader of the revolution, will be made president.

— The annual report of the Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. Geo. B. Cortelyou, shows a reversal of the conditions for the fiscal year of 1908 as compared with the conditions for 1907. For the latter year the receipts were $84,236,586 in excess of the disbursements; but for the fiscal year 1908 the disbursements were $58,070,201 in excess of the receipts, due to business depression.

— Catholic institutions, priests, and nuns throughout the country have been victimized by a Catholic financier, P. J. Kieran, of New York, to the extent of over four million dollars. These individuals and institutions had placed money, notes, and bonds in the hands of the Fidelity Funding Company, of which Mr. Kieran was manager. The institution has practically no assets, and the manager is in hiding.

— The conference of the powers called by Great Britain for the framing of a code of laws to govern naval warfare and for the formation of the international prize court, recommended by The Hague Congress, was opened at the British Foreign Office on December 4.

— The President’s message at the opening of the present session of Congress was one of the longest ever presented. It recommends reorganization of the navy; more battle-ships; the fortification of the Hawaiian Islands; improvement of waterways; higher salaries for all judges; the saving of the forests; complete national control of corporations; a greater share for workers in the wealth they produce; a new currency system; postal savings-banks and parcels post; immediate admission of Arizona and New Mexico as States; and citizenship for the inhabitants of Porto Rico.

— Three Dutch war-vessels have been cruising along the coast of Venezuela during the week, and have searched a few vessels, while the Venezuelans have been manning their coast defenses, and threatening to fire on any Dutch war-vessel coming within range. In the meantime President Castro is in France on his way to Berlin for a surgical operation. In view of the fact that diplomatic relations between France and Venezuela have been broken off for some time, the French permitted him to land only on specific conditions which he must observe while passing through French territory.