News and Miscellany

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D.C. · Feb 12, 1914

News and Miscellany

Notes and clippings from the daily and weekly press

— The number of victims of Alpine accidents during 1913 was 102, according to statistics made public recently.

— A press dispatch from Hamburg, Germany, reports that during the past two weeks severe storms have done great damage to Elbe shipping ports. Fifty-two lives were lost, according to latest advices.

— On the last day of the year 1913, the Pan-American States Association of New York City filed plans for what is to be the highest building in the world. This structure will cost $2,500,000. It is to be 895 feet high, and will have 51 stories.

— The women of France recently presented a petition to parliament asking that the number of bars, saloons, and other places for the sale of intoxicants be reduced. The petition was signed by 222,072 women. During the past ten years, liquor-selling establishments in France have increased in number more than 40,000.

— Southwestern Europe has been visited by the worst cold wave in fifty years. The roads in many parts of France were impassable, being covered with drifts of snow some eighteen feet deep. In Belgium twenty-six deaths resulted from the severe cold. Hundreds of barges of coal from Germany were icebound, and scarcity of fuel caused intense suffering.

— Declaring them to be “human leeches and a universal menace to Mexico,” all Chinese have been barred from entering Mexico by a decree issued January 24, by Victoriano Carranza. The constitutionalists declare that every effort will be made to drive the Orientals now in the state out of Mexico. The campaign is the result of the growing dislike of the Chinese because of their domination in industrial and mercantile pursuits, which has forced many Mexicans out of business.

— A collision between the liner “Nantucket” and the steamer “Monroe” occurred off Cape Charles, on the Atlantic coast, during the night of January 30. The “Monroe” sank in ten minutes, forty-one persons losing their lives. The accident took place during a dense fog.

— The Aero Club of America announced February 1 that it had promised its cooperation in plans for an aeroplane race around the world, to be started from the Panama-Pacific Exposition grounds, San Francisco, in May, 1915, and to be completed at the same place in ninety days. The first prize will be $100,000.

— The powers of Europe have decided upon an international demonstration in Albanian waters to enforce their demands that Essad Pasha give up his claim to the throne of Albania. Each nation will send one ship to Durazzo. This action of the powers is taken as an intimation to Turkey that the future of Albania is now a European question.

— A general revolt has broken out in Haiti, and all attempts of the government to check the revolution have proved without avail thus far, according to dispatches to the State Department, where anxiety is felt regarding the situation. It is feared if the rebel successes continue many more days, the United States will save itself from serious embarrassment only by taking drastic action to uphold the hands of the Orestes government.

— Government monopolization of telegraph, telephone, and wireless communications, “and such other means for the transmission of intelligence as may hereafter develop,” is recommended in a report submitted to the Senate January 31 by Postmaster-General Burleson. Immediate government ownership of telephone lines is recommended, with a system of license for the other agencies of communication, establishing a government monopoly even where there is not actual ownership.

— The first step looking to the removal of possible friction between the United States and European powers, so this government may have a free hand in dealing with whatever problems may arise in either Mexico or Japan, was taken last week when the foreign relations committee of the Senate favorably reported twenty-four general arbitration treaties. The committee passed upon not only the eight treaties that have lapsed, but upon sixteen that are still effective and have some months to run.

— A coalition between Servia and Roumania to break up the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the event of its intervention in favor of Bulgaria during the recent Balkan war was made by a secret treaty signed on June 10, 1913, according to La Petite République. The newspaper says the arrangement was known to both Germany and Russia, and they were to have shared in the spoils. The substance of the alleged treaty is printed today, showing that Germany was to be rewarded with Bohemia and the whole of German-speaking Austria; Russia was to obtain Galicia; Servia was to take Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Dalmatia; while Roumania was to receive Transylvania and all of Hungary east of the river Tisza, thus doubling the size of her territory.

— Heavy floods, in which more than 2,000 persons have been drowned, are sweeping the state of Bahia, Brazil, according to dispatches received recently by French business concerns. Vast areas of land have been suddenly inundated.

— An extensive system of land fortifications for the Hawaiian Islands is under consideration in Congress. The bill in question provides over $5,000,000 for the establishment of a strong military post, supplemental to the Hawaiian naval base, and the transfer of some forty-five field artillery pieces.

— The American Red Cross Society has been granted by the Chinese government a year in which to obtain $20,000,000 to carry out a project for controlling the river Hwai, whose yearly overflows have hitherto caused great loss of life and damage to property. A preliminary agreement to this effect was signed January 30 by Paul S. Reinsch, American minister to China, and representatives of the Chinese government.

— The British government has issued a proclamation forbidding the importation of guns or ammunition into Ireland. This is a step taken to embarrass the Ulster movement, which has been planning to resist home rule. Some of the Ulster leaders claim that the order is late, for they now have 80,000 rifles on hand, with quantities of ammunition. Many of these are being removed to country districts for greater safety.

— Secretary Wilson of the Department of Labor suggested to Congress recently that the doors of the United States be closed hereafter to the Hindu laborer. Injury to labor conditions on the Pacific Coast of the United States through an already unaccountable influx of Hindus, and a possible extension to the Southern States, were the reasons given by Mr. Wilson for urging their immediate exclusion. The immigration of Chinese and Japanese coolies is already regulated by an understanding with the governments of the Far East.

— The major part of the antitrust program recently placed before Congress by President Wilson, is comprised in four bills summarized as follows: (1) Creating an interstate trade commission, to act in an advisory capacity to the courts and the Department of Justice; (2) prohibiting interlocking directorates or control of potential competitors doing an interstate business; (3) defining unlawful monopoly or restraint of trade; (4) prohibiting certain trade relations and practices, such as underselling in one locality to stifle competition, while recouping by increased prices on the same commodity in another locality.

— A bill prescribing the worship of Heaven and of Confucius by the president of the Chinese republic was passed January 29 by the administrative council, which took the place of the Chinese parliament, recently dissolved by President Yuan Shi Kai. The measure was submitted to the council by Yuan Shi Kai himself. It is understood the president’s idea is to set an example to the Chinese nation, which he thinks needs the moral upbuilding influence of religion. The president will worship at the Temple of Confucius, and at the Temple of Heaven annually in the same way as the Manchu emperor did, but without wearing the diadem.

— Fighting has again broken out between Bulgaria and Greece. Turkey is displeased over the recent treaty which deprived Greece of the Ægean islands, and has warned the powers that she will refuse to accept this unjust decision.

— By a command of Dictator Huerta, editors and news correspondents in Mexico were warned a few days ago that the government would suppress all newspapers in that land, and expel all correspondents for papers in other countries, who did not favor the present administration.

— The dispatches from Tokio announcing that the Japanese parliament has consented to an appropriation of $80,000,000 for the navy for the next fiscal year, already are being used as a strong argument in favor of increasing the United States building program for the year by two more battleships.