News and Miscellany

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Mar 30, 1911

News and Miscellany

Notes and clippings from the daily and weekly press

—Replying to Russia’s ultimatum, China agrees to a complete acceptance of the points insisted upon by the latter. This involves the establishment of consulates at Kobdo, Haz, and Guchen, and other important concessions demanded by Russia.

—March 15 Judge Hazel, of the United States District Court at Buffalo, N. Y., fined the New York Central Railroad $35,000, and the Pennsylvania Railroad $20,000, for granting rebates to the Standard Oil Company. The rebates were on freight charges for oil shipments.

—According to recent advices, Athens and other Grecian towns in that part of the country are now suffering from a severe epidemic of cerebrospinal meningitis. Many deaths have occurred, and a very severe form of the disease is reported to exist. The Health Department of the United States is taking prompt measures to prevent its introduction into this country through Grecian immigrants.

—The report of the Italian Emigration Bureau shows that the character of emigration to America is changing. Only five years ago, emigrants settled permanently in America; but now they return to their native land when they have saved a minimum of $200 or a maximum of $2,000. It is estimated that twenty per cent return to Italy within a year, and the remainder, with a few exceptions, within five years. During the year 1910, Italians in North and South America sent back to relatives in the home land, through banks and post-office money-orders, $100,000,000. It is estimated that the total amount returned to Italy from her sons in the two Americas aggregates $250,000,000 annually.

—The claim is made that in consequence of the co-operation of the missionaries in the opium reform movement in China, the smoking of that drug has been reduced from forty to fifty per cent during the last three years.

—During the month of February, deaths from the plague in India numbered 88,498. It is claimed that the epidemic is particularly virulent this year, and the most persistent efforts to stamp it out have failed to effect a permanent improvement in the situation.

—Of what benefit the Norwegian fisheries are to that country may be seen from the fact that over 3,000 foreigners visited Christiansand alone during the past year in the interest of that industry. Most of these people came not to catch but to buy fish. The value of fish sold at this place amounts to over 1,000,000 crowns annually.

—March 18, by the pressing of an electric button by former President Theodore Roosevelt, the Roosevelt Storage Dam of Arizona was efficiently opened. This project is a part of the national irrigation policy which was begun under his administration, and it is claimed that it means much in the way of reclaiming thousands of arid acres in Arizona.

—The greatest “deep” of the sea is near Guam, the Challenger deep, measured by the expedition whose name it bears to be 5,000 fathoms, and by the Nero to be 5,269 fathoms, sixty-six feet less than six English miles. If Mount Everest were placed on the sea bottom here, there would be an ocean of 2,000 feet in depth above its top. There are three soundings in the Pacific of more than five miles, and nine above four miles. There is only one of four miles in the Atlantic, lying north of the Virgin Islands. To be termed a “deep,” the soundings must show three miles or more. Altogether there are fifty-six known deeps. Recent soundings have shown great cones to be present in the Pacific, some miles in diameter at the base, and rising to within perhaps half a mile of the surface.

—The situation in Mexico remains practically unchanged. During the last week there have been several attacks and counter-attacks between the insurrectos and the government troops, with some loss of life. Railroads in some sections have been torn up, and more or less general marauding and pillaging carried on. The Mexican government seems to consider it necessary to preserve a strong force of government soldiers at the capital for the protection of the general government. The work of mobilization of the United States troops on the Texas frontier has gone steadily forward during the last few days. The particular purpose of this mobilization seems to be to keep down the organization of filibustering movements and the furnishing of supplies from the United States to the insurrectos, and doubtless also to be prepared for more decisive measures in the event of greatly increased disturbances in the neighboring republic. It is expected that this extra policing of the border line will serve very materially to shorten the period of disturbance, in that it will cut off the supplies of insurgent parties.

—March 18 a Japanese steamer was sunk in a collision in the Inland Sea, carrying twenty-eight men to a watery grave.

—A despatch from Fez says the situation in Morocco is exceedingly grave. All the tribes are discontented at the abuses of the government, and are arising and preaching a holy war. France has decided to grant further aid to the sultan in furnishing an increase of troops for the purpose of assisting in keeping the turbulent tribes in order.

—The Russian premier and minister of the interior, P. A. Stolypin, resigned on March 20. His resignation was promptly accepted by the emperor. V. N. Kokovsoff, minister of finance in the Stolypin cabinet, will be the new premier. This is considered by many as a victory for the liberal element of the Russian Duma, who have long sought Stolypin’s downfall. What effect the change of premiers will have on the liberal government movement, remains to be seen.