p. 20 | Current Mention

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 9, 1908

Current Mention

—Mount Vesuvius, after a month or more of comparative quiet, has again resumed activity. A huge volume of flame and smoke is arising from large fissures at the summit of the crater.

—At the session of the Russian Douma, December 28, a famine appropriation of $7,500,000 was made. This sum will be immediately available for relief in twelve provinces, but additional help will be necessary later on.

—A joint naval demonstration against Turkey has been suggested by the powers that are now negotiating regarding the refusal of Turkey to accept the collective note of the powers recommending judicial and financial reforms in Macedonia.

—Fears are entertained for the Canadian Pacific Line steamer, “Mount Royal,” which left Antwerp, Germany, December 7 for St. John, N. B., having more than 400 persons aboard. No word had been received from her when she was ten days overdue.

—The trial in St. Petersburg, Russia, of 169 members of the first Douma, who published from Viborg, Finland, a manifesto after the Douma was dissolved, has resulted in the conviction of 167 on the charge of “reasonable practises.” They were sentenced to three months’ imprisonment; but have appealed to the Senate.

—John D. Rockefeller has added $2,191,000 to his gifts to Chicago University, which brings the total of his benefactions to this institution up to more than $23,000,000. In this connection it is interesting to note that statistics for the year 1907 show that known gifts of wealthy persons for various philanthropic purposes for the year were $148,902,130.

—A strike of the street-car employees at Muncie, Ind., followed the refusal of the traction company to renew the wage agreement that has been in effect for five years. Mobs attacked the cars run by strike breakers on three successive days, demolishing the cars and injuring 16 persons. The police have made 100 arrests, and the governor has ordered out the militia, and declared martial law.

—A series of revivals is planned to be held in every county of Kansas during 1908. Hundreds of ministers of various denominations, assisted by numerous evangelists, will conduct these meetings. The movement will be under the supervision of a board composed of two preachers and two laymen from each denomination. This board has already been organized with fifteen denominations represented.

—A street fight between three firemen and scores of Japanese at Vancouver, British Columbia, on New Year’s day in which the firemen were severely wounded, has revived bitter racial feeling. Two thousand Japanese are said to be armed to resist the slightest interference, and at a meeting of the Vancouver trades and labor council it was seriously proposed that, if there was no legal means by which the police could disarm the Japanese, the laboring men should arm themselves for cases of emergency.