Current Mention

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 4, 1909

— Seven men were killed and two injured in a train wreck at Delmar, Md., on February 22.

— February 21 severe earthquakes were experienced throughout the Elche district of Spain, also at Crevillente, and the people are camping in the fields.

— Earthquake instruments at London, on February 26, recorded another earthquake of the greatest intensity, but its location has not yet been determined.

— Six persons were killed and more than a score injured by a tornado which wrecked every building save two in the town of Marked Tree, Ark., on February 23.

— President Roosevelt’s order detaching the marines from all the war-vessels of the navy and assigning them to duty on shore is to be overruled by Congress, if the House accepts the recommendation of the joint committee to that effect.

— The California Legislature passed a bill, February 24, providing for a complete census of the Japanese in that State, that the State might be able to determine whether it should ask Congress to pass a general Asiatic exclusion act.

— A mineral which is called radiothor was recently discovered by a Chicago chemist in analyzing a peculiar grade of pitch-blende obtained in Colorado. The new substance is claimed to have all the curative qualities of radium, without its dangerous effects.

— The wonderful growth of this country is well illustrated in a comparison of the postal appropriations of three different years. In the year 1800 the postal appropriations amounted to $280,804. In the year 1860 they had increased to $8,518,007. For the present year they amount to $224,000,000. The figures for the last-named year are an increase of more than one hundred per cent over the appropriations for the same purpose nine years ago.

— Blizzards of great severity have prevailed in southwestern Russia during the week, completely blocking two thousand miles of railway. A report from Odessa states that more than one hundred lives were lost in southwestern Russia during the three days of the storm.

— The question of such a change in the constitution of the State of New York as will permit woman suffrage is now before the New York Legislature as a result of a hearing at Albany on February 24. The judiciary committee of the legislature has agreed to report to the assembly next week.

— A successful test of the wireless telegraph apparatus was made on a swiftly moving Lake Shore train on February 27, messages being sent from the train in western Pennsylvania to the wireless station at Cleveland, Ohio. Exchanges of telegrams were also made between a number of other stations.

— The Liberal forces in Persia have come in conflict with the forces of the government, and in the engagement the latter have been defeated. The Liberals expect soon to march on the capital. The telegram bringing this report also states that another earthquake in Persia has destroyed thirty villages. The loss of life is not given.

— Because of the murder of a policeman at Omaha, Neb., February 19, by a Greek, mobs attacked and wrecked a large number of buildings occupied by Greeks. In the encounters incident to the work of the mob several were severely injured. The matter has been taken up by the Greek minister to the United States.

— President-Elect William H. Taft has completed his cabinet. The members are as follows: Secretary of State, Philander C. Knox, of Pennsylvania; Secretary of the Treasury, Franklin Mac Veagh, of Illinois; Secretary of War, Jacob M. Dickinson, of Tennessee; Attorney-General, George W. Wickersham, of New York; Postmaster-General, Frank H. Hitchcock, of Massachusetts; Secretary of the Navy, George Von L. Meyer, of Massachusetts; Secretary of the Interior, Richard A. Ballinger, of Washington; Secretary of Agriculture, James Wilson, of Iowa; Secretary of Commerce and Labor, Charles Nagel, of Missouri.

— The American battle-ship fleet, with its escort of battle-ships and cruisers, arrived off the Virginia capes on the night of February 21, and on the following morning sailed into Hampton Roads, where it was reviewed by the President. The returned fleet and its escort made up a fleet of thirty war-vessels, the strongest American fleet ever assembled. The review of the fleet by the President brought to an end its long cruise of fifteen months.

— The representatives of both the United States and Great Britain in China have entered remonstrances to the Russian government against the Russian administration of municipal affairs at Harbin, Manchuria. This remonstrance is backed also by the protests of China because of Russia’s continued occupation of her territory. The American and British representatives have both notified Russia that they expect her to live up to the agreements outlined in the treaty of Portsmouth.

— By a vote of 168 to 141, the House of Representatives, on February 24, refused to allow an increase in the salary of the President of the United States to $100,000. The House finally agreed to an amendment, making the President’s salary $75,000, with no appropriation for traveling expenses. The House also refused to allow an increase in the salaries of the Vice-President, Secretary of State, Speaker of the House, and for members of the Supreme Court, Circuit and District courts, and for the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia.

— United States Commissioner of Corporations Herbert K. Smith, has made public that portion of his report dealing with the tobacco trust. He states that this great tobacco combination is composed of eighty-nine subsidiary concerns, with a capitalization of $316,000,000. The commissioner shows that this trust is practically the only exporter of tobacco, controlling substantially the entire output of the country. An idea of the extent to which it has absorbed independent concerns may be gathered from the fact that since 1897 the number of independent concerns handling tobacco has dwindled from 243 to 17.

— Conditions in Europe still bear a warlike aspect. Austria gives evidence of a desire to invade and punish Servia. Russia is opposed to such action on the part of Austria, and has ordered out certain classes of her reserves for six weeks’ military practise. Germany still favors Austria. Servia and Montenegro have agreed that in case of hostilities with Austria, they will act together, and Prince Nicholas of Montenegro will be in command of the combined forces. Servia has indicated her willingness to entrust her grievances to a European court of arbitration, and England has indicated her willingness to participate in the court if Russia also will join. The one favorable omen in the situation is Servia’s willingness to submit her case to such a tribunal.