Current Mention

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D.C. · Nov 7, 1907

— The general staff of the French navy has decided to recommend the construction of three large battle-ships, in order to keep abreast with the large ships being built in England and Germany.

— November 1 the Diet of Finland unanimously adopted a bill prohibiting absolutely the manufacture of alcohol in Finland, or its importation. As the measure affects Russia’s tariff relations with foreign countries, it is not certain that the emperor will sanction the measure.

— It is believed that a famine is inevitable in the Delhi division of India, and throughout a wide area of the united provinces of Agra and Oudh. An official statement issued November 1 estimates the present drought as being in some respects much worse than that which prevailed in 1896.

— William Dutcher, president of the National Association of Audubon Societies, in a recent address said that it is estimated by government experts that the annual loss inflicted upon the farming interests of the country by the insect and rodent pests amounts to the enormous sum of $800,000,000.

— Later reports of the earthquake in southern Italy, mentioned in these columns last week, indicate that the destruction was more wide-spread than was at first supposed. It is officially stated that the villages damaged by the earthquake number fifty-two. Of this number twenty-eight were badly wrecked. The lists of the dead and wounded have not yet been compiled, but entire families are missing.

— After more than a week had passed, report reached the world of a terrible disaster that overtook the town of Karatagh, Bokhara, on October 21. A severe earthquake, which was felt for several hours, started a terrific landslide which carried a large portion of one of the sentinel peaks of the Altai Mountains into the plain. The whole town was buried, and about 200 persons perished.

— The Ute Indians of South Dakota have been of late threatening to give trouble. They are encamped near the Bad Lands, are well armed, and say they will fight if any attempt is made to compel them to work or send their children to school. The last reports say that they have promised to make no disturbance while representatives of the tribe are sent to Washington to lay their grievances before the government. Four troops of cavalry have reached the reservation.

— As indicating the spirit of progress that seems to be permeating China, it is interesting to note that the new grand councillor has established a government newspaper to supersede the old Peking Gazette, China’s official bulletin for memorials and edicts, and said to be the oldest newspaper in the world. The new paper announced recently that the government, on account of the insufficiency of the Peking Gazette and the inaccuracy of the provincial papers, had planned to establish a government press organ in each province.

— The crews of three Russian torpedo-boat destroyers mutinied at Vladivostok harbor October 30. Revolutionary agitators had gone aboard and succeeded in turning the minds of the men to revolt. The destroyers steamed out to sea and opened fire on the town and the fortifications, which was returned by the loyal boats and the forts. It is reported that only three of the crew of the “Skory,” which was the leader in the mutiny, were alive when she drifted ashore. On the preceding day there had been a serious revolt of part of the garrison, which had been put down with the loss of many men. The original plan of the mutineers was that there should be simultaneous mutinies ashore and afloat, but the plan was not successfully carried out.

— A terrible court scandal in Berlin, involving unnatural crimes, has been made public by the action for slander by Count Kuno von Moltke, former military governor of Berlin, against Maximilian Harden, editor of the Socialist paper Zukunft. Harden, in a series of articles, had charged von Moltke with belonging to a court circle which was trying to influence the kaiser in political matters, but whose members were themselves guilty of gross immoralities. Von Moltke challenged Harden to a duel, which was declined, as that would close the incident. Men and women of distinguished rank were among the witnesses summoned by the defense, and bore such testimony that Harden was acquitted. The judgment in Harden’s favor was based chiefly on the fact that, although the articles published in the Zukunft contained all the elements of defamation, they were not punishable because the accused had proved the truth of his assertions with regard to von Moltke’s character.