Current Mention

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Nov 17, 1904

— The foundering of two sailing vessels in the North Sea, with the resulting loss of twenty-seven lives, was reported at Hamburg, November 10.

— Eleven persons were killed and ten or fifteen injured in a collision, November 12, between a Union Pacific west-bound passenger and an east-bound extra freight train, one and a half miles west of Azusa, Wyo., on the Oregon Short Line.

— The prominent English statesman, John Morley, is quoted as having said in a discussion of the recent national election in this country: “I have watched the progress of the United States with interest and awe. The prophecy that you are to be the greatest power on earth is coming true. With your resources, energy, and strength, there is not a power in Europe that doesn’t covet your friendship and good feeling.”

— The result of the recent national election in Italy, which was announced November 7, is that the government has been victorious over the extremists, who lost twenty seats. Turin, Naples, Palermo, and almost all the large towns joined Milan and Genoa in defeating the extremists, as a manifestation against the general strike. This was the predominate note in the elections. Count Macola, a personal friend of the pope, and who had the support of the clericals, was among the defeated candidates.

— Previous rumors of the death of the Japanese General Kuroki are confirmed by later reports, according to which the general was wounded by a fragment of a shell at the battle of Liao-yang, and died October 4. The opposing armies in Manchuria are in close touch with each other, each being behind strong fortifications. The fighting is confined to skirmishes and artillery duels. There is little news from Port Arthur, but it is reported that supplies are frequently smuggled into the city through the Japanese blockade.

— The serious and constant menace to life and property from incendiarism in New York City is shown by frequent dispatches similar to the following, which was dated November 10: “Three persons lost their lives, twenty were injured, nearly half a hundred were overcome by smoke, and an equal number are temporarily homeless as a result of a series of fires in various parts of the greater city to-day. In nearly every case the fires were in tenement houses occupied by a large number of families, and at least two of them are thought to have been started by incendiaries. That no more lives were lost undoubtedly was due to the fact that the flames were discovered in every instance before they had made great headway and the excellent use made of life-saving appliances by the firemen.”

— Leaders of the Socialist Democratic party are authority for the statement that Eugene V. Debs, the party’s candidate for president, polled over 600,000 votes in the recent election, or more than four per cent of the total vote. The States showing the greatest ratio of increase are Illinois, Ohio, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and California. The news from Washington estimates a large increase, but no figures are given. The only decreases are reported from Massachusetts and Colorado.

— It appears probable that South America may soon follow the example of Europe in burdening its people with the maintenance of great armaments. A recent telegram from Buenos Ayres says: ‘In view of the project of Brazil to raise a loan of $50,000,000 for the purpose of increasing her fleet, official and other Argentine newspapers are urging a rearrangement of treaties with Chile in order to enable this government to expend $15,000,000 in the creation of an Argentine navy, alleging that Brazil is ambitious of securing supremacy among the South American States.’