p. 14 | NEWS AND NOTES

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jun 25, 1896

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 25.

NEWS AND NOTES

FOREIGN.

—Advices from Venezuela state that during the past week Venezuelan troops crossed the boundary into British Guiana and ordered off a company of English surveyors. The news has again aroused feeling in England.

—An exchange says that on a recent Sunday nearly five hundred sermons on the subject of the observance of Sunday were preached in various places of worship in London and the provinces, under the auspices of the Workingmen’s Lord’s Day Rest Association.

—President Krueger, of the Transvaal, has made request to England for the trial of persons really guilty of attack upon the South African Republic, which just demand has hurt the pride of Britishers. Special reference is had to Cecil Rhodes, the head of the chartered company.

—A despatch from Brest, France, dated June 17, states that the British steamship Drummond Castle, from Cape Town to London, struck a sunken reef the night preceding off Isle de Molene, and sank almost immediately, carrying down with her 244 persons. Only three escaped, so far as known.

—The revolt in Crete continually assumes larger proportions. The inhabitants of that island refuse absolutely to accede to the sultan’s demand to lay down their arms before concessions as to needed reforms are granted. They have no faith in the word of the porte. In the meantime arms and ammunition are being shipped from Greece.

—The report comes from Yokohama that at least 1,000 people have been killed by earthquakes in the island of Yezo, the northern large island of the Japan group. One hundred and fifty heavy shocks were experienced during twenty hours, and the town of Koshima is reported to have been entirely wiped out by a tidal wave. Later reports place the loss of life as high as 10,000.

—Dr. Jameson and five others, principal leaders in the incursion on the Transvaal, were committed for trial at the Bow Street Police Court, London, June 15. They were released on £2,000 bail each, with a surety for all of £1,000. The nine others implicated in the raid were discharged, and the statement was made that Jameson desired to take the whole responsibility, holding that his companions had acted under his orders.

—Germany is feeling Li Hung Chang, and it is said negotiations are under way whereby the import duties of China will be raised, but not without a reciprocal feature, which will be a coaling station for Germany in Chinese waters. Some embarrassment is being experienced by the German foreign office just at present, owing to the simultaneous presence in Germany of their distinguished Chinese guest and Marshall Yamagata, of Japan.

—A famine is said to be under way in the interior of China, owing to a meager rainfall last year. Rice has advanced to the fabulous figure, for that country, of about $5.00 per hundred pounds, and women in many cities are offering their children for sale for a few cents only, preferring to see them in the hands of Europeans rather than have them starve. Added to the famine is the danger of cholera or some similar plague.

—It is said that the czar is not likely to grant his Catholic subjects further liberties, on account of the attitude of the pope at the recent coronation exercises. The pope demanded that his special envoy should have precedence before all other ambassadors at the coronation. This privilege the czar refused to grant, as his father had refused before him. At first the pope threatened to send no representative, but as this threat had no effect, he relaxed and sent Mgr. Agliardi at the head of a deputation.

—A member of the Jewish community of Moscow recently petitioned the governor for permission to complete and open the unfinished synagogue for public worship. The building, which was to have been one of the handsomest in Europe, and upon which a vast sum had already been spent, was, by order of the governor-general of Moscow, closed three years ago and the entrances barricaded. The reason for this step was that a large synagogue was unnecessary in a town from which all the Jews had been expelled except a few persons of the First Guild. The petition just forwarded to the governor was answered by the chief of police, who intimated that it would not be considered, and that if any further petitions on the same subject were sent, the authors of them would be punished. He added that unless the building were turned to some other use, it must be sold forthwith; otherwise it would be confiscated by the authorities.

—Statistics given by the Moravian Brotherhood show that for a total number of 93,000 converts, the expense has been $400,000, which gives an average for each convert of less than $5.00. This somewhat contradicts the arguments of enemies of foreign missions, who claim that the cost of securing conversions of the heathen is altogether out of proportion to the results obtained. The cost may be heavy in many instances, and the best use of means may not always be employed, but who will undertake to measure the worth of a soul?

—The proclamation of the czar of Russia was looked for with considerable interest, as it was hoped some much-needed reforms would be inaugurated. Especially was it hoped that the strict censorship and inhibitions on Russian newspapers and journals would be relaxed, as hints had been made to that effect. But the clergy and chief advisers it is claimed succeeded in changing the emperor’s intention. But generally the proclamation has been a disappointment. The main points we take from the Literary Digest, and are as follows: “In European Russia and in Poland all arrears of taxes are remitted; the land tax is reduced fifty per cent for a period of ten years; all fines below 300 rubles are either lowered considerably or remitted altogether, except in the case of persons guilty of robbery, usury, fraudulent bankruptcy, or extortion. Political offenders banished to Siberia for a term of twelve years will be allowed to choose their place of residence after a period of ten years. Civic rights are, however, not restored to them. Banished criminals will be pardoned after serving two-thirds of their term. The death sentence is changed to twenty years’ hard labor. The minister of justice may commend to the special clemency of the czar a certain number of political delinquents. Political refugees will be pardoned, if fifteen years have passed since the occurrence of the deed which caused them to fly. Lithuanian and Polish refugees will be pardoned, if they swear fealty to the czar. The German Protestant ministers imprisoned and banished for violating the rules of the Orthodox Church are pardoned.”

DOMESTIC.

—By the breaking of an immense reservoir near Baker City, Or., on the night of June 16, a whole family of seven, whose home was in the path of the rushing waters, was swept out of existence.

—On June 17 the boiler of a small excursion steamer on the Erie Canal, at Little Falls, N. Y., blew up, killing eleven persons and fatally injuring several others. There were twenty-seven passengers on board at the time.

—The prolonged strike of Columbia fishermen has come to an end, and fish are being caught and furnished to the canneries at four and one-half cents a pound, the terms offered by the canneries. The union of fishermen, which numbered 3,000 a few weeks ago, has dropped in numbers to about 100. Trouble was averted at the last by the presence of five companies of troops, which doubtless had considerable influence in the dissolution of the union.

—Bishop Taylor, the widely-known missionary to Africa, who was recently retired by the Methodist General Conference on account of his age, has astonished the country by leaving for Africa to establish missions “on his own hook.” Since being relieved of the care of the fifty missions he has established in West Central Africa, he states that his health is much improved, and now at the age of seventy-five he purposes to go alone, with the exception of some native carriers, and unarmed, into the heart of Africa, carrying the message of peace. His family lives in Alameda, Cal.

—The Republican national convention has finished its work at St. Louis, and as the result, places in the field William McKinley, of Ohio, for President, and Garret A. Hobart, of New Jersey, for Vice President. These candidates were chosen on the first ballot. The two principal features of the platform adopted at St. Louis are a protective tariff and a gold standard. In consequence of not admitting any silver plank, several western states, led by Senator Teller, of Colorado, withdrew from the convention, and it is quite probable that the silver advocates will put forward a candidate representing their views.

—Popular interest somehow is always awakened over the doings and movements of our neighbors across the water,—the Chinese and Japanese. A new minister from the latter country to this has just arrived in San Francisco, by name Hoshi Turi. This gentleman takes the place of Minister Kurino, who goes from Washington to the court of Italy. To be expected, Mr. Hoshi, or Turi, has been interviewed, and gives glowing accounts of the progress of Japan. Of interest to us is the fact that the largest importations to that country are from England and Germany, from the simple fact that they undersell Americans. Concerning the manufacture of cheap bicycles in Japan, which have threatened to crowd out the article in this country, the new minister says the wheels made there are light affairs, designed principally for children. Their higher grade wheels come from England. The larger share of cotton goods manufactured is taken by China. To provide for revenue the government has monopolized the tobacco industry and trade. Accompanying the minister is L. Hayakawa, counselor to the Japanese minister of finance, who is on his way to London, where he expects to bring about the settlement of the China war indemnity, one-half of which has already been paid. The balance is £15,000,000.

—Why not? The government has its army and navy, and when these departments or any representatives from them take part in any public demonstration, it is said, and properly, that the action is by the government. The government has its chaplains; then when these chaplains are called upon to make prayers on public occasions, why isn’t it “Uncle Sam” who offers the prayers? This is evidently what the chairman of the committee on arrangements for the celebration of the occupation of Monterey thought when he saw trouble ahead should he ask a minister of some local denomination to offer the prayers of the occasion. Perhaps also some local pressure was brought to bear upon him, for he came to the following conclusion: “This being a national celebration, I decided that the prayers should be offered by Uncle Sam. Now, if Uncle Sam’s prayers are not good enough for everybody, then we had better quit. I don’t propose to be jammed by anybody on this proposition of prayers. In order to have fair play, I have appealed to the army and navy.” Which shows what religion controlled by the state, or vice versa, can do.