p. 14 | International

Pacific Press Publishing Company · OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA · Jun 7, 1899

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 25, No. 23.

International

International.—There are persistent reports from the Orient to the effect that China is tiring of giving away valuable concessions to the great powers and receiving nothing in return but further demands, and that she is preparing to throw down the gauntlet to Germany or Russia or both. Russia has notified China that she intends to begin at once surveying the railroad to connect her Manchurian system with Peking, in spite of China's refusal to grant her the right of way. Russia will send in her engineers, backed by her troops, and push the line through to Peking. The Chinese troops on the border of Thibet have driven back a detachment of Russians who were attempting an invasion and a capture of Chinese territory. The Germans are preparing more extensive demands in the region of Shantung, on account of the killing of three German officers a few days ago.

The eightieth birthday of Queen Victoria was celebrated in all parts of the world by British subjects, on May 24. The circumstance was the occasion of felicitations between Englishmen and Americans everywhere. At Port Tampa, Florida, 200 English marines were landed from two British war-ships, and took part with a detachment of the Florida Naval Reserves in a grand procession. The queen received congratulatory telegrams from all parts of the world, and there were brilliant gatherings in all foreign capitals to celebrate the event.....It is reported that the French Court of Cassation will order a revision of the Dreyfus case, but there was not sufficient evidence to quash his conviction..... A tuberculosis congress was opened in Berlin on May 24, with representatives from all the principal countries in the world. There were 2,000 delegates in attendance, and the emperor and empress were present during the first session.....Admiral Dewey was given an enthusiastic reception by the British at Hongkong on his arrival there May 23.

The State Department at Washington has been notified that Japan has seized and occupied Marcus Island, in the Pacific Ocean, which action will necessitate a change in the route of the proposed American cable.....The proposal of the United States to send troops to a certain portion of Alaska where the boundary is in dispute is objected to by England.

Religious.—At the Presbyterian General Assembly at Minneapolis, May 19, the time was given to a discussion of Sabbath observance and Sunday desecration. A special committee reported that it had been unable to keep Congress and the President from granting Roman Catholics the privilege of building a chapel on the West Point Military Academy grounds. Resolutions were adopted deprecating the secularizing of Sunday; urging the legislatures and Congress to protect the American Sabbath; recommending that every pastor preach on Sabbath observance on some Sunday in October and take a collection for the Sabbath Union; requesting the Board of Publication to prepare a specific Sabbath observance leaflet for the use of Sunday-school superintendents; and expressing sympathy with "the 3,000,000 Americans, who, because of Sabbath desecration, are compelled to do secular work on Sunday."

At the national congress of reform-school faculties, held at Cincinnati on May 22, the superintendent of the Illinois State Reformatory made the important statement that the smoking of cigarettes is making more criminals than are being turned out by the saloon. In his reformatory, out of 63 wayward boys averaging twelve years of age, 58 were cigarette smokers; out of 82 averaging fifteen years of age, 73 were cigarette smokers; demonstrating that 92 per cent. of the number were cigarette fiends at the time of committing the crimes which caused them to be sent to the institution......New Sunday-law bills have been introduced in the Senate of Tennessee and Rhode Island. That in the former State would prohibit all work on Sunday of any kind except household duties and works of charity, the expressed purpose of the bill being "to secure a more rigid observance of the sabbath." The purpose of that introduced in the Senate of the latter-named State is ostensibly to prevent all business and amusements on Sunday, except on the part of those who religiously observe the seventh day; the real object of the bill is to prevent a portion of the barbers of Providence from barbering on Sunday, lest they draw custom from shops whose proprietors do not care to work on that day.

Casualties and Calamities.—The bubonic plague has made its appearance in Alexandria, Egypt.....Cholera is raging in Karachi, India, and deaths are reported at the rate of over 200 per day.....Yellow fever of a virulent type is raging at Vera Cruz, Mexico, and fifty per cent. of those contracting the disease die.....The Atlantic liner Paris, which ran aground off the southwest coast of England on May 21, is fast on the rocks, with five holes in her bottom, and attempts to float her have thus far been ineffectual.....Reports from the scene of the recent hurricane off the north Queensland coast, Australia, show that the coast for a distance of fifty miles was completely devastated by the fury of the elements. The ground appeared as tho it had been plowed, and dead bodies were found wedged in the branches of many of the trees which were able to stand the gale. The number of persons who lost their lives in this memorable storm is 385.....On May 25 a fire occurred at St. Johns, N. B., which destroyed 150 buildings, leaving about 1,000 persons homeless. The insurance companies estimate the loss at $500,000.....Three white men were lynched near Aley, Harrison County, Texas, on May 24, because they were believed to have assisted in the escape of a man accused of murder.

Domestic.—Commercial reports indicate a considerable increase of trade between the Pacific Coast and the Hawaiian Islands, and quite a number of vessels are fitting out as carriers in addition to the regular lines to these islands.....The Standard Oil Company has secured control of the coal fields in the region of Cook's Inlet, Alaska, and has sent a corps of miners and engineers to Alaska to develop the property.....On May 23 there was inaugurated at Washington, D. C., a three days' peace jubilee, ushered in with a display of fireworks, speech-making, and military parades.....The grain-shovelers' strike on the lakes has been declared off, and the shipping of grain has been again resumed.

Trusts.—The governor of Missouri, on May 24, signed an anti-trust bill, which requires corporations doing business in the State to have a State license. The bill empowers the Secretary of State to refuse a license to trusts attempting to do business in Missouri.....Two powerful cream-tartar trusts, one located in San Francisco and the other in New York City, have declared war upon each other, and each is trying to drive the other out of the field by under-selling its rival.....A beggars' trust is said to have been organized in Philadelphia. Amount of capital not stated.

The Philippines.—The opposing forces in the island of Luzon are still engaged in hostilities, tho the list of casualties is small. Reports from the other islands of the group that have been occupied by the Americans seem to indicate that there is little friction. The peace commissioners are still negotiating for the surrender of the Filipinos, but nothing definite or material has thus far been achieved.

Cuba.—Generals Brooke and Gomez are reported to be in harmony in regard to arrangements for paying the Cuban troops; but many of the Cubans are said to be disbanding on their own account, taking their arms with them to their homes, and declaring they will accept no money from the United States.