Foreign, Labor, and Railroad News
Premier Balfour, of England, made a significant speech in the House of Commons on May 11, in which he dwelt upon the possibility of a clash between England and Russia on the Indian frontier. He stated that Great Britain’s efforts to prevent, by diplomacy, the expansion of Russia toward the Indian frontier had met with failure, and that Russia’s continued advancement in that direction was cause for alarm. In view of this, England must be prepared to defend the Indian frontier. He further stated that the changes in the sea power of other nations necessitated a redistribution of the army and navy to provide for colonial defense. President Roosevelt’s position on the matter of the Chicago strike was a surprise to the strike leaders. In a conference with them, he told the leaders plainly that the strikers must obey the law, and that in every effort of the city’s mayor to maintain order he (the mayor) would have his hearty support. The union men then petitioned the mayor to prevent the police riding on the wagons with the non-union teamsters. This the mayor refused to do. It is now believed that the strike is broken, altho individual acts of violence against non-union men are still reported. A disastrous collision between a passenger and express train occurred in the southern part of Harrisburg, Pa., on May 11. A car of dynamite was set off by the collision, and added greatly to the numbers of the dead and injured. Railroad officials state that 19 were killed outright, and that more than 100 were injured. The wreckage caught fire, and some of the injured were burned to death before they could be rescued. A recent speech of the German emperor is said to have aroused much resentment in both Japan and Russia. He is reported to have stated to his officers that the cause for the defeat of the Russians at Mukden was the immorality and drunkenness of the Russians. He further stated that German soldiers might soon be called upon to check the extension of the Japanese power. A terrific tornado, on the night of May 11, visited the town of Snyder, Okla., and completely demolished the town, which has a population of 1,000. The number of the killed exceed 100, and 150 persons were injured, 40 seriously. Wreckage of homes was carried 17 miles, and the site of the village presented the appearance of plowed ground. The treaty between China and the United States, by the provisions of which Chinese laborers were excluded from this country having expired some time ago, the Chinese minister is preparing to bring action against the United States to recover damages in the cases of those who have been excluded since the expiration of the treaty. The rebellion in Arabia against the authority of the Sultan of Turkey is beyond the control of the Turkish forces in Yemen Province. The city of Sanaa has been captured by them, with 30 cannons, 20,000 rifles, and much ammunition. Re-enforcements of Albanians are being hurried to the disaffected province. California has been practically free from cyclones; but on April 20 a genuine cyclone, or tornado, swept through the country in the vicinity of Visalia, Cal., doing considerable damage to property. Persons living in that vicinity succeeded in getting out of the path of the storm, and so escaped with their lives. A tornado swept through the residence portion of Marquette, Kan., on the night of May 8, killing 29 persons, and injuring 44. In several cases entire families were killed. Fifty persons are reported to have been buried by a landslide at Bender Abbas, Persia, as a result of an earthquake shock which split off the side of a mountain. Yellow fever has broken out in the Panama Canal zone, and a considerable number of the clerical force of the canal constructors are leaving. A conflict is said to have occurred on the Persian frontier between Persian and Russian soldiers, in which 100 of the latter were killed. Eight battle-ships and 20 fast cruisers are to be built for the Russian Government by American ship-builders.