--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Tanner, J. M. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 6 number: 2 published: 1902-12 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Dr. J. M. Tanner, "Some Leading Events in the Current Story of the World," *Improvement Era* 6, no. 2 (December 1902): 141–145.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0602unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera0602unse start_page: 141 end_page: 145 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1902-12) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0602unse publication_year: 1902 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1902, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Some Leading Events in the Current Story of the World SOME LEADING EVENTS IN THE CURRENT STORY OF THE WORLD. BY DR J. M. TANNER, SUPERINTENDENT OF CHURCH SCHOOLS, Emperor William's Visit to England. On a recent visit to England, Emperor William was received by a British regiment of which he has the honor to be a colonel. He had made, some time ago, a contribution to the families of this regiment which had done service in South Africa; and at the time of his reception, which was hearty and demonstrative, he made a promise of another contribution. Later, he was received by the King, and, of course, is doing all he can to maintain the friendliest relations with bothhim and the people of England. The change in the attitude of the Emperor toward Britain, in recent years, has been very marked. In 1896, when the Boers turned Dr. Jameson and his raiders down, in such a summary man- ner, to the humiliation both of Mr. Rhodes and the English people, the Emperor telegraphed his congratulations to President Kruger of the Transvaal. The Emperor's congratulations were violently re- sented by the papers and the people of Great Britain. For years, there has been a hostile feeling between the Ger- mans and the English. One of the reasons was the overshadowing influence of Bismarck in all European diplomacy, and the other was the commercial rivalry in oriental countries between the English and the Germans. Bismarck is gone, and the commercial interests of both these countries demand a friendlier interest between them. The Emperor sees this, and is evidently quite willing to meet England half way. It will take some time to remove national prejudices which have been growing for over thirty years. When the generals of the Boer war made an appeal to the world for assistance, and in that appeal made statements of the con- ditions in South Africa which cast discredit upon Great Britain, the appeal was resented in England, and the Emperor, as a conse- quence, refused to receive the same men whom he had congratu- lated only six years ago. The Emperor evidently feels that it is safer to be on the side of the greatest artillery. He is a shrewd man, and there is, perhaps, today not an abler monarch in all Europe. The Great Coal Strike, and the Questions Involved in it. The greatest struggle between labor and capital which this country has ever witnessed is the anthracite coal strike which be- gan early last May. On the one side were one hundred and fifty thousand miners, and on the other a colossal railroad and coal mine combination. Month after month, the miners lay idle, and the public was very meagrely informed of the questions at issue, and therefore in a waiting mood. It was not expected that so large a body of miners could hold out long; but there had evi- dently been a carefully prepared plan of procedure, and other organizations of labor had agreed to support the miners and their families over a protracted period. Now and then non-union men came in to take the place of the miners, but efft)rts to displace the strikers were strongly resented, and in a number of cases there were violence and bloodshed. Little or no coal came to the markets of the great cities of the East. The cost of coal began to rise to enormous prices. The operators of the mines perhaps felt that public sentiment would compel the governor of Pennsylvania to police the coal regions, and allow a supply of non-union men to take the place of the strikers. It finally became doubtful whether a sufficient number of competent miners could be had. The operators decided they could be, and the miners denied it, and the miners appear to be right in their contentions. As the winter approached, a feeling of alarm began to arise. A number of eastern states became involved in the threatening danger of a coal famine, and the President of the United States finally decided to call the operators and the representatives of CURRENT STORY OF THE WORLD. 143 the miners together. The call was responded to early in October. Mitchell, the leader of the miners, came, and offered to refer the question to arbitration by such a commission as the President might appoint. The operators were in no mood to compromise, and proceeded to read the President a lecture upon his duties and their legal rights in the matter. Their reply to the President did not take well throughout the country. Public sentiment be- came aroused, and nothing resulted at the time from the confer- ence. The governors of New York and Pennsylvania then inter- ceded in behalf of the public, only to be rebuffed. Public sentiment now ran to a high pitch. Suits were filed before courts to have receivers appointed to run the mines and railroads. The people must have coal. A public necessity so grave, became a public right in the minds of many. The senti- ment was fast growing against the operators. Something must be done. The whole country now looked to one man as the res- ponsible party. They felt that one word from him would solve the question. He is the most powerful factor in the financial world. He has been the promoter of so many colossal trusts that a word from him would call down almost any opposition, on the part of the manipulators of trusts. That man was J. Pierpont Morgan, the modern king of finance. The extent of his power baffles descrip- tion. The pressure grew stronger every day. Finally, he yielded and spake the word. The operators then agreed that the ques- tion of differences might be settled by a commission of arbitrators appointed by the resident. President Roosevelt was victorious. The country applauded his victory, and the miners began work. The questions were the usual ones: an increase of wages, in this case twenty per cent, and a reduction in the hours of labor twenty per cent. The general question, however, was the recognition of the labor union. The operators now contend that that must not enter into the decision of the commissioners. The "collective bargaining," by which the union makes contracts for all the men, is what the operators declare must not be passed upon. They contend that eighty per cent of their men did not want to go out on the strike, but were compelled to do so by others who had nothing really in common with them. The world awaits with interest the great decision. Never before has public sentiment been so potent in the solution of a labor question; never before has a President of the United States interceded in behalf of the public; never before has the public been made so conspicuously a party to such a controversy. There has arisen some sort of an unwritten law among a very considerable number of laborers, and in the public mind throughout the country, that non-union men should remain aloof when a war is on between capital and labor in such a strike. Other questions came to the front more strongly than ever before. -Must all men belong to a union? Has every man a right to work, whether he belongs to a union or not? Will there eventually be a war between unionists and non-unionists? There is a distinct tendency towards such a struggle. In many cases, capital is growing more disposed to recognize the unions and arbitrate upon questions of the hours of labor and wages; and along with such a tendency, there is a disposition to meet without much controversy the demands of labor, and make the public bear the increase in wages by increase of the price of the products. The trusts which control certain commodities can more easily do this. The labor problem is truly the foremost question of national concern. There is abundant literature on the subject, and it is well worth the study of every one interested in the coming strug- gle between capital and labor. The strike gave rise to a great innovation in one of the great political parties in New York, which declared in favor of state ownership of the mines. Such a dec- laration is truly an innovation on the theories of the Democratic party. More Trouble in Macedonia. The Turks in Macedonia are again troubled by their bellig- erent neighbors, both on the north and on the south. The trouble arises not so much because of what the Turks are doing, or failing to do, as from the jealousy that exists between the Bulgarians on the north and the Greeks on the south. Both these countries are operating upon the theory that they are entitled to the"Sick Man's" province of Macedonia, which has a greater population of Chris- tians than Turks. If either of these countries wait till the "Sick CURRENT STORY OF THE WORLD. 145 Man" dies, it would, in its own judgment, run the risk of permit- ting the other country to seize Macedonia. What, therefore, they are now trying to do, is to wear out European patience, so that Europe will step in and give Macedonia to one or the other of them, or divide it up between them. Not much has been said of late about our claim upon Turkey for the kidnapping of Miss Stone. The Bulgarians were the real culprits. The Turks are, of course, an unprogressive people; but those most familiar with Turkey, generally recognize these Mo- hammedans as much more upright, hospitable, and virtuous, than the Christians of Turkey. The Turk, personally, is not a bad man. When aroused, he, of course, always goes to extremes. The Turks would be only too glad if they could feel that Europe would per- mit them to give the Bulgarians and Greeks, who are seeking to bring about a revolution in Macedonia, a good thrashing. Hall Caine. Hall Caine, the celebrated English novelist, is now visiting the United States, and is receiving the sincere homage from his liter- ary admirers in this country. In the Independent, he pays high tribute to the public library, whose widening influence gives evi- dences of growing intellectual activity. Speaking of the power of authors in their books to lift the poor and unfortunate from the lowly condition of life to an exalted mental vision of the glo- rious thoughts and feelings which the greatest minds have brought to the enjoyment and consolation of all, he says: "Isn't this a wonderful thing to do?You may be rich, but you cannot do it with money; you may stand in high places, but you cannot do it with power. You have done it with books, and books are now the greatest force existing in the world. Judged by the effect on man and on time, a great book is far greater than a great battle; and there is no book so poor but it has taken a generation of men to write it. A race has never been great without having great books." There is fire in the man, and he will undoubtedly give evidence of its burning, before he leaves our country.