--- 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, Joseph M. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 7 number: 11 published: 1904-09 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Joseph M. Tanner, "Some Leading Events in the Current Story of the World," *Improvement Era* 7, no. 11 (September 1904): 870–876.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0711unse 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: improvementera0711unse start_page: 870 end_page: 876 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1904-09) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0711unse publication_year: 1904 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 1904, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Some Leading Events in the Current Story of the World '872 IMPROVEMENT ERA. ground that Great Britain violated that same treaty, in 1878, by taking its war vessels through the Dardanelles to Constantinople, in order to prevent the Russians from occupying that city. All the civilized world will be interested in the outcome of these complications. What Will Germany Do? According to dispatches from Berlin, the Prussian Minister of War has been recalled from his vacation, in order that Germany may answer Russia's note of inquiry as to what Germany will do in case of a rebellion in that part of Poland which has been annexed to Russia. It is said that there are grave fears of a Polish outbreak when the army of western Russia is sent to Manchuria. It will be remembered that when Poland was overthrown and lost its independence, it was divided among the Russians, Austrians, and Prussians. Ever since, Poland has been restless, and there have been agitations in the country looking to its deliverance. The Poles have, therefore, been troublesome to the Prussians, as well as to the Russians. The German police have always co-operated energetically with the Russians in thwarting Polish ambitions for the re-establishment of the Polish kingdom. The question now arises in speculative diplomacy: Will Ger- ' many co-operate Vv^ith Russia in the suppression of a Polish rebellion, in the western provinces of the czar's dominion? The Germans would very greatly fear a Polish rebellion in Russia, on the borders of Germany, and might take the ground that in self-defense they were obliged to come to Russia's aid in the suppression of the Poles. Such a course would be tantamount to rendering aid to Russia, in her present war with Japan. The Japanese would, therefore, have just cause for complaint, and by the terms of their treaty with England could call upon that country to aid them, at least to the extent of the aid which Germany, in such a crisis, had rendered Russia. The present war is constantly giving rise to possible complications that will have much to do in the matter of creatingnew alliances hereaf ter,among the Great Powers of Europe. Germany has reason to cultivate the friendship of Russia. She really fears CURRENT STORY OF THE WORLD. 873 Russia about as much as she does France. In the present war, the Emperor has given unmistakable evidences of his sympathies for the Russians. A very large proportion, however, of the German people greatly admire the Japanese, and rejoice in their successes at arms. A New Element in the Political Situation. New York, ever since Cleveland's first election in 1884, has been looked upon as the pivotal state in every national election. As New York goes, so goes the election, is the common belief today. The political situation in the state of New York is determined largely by its great metropolis. It has been known for years how the Irish of that city would vote, and calculations were made accordingly. Of late, however, the Jews are becoming more and more a controlling factor in political affairs. New York is the largest Jewish city in the world, today, with its Jewish population of seven hundred thousand. In 1900, according to the census, there were five hundred thousand Jews in New York City, and only about one half had then taken out naturalization papers. In the same year, there were one hundred and forty-five thousand Italians. It is now estimated that there must be somewhere in the neighborhood of two hundred thousand, since recent emigrations from Italy have been very large. It will be seen that both the Jews and the Italians are becoming very important political factors, in determining the results of our national elections. The two races constitute about onefourth of the population of this great city. Until recently, however, their voting strength has not been so great as to give much apprehension to either party. It is certain, however, that in the coming election the votes of the Jews and the Italians will be sought by industrious campaign workers. It would look as though the Jews might easily turn the election one way or the other, were they united in favor of either party. The question naturally arises: Which party is likely to be the beneficiary of their franchise? During the recent election for the mayor of New York, McClellan received large majorities, in the districts where the Italians and the Jews lived. Whether the Jewish vote went to the Democratic candidate because of local conditions, or was cast in 874 IMPROVEMENT ERA. favor of a chosen party, is a question still to be determined. Many of the Jewish leaders will be greatly influenced to the Republican party by reason of Roosevelt's active interest in their behalf after the Kishineff massacres. The president certainly did all he could to cultivate their interests, and responded to their demands in the most liberal manner. The instinct of flocking to- gether is very strong among the Jews, and it would be quite in keeping with their past experience and history, if the great majority of them united in favor of one party or the other. In the past, we have heard very much of the German and the Irish vote; but the importance of the Irish or the German vote will wane in view of the growing political power among the Jews; and Jewish power in our elections will be all the greater because of the practice among them of massing themselves in New York City. Efl^orts have been made to induce them to scatter when they reach this country; but there is a strong fear among the orthodox Jews of Russia that if they scatter themselves throughout the United States, they will be assimilated by other peoples, and thus lose very greatly their national or race identity. Religious influ- ences are, therefore, in operation to keep them together; and New York is becoming daily the great metropolis of the Jewish world. The political situation of New York, with respect to foreigners, will be best appreciated when it is understood that out of the total number of 1,007,670 voters only 443,105 were native born whites; 17,173 voters were native negroes. The importance of the Jewish vote will be, of course, nothing like so great during the present election, as it will be in 1908; and yet, now it is sufficiently important to give both parties grave anxieties. The Feast of Ah. No people in the world perhaps are more tenacious about the observance of religious ceremonies and rites than the Jewish people. Wherever they go, they are scrupulous about the observance New York today has of their religious rites; and the East Side of become a sort of second Jerusalem. The Jews there have recently celebrated the Feast of Ab, which is the ninth day of the Jewish month of Ab. It was 586 years before Christ that the Chaldeans descended upon Jerusalem, defiled Solomon's temple, and led the CURRENT STORY OF THE WORLD. 875- Jewish people into captivity. That sorrowful event in Jewish annals has formore than 2,500 years been solemnly observed as a day of mourning and supplication to Jehovah. In some respects it is a sort of Decoration Day among the Jews. We are told by the New York papers that probably 300,000 Jews visited the cemeteries of that city. The rich and the poor, the young and the old, the indifferent and the zealots, all mingled in the common observance*^ of the day. The Jews are a very intense people, and everything is so real to them. The story is told that on this day Jewish women visited the graves of dead husbands, and, standing over their graves, they told their husbands all the hardships and difficulties that their lonely lives had imposed upon them. Thpy spoke with such dramatic effect to the graves that those around them were moved to tears. The recent Feast of Ab was all the more solemn to the Jews because of the death of Dr. Herzl, the great Zionist leader, whom so many thousand Jews looked upon as a sort of Moses who would lead them back to the Holy Land. The papers tell us that his name, on this occasion, was on almost every Jewish lip, and that they deeply mourned his early death. The mourning for this great Zionist leader, both in Europe and this country, tells us how deeply the Jews have become attached to a movement which looked to the restoration of the land of their fathers. It is not at all unlikely that hereafter the Feast of Ab will have added significance to it, by reason of the death of the great Zionist leader. King Edward a Factor in European Diplomacy. There is an old saying in modern English history that "the sovereign reigns but does not rule." The English constitution has so limited the powers of the sovereign as to make influence of the king or queen in politics probably less than that of any other monarch in Europe. It is true that the king may veto the acts of parliament; but the late Queen Victoria never exercised the right, and it is doubtful v\rhether King Edward would venture to do so. The late queen confined her power to merely administrative acts; and the Prince of Wales was not permitted to interfere in any manner in the important affairs of state. The prince was, there- 876 IMPROVEMENT ERA. fore obliged to confine his influence to social affairs and public ceremonies. In a social way, he was brought in contact with all the representatives of foreign governments in London. This gave him most excellent opportunities to acquaint himself with human nature, and to become a student of social intercourse. He was quite generally looked upon as an excellent good fellow, democratic in his ways, genial, and disposed to friendly relations. Since the prince ascended the throne, he has brought into play his genial good nature and social friendships for the purpose of cultivating friendly interests with the great powers. Until his time, England was practically isolated and had avoided all "entangling alliances." The rapid growth of the navies in Germany, Russia, and France, made it certain that Great Britain could not long dominate the seas. England, therefore, found it convenient to cultivate friendly relations, where her former policies had been irritating to the national pride of other countries. Perhaps no man in England was better qualified to overcome foreign national prejudices, and put England in friendly relations with the ruling powers of other countries, than King Edward. One of his earliest efforts was to pacify the French and bring about cordial relations with them. Every effort has been made to create some sort of friendly feelings with Germany. With Germany, however, he has been less successful, as the recent united efforts between England and Germany to collect the debts of Venezuela demonstrated. Another policy of the king was to pacify Ireland, and at an early date he paid a royal visit to that country. It is certain that in some quarters a better understanding has been created, though a complete pacification of Ireland is hardly looked for under any circumstances. England is not likely to give the island home rule; and even if it should, it is quite certain that even then home rule would not be quite satisfactory to all parties in Ireland. The king has always cultivated the friendship of the representatives of our government, and among his earliest efforts, after ascending the throne, were those by which he sought to establish a more cordial relationship between Great Britain and the United States. It can hardly be said that the king has genius, but he has long been in touch with the greatest thinkers of the age, and CURRENT STORY OF THE WORLD. 877 political associations have given him a wide range of knowledge in foreign affairs. It is, therefore, in the foreign policies of Great Britain that he is today playing an important part. It must not, however, be understood that he is running counter to the wishes of the prime minister, or to the minister of foreign affairs; but there can be no doubt that he is throwing his royal influence in favor of more cordial relations than England has heretofore cultivated among the other great powers. His influence is, therefore, a factor to be reckoned with in the future diplomatic relations of Europe. CASA GRANDE. BY GEORGE LAWRENCE SPINING. (Reprinted in the "Improvement Era" from the New York "Independent," by special permission of the author.) "Congress has made an appropriation of $2,000 to place a roof of corrugated iron over Casa Grande." In the wilds of Arizona there's an ancient people's land, Land of ruins over mesas, canons, cliffs, and desert sand. Crumbled towns and habitations, hearthstones of unnumbered hosts, Debris of forgotten nations, nations turned to dust and ghosts. Grand canals, the life and glory of a desert once in bloom, Lava-filled, now tell the story of a dreadful day of doom— Doom to dwellers on the housetops, and to grinders at the mills, Doom to toilers midst the field crops, and to shepherds on the hillsDay when roaring hills and mountains shot the heavens with ashen rain. And from burning streams and fountains fiery serpents swarmed the plain. Now, when midnight hides the mesa, lowly voices in the gloom Chant the redman's mournful saga of an ancient people's doom. Massive, roofless, and forsaken, wreck amidst this arid strand. Lightning-scarred and earthquake-shaken, stands the ruin Casa Grande. Lofty walls without inscription, builders vanished in the skies. Darkness deeper than Egyptian veils their secret from our eyes;— Mystery to bards and sages, Sphynx of Western Wonderiand, Wreck of prehistoric ages, whence art thou, Casa Grande? EDITOR'S TABLE. COMMON COURTESY. Last month a few words were said on the need of independent action by young men, in the affairs of home and family, which cautioned them to keep aloof from being "like the world." It is the fashionamong many civilized peoples, it was suggested, to have no home and no family, but the Latter-day Saints should possess and take delight in both. In this connection, a thought has occurred to me concerning the training and conduct of young people. It relates to the need of courtesy for their fellows; or, if you please, the lack of common courtesy most people entertain for each other. This is a very important topic both for home and public teaching. One may judge of a young man's home training by the consideration he shows men and women, under various relations in life. It was Plutarch who wrote that "there is no other advantage to be had from a liberal educatjion equal to that of polishing and softening our nature by reason and discipline; for that produces an evenness of behavior, and banishes from our manners all extremes." Any person who has had the disadvantage of attending an excursion or gathering, at any public place, must have been impressed with the utter lack of common courtesy, and the absolute want of decent consideration which many people entertain for their fellow beings. Watch that crowd pass into and get out of a car, or enter a gate, or get into and out of a building, and see if it isn't each person's heartless, selfish, resistant effort, desire and clamor to gain the advantage of every one else, without care or thought of his neighbor's well being or comfort. Talk about "softening our nature by reason and discipline," and "evenness of behavior,