--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Anderson, Edward H. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 12 number: 7 published: 1909-05 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Edward H. Anderson, "Events and Comments," *Improvement Era* 12, no. 7 (May 1909): 579–584.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1207unse 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: improvementera1207unse start_page: 579 end_page: 584 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1909-05) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1207unse publication_year: 1909 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 1909, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Events and Comments EVENTS AND COMMENTS. BY EDWARD H. ANDERSON. Standard Oil Acquitted.— It will be remembered that in the famous rebate case of this company, some two years ago, Judge Lewis, at the first trial, im- posed a fine in the enormous sum of $29,240,000. The case was tried over again before Judge Anderson, in Chicago, beginning Feb. 23, and ending on March 10- The jury this time was instructed to bring in a verdict of acquittal, on the ground that the proof relied on by the government was incompetent, and the expense of the trial is thrown on the government. So the oil company goes free. There is grave danger now that corporation abuses, privileges and corruptions will flourish more than ever, and that a reaction from the position taken by former President Roosevelt will be brought about. Messina Earthquake Funds— According to English advices, the funds for the sufferers are being badly mismanaged. The Central National Committee, to whom they were intrusted for distribution, have failed to distribute them, and while there is still much suffering, appeals to the Central Committee in Rome, who held (Feb. 28), about $4,300,000, of which the American contribution must have amounted to $2,000,000, have gone unheeded. Instead of using the money for immediate relief, the committee has chosen to regard the fund as a sacred trust for the future as well as the present needs of the victims. Their excess of cau- tion has been exasperating, and while no suspicion of dishonesty attaches to them, the committee, according to the advices, have entirely misconceived the part they were asked to play, and many people are suffering for immediate help which they cannot get, though the means are at hand. China Struggling to be Modern.— At present a revolution without blood is being carried on in China, which will either result in her Europeanization, socially politically and in a military way, or else sink her once more in oriental lethargy and stagnation. Two parties, as usual, are engaged in the conflict — one for reaction, the other for reform. In the first are the Chinese of the old school, the Mandarins and functionaries, and the Manchus; against them, and for reform, are the anti-dynastic party, which consists of the reformers, the students, three- fourths of the learned class, all the schools and colleges, and two-thirds of the commonalty. Both sexes are abandoning their ancestral styles for European, and many give up their ancient traditions without regret, in order to conform to European usages. "Liberty" is their slogan, but whether it will come without a bloody conflict with the reactionaries, remains to be seen. Off for the Orient. —Frank J. Hewlett, president of Hewlett Brothers Company, and director of the Utah State Fair, and former president of the Salt Lake City Council, left some weeks ago, en route to Yohahama. He will visit Japan, China, Ceylon and India before his return, and has promised the Improve- ment Era pictures and impressions by the way which will be of special interest to our readers. The "Mormons" and the West.— The Alaska- Yukon-Pacific Exposition, which opens June 1, in Seattle, will contain an exhibit illustrating the influence of "Mormon" emigration upon the development of the West. The exhibit will in- clude features of "Mormon" civilization, literature, and art, as illustrated in the settlements of the Latter. day Saints, in Utah and surrounding States, Canada and Mexico. The committee in whose hands is the preparation of this exhibit is com- posed of the following: Orson F. Whitney, chairman, George D. Pyper, secretary and treasurer, Spencer Clawson, Mrs. E.B.Wells, and Professor Byron Cummings. Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans in Utah.— Admiral Evans spoke to a large congregation in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, April 3, giving his experience in rounding the Horn from Hampton Roads to San Francisco, a very entertaining, sometimes amusing, and instructing story, coming from "the man who did the feat." The Admiral reviewed the High School Cadets on the school grounds on the afternoon of the same day, in their admirable drill. There were hosts of people who completely surrounded the ten acre campus, and the admiral was loudly cheered. Editor of "Our Dumb Animals" Dead.— On the 16th of March, George Thorndike Angell, who was one of the founders, and for forty years president of the Massachusetts Society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, and also founder and for twenty years president of the American Humane Education Society, died. His whole life was devoted to humane work. Our Dumb Animals, which he edited, was well known in every newspaper and magazine office in the country. Through it and the societies which he organized, he was instrumental in establishing more than 70,000 bands of mercy, in this and other countries. He was nearly eighty six years of age when he died and will be long remembered for his active service in behalf of animals and mankind. Building Battleships. — There is considerable rivalry existing at the present time between England and Germany in the matter of building battleships of the Dreadnought type. In a recent speech in the House of Commons, Mr. McKenna stated that by 1911 Germany would have thirteen of these vessels ready for sea, and by 1912 probably seventeen. Mr. Balfour warned the government that if Germany continued at the present rate, by the end of 1912 Great Britain would have only twenty Dreadnoughts while Germany would have twenty-one, and pos- EVENTS AND COMMENTS. 581 sibly twenty-five. So the rivalry goes on, and people are heavily taxed that their earnings may be spent in battleships, to gratify the desire for supremacy of the seas, entertained by the nations. South Pole Explorer.— In July, 1907, Lieutenant Ernest H. Shackleton, of the British Navy, left England in command of an expedition for Antarctic exploration. He just returned to New Zealand on the 23rd of March. His ex- pedition experienced great hardships and succeeded in getting to latitude 88 degrees 23 minutes, which is only one hundred and eleven miles from the South Pole. This places that pole three hundred and nineteen miles nearer than any other expedition has been able to do, the mo3t southerly point heretofore reached being four hundred and thirty miles from the pole. Trip of President Smith and Company to Hawaii.— On the 17th of February, President and Mrs. Joseph F. Smith, the Misses Emily J., Rachel, Emma, and Edith Smith, Bishop and Mrs. C. W. Nibley, and Misses Nan and Alice Nibley, and Mrs. A. W. McCune, with Samuel G. Woolley, president of the Hawaiian mission, left Salt Lake City for an outing to the Sandwich Islands. They sailed from San Francisco on February 20, on the ship Alameda, arriving in Honolulu six days later. On the voyage they experienced only two days of bad weather. The trip otherwise was very delightful from beginning to end. Every- body whom the party met treated them with the utmost consideration and cour- tesy At Hmolulu the ship was met by the Royal Hawaiian Band, an! a r ge 1 i Photo by Edward Fernandez President Smith and Party, Draped in Garlands of Flowers by the Hawaiian Saints. w IS EVENTS AND COMMENTS. 583 number of people, who had gathered to greet the party, which was entirely unknown to the visitors beforehand, the whole reception being entirely unsolici- ted, and being arranged, the leader said, as an expression of appreciation for the kindness shown to the band while in Salt Lake City some two years ago. The native Saints who had gathered completely covered the members of the party, on landing, with wreaths of flowers. They were then conducted to the conference house, where a feast was spread and the visitors given of the bounties of the land. At this banquet Mr. Berger, the leader of the band, made a felicitous speech of welcome, referring to his visit to Utah and expressing himself to the party as being glad to see them, and that the members of the band felt specially delighted to have had this opportunity of meeting the distinguished Utah party. President Smith particularly enjoyed the poi, as it reminded him of his old mission days, when he was but a boy in his teens; to have another taste of that particular dish was a keen delight. The party visited the volcano, "Kilauea," between two storms, being specially favored with good weather on the trip. On the morning after their visit, it rained for twelve hours, and twelve inches of rain fell. The beautiful sight of twenty six waterfalls, pouring over the cliffs into the sea, from several hundred to a thousand feet high, was witnessed by them. Most of the people whom President Smith knew when he was on his first mission to the is- lands are dead, but one old lady, now blind, who had specially cared for him in his youth, was still alive, and the meeting and greeting of the two were par- ticularly affecting. There was nothing to mar the pleasure of the return cruise, after a month spent in the most agreeable way on the islands, except another two days of storm, and the members had the most pleasant and enjoyable trip of their lives, arriving in Salt Lake City, April 1. Religious services were held on the ship returning to America, and opportunity was thus given the members of the company to speak on the principles of the gospel. Out of sixty pas- sengers, fifty-eight were present, and listened with interest and attention. Presi- dent Smith took occasion to explain th6 doctrines of the gospel as taught by the Latter-day Saints. Some of the passengers expressed delight.with what was said and asked in an astonished manner why these glorious messages were not adver- tized more, to give people an opportunity to understand them more fully; to which President Smith replied that the Church has constantly nearly two thousand missionaries in all parts of the world delivering the gospel message, and our liter- ature is printed by the tons, bearing the message to all who desire to hear. All the officers of the ship were particularly accommodating and kind. Captain Thomas Dowdell and Purser Thomas C. Smith both doing everything they could for the comfort and convenience of the party. The Church in the islands was never in a better condition, and the prospects of the sugar plantation at Laie> Oahu, are most excellent. On February 28, meetings were held at Laie, and on the 20th and 21st of March a special conference was held at Honolulu. The ac- companying cuts show the party at the meeting house at Honolulu, and as they appeared wreathed in garlands of flowers. One meeting was also held at Hib, on the Island of Hawaii. The trip did President Smith much good and he returns refreshed and strengthened for his arduous labors. . 584 1MPR0 VEMENT ERA New Hotels. — Samuel Newhouse has broken ground for a million-and-a- half-dollar hotel on Walker grounds, on the corner of Fourth South and the Main Street, Salt Lake City. The building will be pushed with all dispatch and in eighteen months the immense and beautiful structure is expected to be com- pleted. The Utah Hotel company consisting of a number of leading business men, including former Governor JohnC. Cutler, Heber J Grant, W. S. McCornick, L. S. Hills, Charles S. Burton, Anthon H. Lund. John R. Winder, John Henry Smith, George Romney, Lorenzo N. Stohl, T. R. Cutler, T. G. Webber, W. W. Riter, and others, has been formed, and has secured the old Deseret News corner from the Church, for the sum of about $170,000 for the purpose of erecting a modern hotel to cost about two million dollars. The site fronts 225 feet on South Temple Street. The building will be the best that money and skill can produce. Legislature Adjourns. — On Saturday night, March 20, 11:30 o'clock, the Eighth Utah Legislature came to an end, after a session lasting sixty-nine days. A great deal of the time of the session was taken up by the effort to enact a pro- hibition law. The compromise measure that was finally passed, was vetoed by the Governor. The Sunday closing law was killed by "jokers." A number ofgiod laws on education were enacted, but owing to financial conditions, the Governor was forced to veto the measure providing an appropriation for county high schools. Good roads and juvenile court legislation received attention. The new system of city government, called the Des Moines, was passed and luckily vetoed by the Governor; same with the Fire and Police Commission bill. The members of the legislature was composed of good citizens, but on the whole they had many diffi- culties to contend with, and there was much bitterness engendered over the liquor question, all of which militated against them, so that on the whole it is the gen- eral opinion that their efforts were disappointing. Situation in Turkey.— On December 17 last, the Turkish parliament assembled, and it was hailed as the herald of constitutional government for the land. Since then things have been moving rapidly towards revolution. In Armenia thousands of Christians are said to have been massacred by Mohamme- dans. The young Turkish party, whose ups and downs have been numerous, appear to be regaining the confidence of the army and assuming control of Constan- tinople, and their demands would seem to include the abdication of the Sultan. Bulgaria, instigated to action by Germany, has declared her independence. To protect American interests in Turkey, two armored cruisers, the North Carolina and the Montana have proceeded to the Mediterranean. They will report to the consul at Alexandretta, in which place great excitement prevails owing to Moslem fanaticism and destructiveness. What the next step will be in the game between the constitutional forces, led by Hushni Pasha, and the Sultan's follow- ng, can not now be conjectured; but if the army, now on the side of the Young Turks, should become divided in their interests, it will mean civil war, and that in turn will mean intervention by the the European powers.