Passing Events

Passing Events

"Synthetic milk," made from vegetable matter, is the reported dis-

covery of a German chemist. It is said to contain everything that is in

natural milk, and in the same proportions. It is claimed, also, that it

tastes like natural milk, and is just as nourishing.

The Relief Society of the "Mormon" Church will have four Utah

women as representatives in the women's council, at Rome. Mrs.

Susa Y. Gates, Mrs. Elizabeth C. McCune, Mrs. Hattie B. Harker, and

Mrs. Clarissa S. Williams went from Salt Lake as representatives, and

will attend the quinquennial session of the International Council of

Women, to be held from May 5 to 14, in Rome, Italy, and which will

be attended by delegates from every civilized nation.

The Dowager Empress Haruko, of Japan, died April 9, at the

imperial villa, Namazu, Tokyo. She was the widow of Emperor Mut-

suito, who died April 30, 1912. She was born on May 28, 1850, and in

1869 married the late emperor and was declared empress. She watched

with curious interest, during her later life, the opening of the country

to foreign commerce, its departure from old world customs, and its

adoption of western civilization. She experienced the turmoil of the

Japanese-Russian war, and witnessed the evolution of Japan into a

world power.

Levi Willard Richards, a patriarch and temple worker, died March

30 1914, in Salt Lake City. He was born June 12, 1845. at Nauvoo,

and was the son of Dr. Levi and Sarah Griffith Richards. He came to

Salt Lake in 1848. He was long connected with the Sunday Schools

as a member of the Sunday School Union Board.

He was called to

labor in the Temple, in 1893, after its dedication, and remained as a

worker there until he was disabled, in the fall of 1912, which

confined

him to his bed for several months. He was a man of loveable

charac-

ter, full of faith and integrity.

Woman suffrage was defeated, late in March, in the United States

proposed consti-

Senate 35 in favor to 34 against, by the rejection of a

to the state legislatures

tutional amendment, intended to be submitted

of both houses is required

for nation-wide suffrage. A two-thirds vote

in order to submit to the legislatures any

proposed amendment, the

opposition came mainly from the South, where the suffrage Question

is

complicated with the negro question. It also came

from New Eng-

of foreign-born women. It

land; on account of the great number there

question is growing

must be stated, however, that the woman suffrage

in the South, and it is only a matter

of time, in our opinion..until uni-

versal suffrage will be granted to all the

women in the United States.

o'clock.

The corner stone of the Utah State Capitol was laid 5 at

was an attend-

Spry. There

Saturday, April 4, by Governor William

representing every part of

ance of more than 2,000 men and women

Governor Spry was assisted in the ceremonies by President

th state

St. Mary's Cathedral, Rev-

Joseph F. Smith, Reverend W. K. Ryon, of

Congregational Church, by mem-

erend Elmer I. Goshen, of the First

governor's staff, and by Mayor

bers of the Capitol Commission, by the

Industrial School played The

Samuel C Park The band of the State ceremonies a -id burst

StS-spangled Banner," and at the close of the

was given. In the course of his remarks. President Smith

of aoolaufe

referred to the guiding spirit which

moved the pioneers to cross the

which enabled them, through their leader, to declare this to

plains and

PASSING EVENTS 701

be "the place." They were inspired by the Lord, and this being a fact,

the future is secure.

Starvation stares the Albanians in the face. Last October Servian

and Montenegrin troops devastated the mountain regions of Albania,

the new Balkan kingdom. That was ten months after the close of

the Balkan war. Men, women and children are now dying of starva-

tion at the rate of one hundred a day, and before the next harvest

30,000 people will die of hunger. More than 25,000 are homeless, and

in need of food, clothing and shelter; one hundred villages have been

destroyed; 12,000 houses burned and dynamited; 8,000 men, women

and children shot, stabbed or burned to death, and property worth

ten million dollars annihilated. This report was made by William W.

Howard of New York City, who returned recently from a journey of

four hundred miles, partly on foot, through the stricken region. He is

appealing to the farmers of the United States for seed corn, and for

corn-bread for these victims of Servian and Montenegrin aggression.

A remarkable news item appeared in the telegrams, hidden in the

daily mass of matter, dated Florence, Italy, February 13. The news

item read as follows "Signor Oli Ulavi, with an ultra-violet ray ap-

paratus, exploded two torpedoes charged with black gun powder, and

two torpedoes charged with smokeless powder, which were placed in

the River Arno by Admiral Pietro Fornari of the Italian navy. The

ultra-violet ray apparatus was about two miles distant from the tor-

pedoes." If this dispatch is true in what it implies, it is the most im-

portant news item of its kind that has appeared since the invention of

gun powder. While it may be probable that these torpedoes were

"prepared" for the particular ray known to Signor Ulavi, it is not im-

probable that explosives will soon be "detonated" by some one of the

thousand rays that we are just beginning to discover, and then what?

It ispossible that the ten-million-dollar dreadnoughts may have their

magazines exploded by a ray machine one hundred or one thousand

miles distant; or that a soldier carrying his own cartridge belt may

carry a weapon for his own annihilation. It would certainly do away

with battleships and change the entire complexion of warfare.

A treaty with the republic of Colombia was made by the State De-

partment, under Secretary William Jennings Bryan, and Colombia, on

April 7, and signed at Bogota. Like all treaties it is, of course, subject

to the approval of the United States Senate. The treaty amounts to an

apology to Colombia, and a payment of twenty-five million dollars

damages for the course taken by our government during the Roose-

velt administration, in helping Panama to secede. The treaty will

doubtless arouse bitter controversy in the United States Senate, and _

some senators have already predicted that it will never be ratified.

Panama was formerly one of the united states of Colombia. Our gov-

ernment tried to buy a right to build the canal across Panama. We

offered ten million dollars, but Colombia wanted twenty-five millions.

One night, without warning, a "provisional government" was set up in

Panama, which claimed that the state was an independent republic.

When the amazed Colombians tried to supnress the rebellion, they

were notified by our government that no righting would be tolerated,

and our warships were in Panama ports to enforce the order; so Col-

ombia submitted to the loss of one of it? states. President Roosevelt

promptly recognized the new republic, and the ten millions we had

offered to pay to Colombia was paid to Panama instead; and what-

ever rights the United States have in the canal zone were received

from the republic of Panama. Colombia has never ceased to protest.

702 IMPROVEMENT ERA

and has asked frequently to have the question referred to arbitration.

While the new treaty has not been made public, it is reported that

the substance of it is as follows "Colombia ceases to urge that the

matter be referred to The Hague. It admits that the independence of

Panama is now a fact not to be disputed. In full satisfaction, Colom-

bia agrees to accept twenty-five million dollars damages. The United

States grants Colombia full and free passage through the Panama

Canal for troops, stores, and warships.

General Francisco Villa, in personal command of the insurgent

forces, attacked the city of Torreon, March 21. For eleven days the

battle continued unabated, with heavy loss on both sides. After eleven

days of desperate fighting the rebels, under General Villa, gained un-

disputed possession of the city, on April 2. General Velasco, of the

federals, escaped southward with a mere remnant of the federal army.

Hundreds were killed on both sides, and thousands wounded. The full

force of the rebels and federals engaged in a second battle at San

Pedro las Colonias, during the week ending April 16. This was the

greatest battle of the revolution so far, as well as the bloodiest. On

Saturday Sunday and Monday, April 11, 12, and 13, the conflict was

at its climax. The rebels lost, in wounded, 1,200. For thirty miles

frontage, the battle raged, and owing to the wide area covered, the loss

in dead may never be known. It is estimated that the federal dead,

wounded and prisoners, numbered at least 3,500. Twelve hundred reg-

ulars were captured by the Constitutionalists and mustered into' the

rebel ranks, and many recent recruits were executed. General Velasco,

who fled from Torreon, was present at this battle also. The battle cul-

minated Monday, the 13th, when the federals fled. Villa had received

5,000 reinforcements and 20 field oieces.

After the capture of Torreon, 800 Spanish refugees were sent out

of Mexico and landed at El Paso, on the 8th. They were deported

on

account of active participation in favor of Huerta. It is stated that

several Spaniards were executed.

On the 10th of April, several American bluejackets were arrested

at Tampico, by Huerta's federal soldiers. The bluejackets had gone

to the wharf to load gasoline when they were

arrested, and two of

them were taken from the boat of Dolphin. In atonement for this out-

rage to the American seamen, Admiral Mayo, supported by

Washing-

ton demanded that Huerta salute the American flag. At

first he re-

fused to do so, when the United States Atlantic fleet, on the

14th of

April was ordered to concentrate at Tampico. On the 15th, at

noon,

nine battleships of the Atlantic fleet, under Rear Admiral

Charles J.

Badger commander-in-chief, set out from Hampton Roads for Tam-

decision, and offered to

pico and Vera Cruz. Huerta reconsidered his

salute should be re-

salute the United States flag, on condition that the

turned by the Americans, in accordance with Rear Admiral

Mayo's de-

mand This was accepted by the United States government, but on the

that he wished the

17th Huerta again began to haggle, and stated

\merican ships to fire the salute simultaneously with the Mexican

salute This was flatly refused by the government at Washington,

command.

who insisted upon a literal compliance with Admiral Mayo s no further

there should be

On the 17th our government demanded that argument about the salute

quibbling or haggling, and that no further

before Con-

would be tolerated. On the 20th, President Wilson went

and approval to do what is necessary in

gress to ask their co-operation

forces of the United States to

The circumstances, and to use the armed

government and flag.

enforce respect for the rights and dignity of our

On the 21st Vera Cruz was occupied by the Americans with a loss oi

four de i and twenty wounded.