Passing Events

Indians in Bolivia, South America, are on the war path, to the num- ber of 80,000. The report from La Paz, the capital, Aug. 12, 1927, stated that several bloody clashes had occurred, but that the soldiers would soon stamp out the rebellion. William A. Brown, born North Ogden, Utah, Oct. 13, 1889, died April 8, 1927, Salt Lake City. He was a son of George and Barbara Beckstead Brown, and one of the boys who served overseas in the World War. Funeral services were held at North Ogden, under the direction of the American Legion. The strongest searchlight ever made was turned on, Aug. 16, 1927, at Charlottesville. Va. The searchlight will have a beam of 1,385,000,000 candlepower, visible 200 miles. The crater arc of the light, it was an- nounced, will be "the hottest spot on earth" when 17,200 watts are turned on to give the light its full power. The temperature of the crater will be approximately 38,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and the crater will be "as bright as the sun at high noon." An international church congress convened Aug. 3, 1927, at Lausanne, Switzerland, for the purpose of promoting unity among the churches. Nearly 500 delegates were present, representing forty-nine different nations and more than ninety denominations. Ten different languages were spoken the first day. A hymn book was used which was printed in English, French. German and Swedish. The Roman Catholic church was not represented, not even by an official "observer" Worse than war is the struggle for life against careless automobile drivers. A Washington report states that more people have been killed by automobiles in the United States during the past eight years than the American casualties in the world war. From Jan. 1, 1919, to Dec. 31, 1926, no less than 137,017 persons were killed by automobiles, while the total dead of American soldiers in the war were 120,050. The injured, by auto- mobiles, since the armistice are 3,500,000. The Noble peace prize has been awarded to Germany's foreign Minister, Stresemann. M. Briand shares the 1926 peace prize with Dr. Stresemann, and the 1925 award goes to Sir Austen Chamberlain and Vice-President Charles G. Dawes. Dr. Stresemann will be the only one of the Locarno statesmen to accept the award personally, both Foreign Secretary Chamberlain of Great Britain and Foreign Minister Briand of France having delegated their re- spective ministers at Oslo to acknowledge the award in their behalf. Flood waters caused damage to the amount of $50,000, July 28, 1927, in the valley south of Grand Junction, Col. More than a mile of the Denver & Rio Grande Western railroad track was washed out and most of the highways are reported impassable. Two .women were forced to spend the night in trees. Many others are reported to have been caught in the flood, but none was believed to have been injured or drowned. The flood was the worst since 1908. Six passengers from Ogden were on board the Admiral Watson when the ship went ashore, July 31, 1927, off Dewy island near Prince Rupert. B. C. The passengers were all picked up by the Admiral Rodgers and taken to Point Grey B. C. Those from Ogden who were on the Admiral Watson returning from Alaska when the vessel was wrecked are Mr. and

PASSING EVENTS 105 7 Mrs. J. E. Browning and their daughter, Miss Ann Browning; Mr. and Mrs. C. J. A. Lindquist, and Mrs. A. H. DeWit. The Inland Crystal Salt Company's plant, near the Great Salt Lake, was destroyed by fire, Friday, July 15, causing a damage estimated at $250,000, fully covered by insurance. The plant occupies an area of about 600 by 200 feet and ranges in size from one story to four stories. A battle has been fought in Nicaragua becween U. S. marines and Nicaraguan forces under the liberal General Sandino, according to a report from Managua, dated July 18, 1927. According to the report 100 "rebels" were killed by the marines and 200 more by airplanes. One American marine is said to have been killed. Paris divorces and trial marriages were condemned by Bishop William J. Manning, of the Episcopal diocese of New York, in a sermon at the American cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Paris, France, on July 31. "Trial marriage." he said, "is, of course, not marriage at all. but simply harlotry, and calling it by a new name does not make it any better. Companionate marriage, as it is grandiloquently termed, is nothing but a proposal to sanction prostitution and to legalize free love." Utah produced commodities for export to the amout of $153,480, during the first three months of 1927, as compared with $359,924 for Idaho during the same time. The total merchandise export of the country for the first quarter of the year amounts to $1,175,020,509, compared with $1,908,839,243 during the corresponding period of 1926. This is a considerable decrease. The state of New York stands first with an export of $193,190,065. The next states on the list are Texas, California, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Three new publications have just been issued by the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, and will be sent free to anyone upon request. They arc, Circular No. 66, Physical Curd Character of Milk and Its Probable Relation to Infant Nutrition, by Dr. R. L. Hill; Circular No. 67, which gives the rules and regulations for the Fourth Utah Inter-mountain Egg-laying Con- test, which begins November 1, 1927; and Circular 68, which is an annual summary of publication issued during the past year. All three are interesting and valuable; No. 66 is especially important in its relation to infant nutrition. Edward White, Patriarch, 96 years old, passed away, Aug. 11, 1927. at the family residence in Wilford ward. Grant stake. He was born at Bosham, England, February 8, 1831, joined the Church in the early fifties, and came to America in 1864. He arrived in Utah in October that year, having crossed the Plains by ox-team in Warren Snow's company. He was ordained a patriarch in the Granite stake in 1904, and was acting in that office in Grant stake at his death. He was a faithful Church worker all his days. His songs and his smile and cheerfulness will long be re- membered. He leaves ten children, 54 grandchildren, 50 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren. Protestant churches in the United States are losing 500.000 members a year, is the startling report of Dr. H. K. Carroll. Plainfield, N. J., published July 29, 1927. The reasons given are. "the lowered moral tone and its benumbing influence upon the spiritual life of Christianity, that resulted from the world war; the practice of churches in pruning their membership; the negligence of clergymen in failing to restore members who stray from the flock, and the frequent migrations of families from om' community to another." The proposed remedy is, the report says, "give

1058 IMPROVEMENT ERA each and all something to do personally in and for the church. Make every church a busy church, not a cold, lazy, lifeless body." Major General Leonard Wood, governor general of the Philippines, died at a hospital in Boston, after a serious operation, on Aug. 7, 1927. The spectacular rise of Major General Leonard Wood from an obscure post in the medical corps to a commanding rank in the combatant branch of the United States army was one of the outstanding features of American military annals. Appointed an assistant surgeon several years prior to the Spanish- American war, Wood rose to the foremost rank of American generals, his active duty culminating in the governor-generalship of the Philippine islands, after he had served four years as chief of the general staff of the army, the topmost military command. The Geneva conference on naval limitations adjourned sine die, Aug. 4, 1927, without reaching an agreement. The disagreement developed on the question of cruisers. The British delegation headed by Admiral Bridgeman, was, according to the official statement, willing to limit the size of warships of all classes, but opposed the principle of limitation by total tonnage alone. The American delegation insisted on liberty to build, within the total ton- nage allocation, the number and type of cruisers which might be suited to American needs. The failure of this conference was a foregone conclusion, but it is rather surprising that the delegates adjourned without agreeing on something. However, the opinion was expressed, that further negotia- tions may be commenced through the regular diplomatic channels. A forest was buried by landslides, when a considerable mountain was reduced in proportions, 110 miles north of Rock Springs, Wyo., two miles above the head of Fremont Lake, Sublet county, July 30 and 31, and August 1, 1927. It is reported that earth rumblings were heard at times during the three days, accompanied by staggering motions of the earth. Fremont and Pine creeks head far up the mountain gorges, several miles above the slide, which is just below the confluence of the noisy waters that flow swiftly down steep declivities. But the joint stream cuts underground through the loose deposits and empties its muddy fluid into the head of the lake. When the first slide occurred, the heavy rumblings could be heard five miles and those within hearing distance imagined it was an earthquake. Lady Lauder died in Glasgow, July 31, 1927, after an illness of only two weeks. She was the wife of the famous comedian, Sir Harry Lauder. She was operated upon, July 18, and appeared to be doing well. Lady Lauder was 59 years old. Her maiden name was Annie Vallance. She was one of a family of seventeen, and both her parents are living. Sir Harry is a broken man as the result of the shock of his wife's sudden death. The strain of the past fortnight, during Lady Lauder's illness, severely affected him. Lady Lauder was the daughter of a miner, and began work in a flax mill when a child at wages of four shillings a week. Later she joined the Salvation army and it was while she was a salvation army lass that she met Harry Lauder. Afterwards she accompanied him on his tours. President Coolidge has announced his desire to stay out of the next presidential race. On Aug. 2, 1927, he issued this signed statement: "I do not choose to run for president in 1928." The announcement has been interpreted to mean that he is not seeking the nomination. If it should be offered him — that would be another question. That seems to be the view of such close personal friends as Wm. M. Butler and Senatcy: Reed Smoot. Mr. Coolidge will have served five years and seven months at the close of the four-year term to which he was elected in 1924, having entered the White House in 1923, upon the death of President Harding. It was just four years ago that Mr. Coolidge was the central figure in an event of

PASSING EVENTS 1059 world-wide interest when he took the oath of office by light of an oil lamp in the Vermont home of his father. Clarence D. Chamberlin hopped off the Leviathan, Aug 1, 1927, in his airplane, about 100 miles from the shore, and delivered 1,000 pieces of mail at Hasbrouck Heights, N. J. It is the first time that a flier has bopped off a passenger ship, and it is thought this will be made a regular part of the mail service, as it is supposed it will cut at least one day from the time of transatlantic mails. Chamberlin came down first at Curtis field. Continuing later to Hasbrouck Heights, he delivered his mail, indicated that he saw nothing exceptional in the flight, and left to "see a friend" rather than to remain to hear the plaudits of some 600 persons who had gathered at the New Jersey field despite the rain. "I could just as well have carried passengers," he said. "I had no trouble taking off from the 'flying bridge.' although there was a fourteen-mile wind blowing. The Leviathan was about thirty-five or forty miles off Fire Island when I hopped off." An earthquake in China, characterized as one of the world's greatest catastrophes, occurred May 23, 1927. in the province of Kansu, according to a letter from Shanghai to the London Westminster Gazette. The cities of Sisiang, Linechow. and Kusang were wiped out in the twinkling of an eye. The city of Tumentse was buried beneath a mountain. Missionaries estimate the loss of human lives at 100,000. The reason why no report of the calamity has reached the outside world until now is that the telegraphic and postal services were totally destroyed. The quake at Sisiang occurred during the celebration of mass. Immediately after the consecration, terrible subterranean rumblings were heard. Dozens of worshipers, including the Mother Superior, were buried when the church suddenly collapsed. Priests, it is said, worked frantically to rescue the living and administer the sacrament to the dying. Four U. S. presidents are to have a monument on a granite mountain in the Black Hills in South Dakota. They are: Washington, Jefferson, Lin- coln and Roosevelt. President Coolidge dedicated the site on August 10. 1927, with an address; in which he explained that Washington was chosen because his life was associated with the very beginning of American ideals; Jefferson, because he embodied the spirit of expansion which drove the young republic close to the Pacific; Lincoln, because he demonstrated the permanency of the new union, and Roosevelt, because during his adminis- tration the vision of Columbus for a new passage to the Orient was ful- filled in the building of the Panama canal. Out of the solid granite mountain, 800 feet high, the heads and shoulders of the four presidents will be carved, at the expense of half a millon dollars. Work on Washington has already commenced. Gutzon Borglum is the sculptor. Divorces have increased lately at an alarming rate. According to figures presented by Thomas O. Wallace, clerk of the circuit court of Cook Co., 111.. 4.000 divorces had already been granted this year, and there are more than 13.000 cases pending in the various courts handling marital troubles. Mr. Wallace's statistics show that, while 80.000 marriages were made in Illinois in the last year. 14.000 marriages were dissolved by annulment or divorce. Of this number Chicago carried off the lion's share. In this city 40,000 marriages, or 50 per cent of the state's total, were performed, and 8.000 marriages were dissolved there, or 5 5 per cent of the state's total. Desertion was given as the most general cause for divorce. And the women are to blame, says Mr. Wallace. He finds that 80 per cent of all of this year's divorce proceedings were started by women : most of these cases were uncontested, yet 75 per cent of these women had children.