Newspaper Page Text
Items of Interest Gathered Here and There
More Intelligence by Nippon.
One of the first discoveries of Japan, when she
began to chime into the concert of the world
powers, was that the stature of her sons, which she
had hitherto regarded as ideal, was unfavorably
commented upon. Therefore, the Heaven Born, who
presides over Ichi’s destinies, ordered that he
should add two distinguished inches to his honorable
height. He proceeded to utilize physical culture.
Rigid systems of gymnastic exercises were set on
foot, especially directed toward the legs, in young
b°ys, young girls, and soldiers in training. These
are now reported, by a body of prominent Japanese
newspaper men traveling in this country, to have
added nearly tw T o inches to the stature of younger
Japan. As precise figures, about the number
measured, etc., are carefully avoided, we may be
pardoned for accepting these claims ’ with some
reserve, but there can be little doubt, from the
reports of medical missionaries, medical travelers,
and other competent observers, that there has been
a distinct increase in both the height and the weight
of the rising generation of Japan. As to the cause,
we may observe that there is a more abundant and
better-balanced supply of food, particularly in
proteids. This change was initiated in the Japanese
navy nearly twenty years ago, under the impression
that a too exclusive rice diet was the cause of the
well-known beri-beri. A properly balanced ration,
containing larger amounts of nitrogen, was intro
duced, with the result of almost exterminating the
disease. Thus encouraged, the military authorities
extended the same reform to the army, with equally
beneficial results, and from this it spread to the
civil population. Much of this additional proteid
was secured in the form of fish, beans, and wheat
flour, though considerable amounts of beef and pork
were also added. Ten or more years ago our wheat
growers and farmers of the Pacific Coast began to
find that Japan was becoming one of their best
customers for their flour, beef, and pork. This has
been cut into of late on account of the enormous
development of wheat-growing and milling in
Manchuria, centring around Harbin. The broad
black wheat belt of Manchuria ; and Eastern
Siberia was one of the points upon which Japan
had her intelligent eye in her famous campaign.—
Collier’s Weekly.
H at
Conserbation of the Nation ’s 'Resources.
The national capital, harboring a congress which
is none too active in its expiring hours, also held
last week within its confines a brilliant and memo
rable gathering of other representatives of the peo
ple, and was the scene of the laying of the corner
stone of a temple to Pan-American trade and peace.
On May 11 President Roosevelt and representatives
of every American republic attended the founding
of the home for the International Bureau of Amer
ican Republics, a building requiring an expendi
ture of about $1,000,000, of which Andrew Carnegie
has contributed $750,000. Our own government
provides the land, and the building will be main
tained by the joint contributions of twenty-one gov
ernments who are also contributors to the building
fund. The speakers were President Roosevelt, the
Brazilian ambassador, Secretary Root, Andrew Car
negie, and Director John Barrett, of the bureau.
The spirit of the addresses was that of continental
peace and co-operation. The other Washington as
semblage of the week which was out of the ordi
nary, immeasurably so, was the conference of gov
ernors for discussion of a national policy for the
conservation of the country’s natural resources.
Never before in the nation’s history have-the gov
ernors of all the states united in person to consider
co-operation on a grand scale. There were many
addresses on phases of the main question by dis
tinguished experts, and there was added to popular
thought about the way to co-operate in a conserva
tive movement a contribution of value by the secre
tary of state, with another suggestion on the control
of corporations by President Roosevelt. Said Mr.
Root: “The constitution of the United States pro-
The Golden Age for May 28, IGOB.
hibits the states from making any agreement with
each other without the consent of congress, but you
can make any number of agreements with the con
sent of congress. Why should not the powers that
are reserved to the state sovereignty be exercised
by those sovereignties with a wise regard for the
common interests'? It is high time that the sovereign
states of the Union should begin to perform their
duties with reference not only to their own individ
ual local interests but with reference to the common
good. I regard this meeting as marking a new de
parture —the beginning of an' era in which the states
of the Union will exercise their reserved powers up
on a higher plane of patriotism and love of country
than has ever existed before.” This provision of
the constitution about the relation of states is the
key to those new relations between states whereby
joint action, by congressional authority, can accom
plish great ends in the conservation of resources.
The president’s important contribution was called
forth seemingly by a statement by William J. Bryan
that “there is no twilight zone between the nation
and the state in which exploiting interests can take
refuge from both.” In the same broad and pa
triotic spirit the president declared: “My primary
aim in the legislation that I have advocated for the
regulation of the great corporations has been to pro
vide some effective popular sovereign for each cor
poration. I do not wish to keep this twilight land
one of large and vague boundaries by judicial de
cision that in a given case the state cannot act, and
then a few years later by other decisions that in
practically similar cases the nation cannot act
either. I am trying to find out where one or the
other can act, so there shall always be some sover
eign power that on behalf of the people can hold
every big corporation, every big individual, to an
accountability so that its or his acts shall be bene
ficial to the people as a whole. In matters that re
late only to the people within the state, of course
the state is to be sovereign and it should have the
power to act. If the matter is such that the state
itself cannot act then I wish on behalf of all the
states that the national government shall act.” —
The Standard.
* M
Our rr Heroes ” at San 'Francisco.
If the sailor boys of the big fleet at San Francis
co had saved the nation in the wild wrack of battle
they could scarcely be received with more en
thusiasm than the people of California are showing.
The editors are ransacking the dictionaries for su
perlatives. “As the fleet itself is the ultimate ex
pression of organized human force,” exclaims the
San Francisco Chronicle, “so its personnel repre
sents the ultimate of manliness, courage and skill,”
and “in no other human service,” it goes on, “can
be found men more patriotic in devotion to duty or
more competent in the discharge of that duty.”
In the midst of all the furor, however, the San
Francisco Argonaut rises to make a few remarks
that resemble an icicle unexpectedly applied to the
spine of a fever patient. “We hope that we will
not be accused of bad manners,” it observes, “if
we take the opportunity to point out some anomalies
in the tremendous hubbub over the Atlantic fleet.”
To quote further:
“We are receiving the men of this fleet, from Ad
miral Evans down to galley-boys, with all the hon
ors due to conquering heroes, while as a matter of
fact nobody has done anything of a heroic sort.
These gallants in blue have done nothing more than
in obedience to orders and in holiday fashion to sail
round from Hampton Roads to San Francisco, stop
ping conveniently for feasting and dancing and for
chucking the girls of half a dozen countries under
their dimpled chins. As a maneuver the voyage has
been most interesting; as a frolic it has been a vast
and stupendous success. But looking at the whole
incident in dead sober seriousness, there has been
nothing about it in the leastwise difficult or heroic,
calling for special gratitude or even acknowledg
ment on the part of the public
“The real significance of this cruise into Pacific
waters is political rather than martial. A situation
arose in which it seemed necessary to impress the
world with the intention of the United States to
have its legitimate share in the control of the Pa
cific Ocean regarded as a field of human enterprise.
Russia had in recent years asserted claims at odds
at certain points with the interest and the dignity
of the United States. Japan, having struck a
mighty blow at the power of Russia, had taken a
tone that did not set well in the view of the
civilized world, and especially of the United States,
with respect to Pacific Ocean affairs. Those who
speak for the public opinion of Japan —if there be
any such thing in that country —had developed a
spirit of ‘sassiness’ toward things American which
jarred somewhat upon our national sensibilities.
And then there appeared some question on the part
of the older nations of Europe as to just what part
the United States proposed to play in the rising
world of the Pacific Ocean. On the whole it seemed
a good time to do something that would indicate
not only to Japan and Russia, but to all the other
countries of the earth, that the United States pro
poses to have a finger or possibly a whole hand in
the Pacific pie. The voyage of the battleship fleet
was happily and wisely conceived, first as an answer
to questions declared and implied, second as an as
sertion of national purpose in the Pacific Ocean,
third as a visible mark of the power of the United
States upon the sea.” —The Literary Digest.
* *
The Progress of Arbitration.
The remarkable world cruise of the majestic
American battle fleet, now harboring amid enthu
siastic acclaims at San Francisco, should not ob
scure the fact that sleepless forces work toward the
time when armadas patrol the seas no more. The
peace forces of the United States have annual ex
pression in the famous Lake Mohonk Conference,
invited by the patriotic proprietor of one of the
country’s most beautiful upland resorts, to assem
ble at his great hotel in its fourteenth meeting,
May 20 to 22. These Mohonk conferences register
progress in the international movement for peace
and arbitration, and give a fresh and periodic stim
ulus to popular purpose to believe in the peace of
the world as a practical status. The Lake Mohonk
Conference will, together with other work, base not
a little of its discussion upon the deliberations and
outcome of the second peace conference at The
Hague and the conference in Washington last win
ter of the Central American republics. The pre
siding officer of the Lake Mohonk Conference will
be Hon. John W. Foster, ex-secretary of state, and
in its discussions will share representatives of the
diplomatic corps, colleges and universities, cham
bers of commerce, not to mention prominent jurists,
churchmen, journalists and others. In anticipation
of this important conference it is well to reiterate,
as The Standard has done before now, that The
Hague Conference was by no means a failure be
cause its ultimate objects have not been immediately
obtained. Rather should there be renewed confi
dence in the amiability of nations that the advance
made is such true progress. The Hague Confer
ence was not a legislative body declaring its will
by a majority vote. For adoption of a measure
forty-five nations, practically all and of all conceiv
able differences, were obliged to be substantially
unanimous; that is, such a conglomerate assemblage,
hitherto guided by national, by selfish interests,
were seeking an international point of view. It is
just announced that a general arbitration treaty
with Japan, based upon recommendations of The
Hague Conference, has been signed. It covers not
such vital matters as independence and honor but
goes as far as similar treaties in providing arbitra
tion of disputes of a legal nature and in construc
tion of treaties. Out of the conference of the
Central American republics will come a Central
American court of justice to which will go contro
versies not capable of diplomatic adjustment. The
existence of this court will tend to check factional
civil uprisings and lend stability to a society prone
to revolution. —The Standard.
3
