Newspaper Page Text
PROGRESS SLOW
DURING THE YE
Heavy Taxes. Chaotic Financial
Conditions and Minor Wars
Hamper Recovery in 1921.
HOPE COMES NEAR ITS END
Washington Conference en Armament
Limitation the Most Important
Event—What President Hard
Ing's Administration and
the Congress Have
Accomplished.
By EDWARD W. PICKARD
Hack to Normalcy the slogan
of 1021, not only In America but in
all the civilized nations of (he world.
But minor wars, internal economic Mis
turbanees, chaotic financial conditions
in Europe, widespread unemployment, j
famine In Russia and other hindrances |
made progress in the right direction I
slow, excepting, perhaps, in the United j
States.
When the year opened the peoples
luxation \\ ore groaning and depression under the resulting burden from! of j
the World war. As It drew to a close
they were still groaning hut had hope 1
fully turned their eyes toward Wash- j
Ington, where the representatives oi I
great powers were negotiating inter¬
national agreements that would elim¬
inate some of tlie causes of war, es¬
pecially In tile Far East, and limit
the means of making war. In the
success of this conference and of oth¬
ers that might grow out of ft lay for
the time being the hope of humanity.
Efforts to enforce the terms of (he
treaty of Versailles resulted In con
diets among some of the new nations
created by that pact, and several of
the older nations were involved In
warfare. Germany, working Iasi 10
recover her obi position In the world
of commerce, was hampered by the
disastrous decline In the value of the
mark, and her leaders*'protested con
tinualiy that she could not possibly
pay the war Indemnity. Peace negotl
aliens between the British government
and Sinn Fein were brought to a sue
eossful conclusion by which the Irish
Free State was constituted.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
The League of Nations, though
functioning without the co-operation
of the United States, accomplished
much during the year, chiefly through
its council, which met in Paris on
February 21 and immediately referred
proposed amendment* to the covenant
to a committee. President Wilson,
who during January had withdrawn
the American representatives from the
council of ambassadors and the repa¬
rations commission, on February 28
-cut to tlie league council a strong
protest against the inclusion of the
Island of Yap in territories subjected
to the mandate of Japan, and also
formally demanded for America a
voice In the disposal of the former
German colonies. Tlie council In re¬
ply said It was not concerned with
the allocation of Tap to Japan and
invited the United States to take part
in discussions concerning the Turkish
and African mandates. A month after
tin' Republican administration tool;
office Secretary of Slate Hughes reit
crated Mr. Wilson’s stand concerning
Yap and mandates In general, and
laler France and Italy Indorsed Atner
ion's position In the controversy over
the island, though Japan formally re¬
fused to give up her mandate. There
a: er that dispute was the subject of
hug drawn-out negotiations between
the United States and Japan which
led to a treaty by which the United
States was assured equal rights in
Tap and other islands mandated to
Japan.
The council of ambassadors In Janu¬
ary gave Germany more time t<> dis¬
arm. appointed a commission to pass
on Austria's economic status, decided
that Latvia and Esthonia should he
recognized as sovereign states, and
then fixed the German reparations at
220.000,000,000 gold marks, payable in
annual installments, and 12 per cent
tax on exports during the period of
payment. This reparations decision
created consternation in Germany and
Ihrlin at once began efforts to per
suade the United States to intervene
in her behalf. The Wilson administra¬
tion inside no response, hut on April
2 Secretary Hughes Informed Ger
many the United States would noi
countenance her escaping full respon¬
sibility for the war or getting out of
paying to the limit of her ability. A
few days eurlier. Berlin having failed
to make the first payments. French
troops occupied Duesseldorf. Duls
burg and Uuhrort. The British ob¬
jected strongly to this Independent
action and France withdrew. It would
he tedious to detail the negotiations
over the reparations bill. Suffice It to
say that Germany, with Doctor Wirth
as chancellor, was compelled to ac¬
cept the figures of 135.000.000.000 gold
marks finally decided on by the su¬
preme council, made the payments due
during the year but. on December 14.
announced that the In major part of
the sums due in the early part of j
1022 could not be raised. And dm e'
many economists agreed that to drive
her into absolute bankruptcy would
Ik* disastrous to the rest of the world,
oward the close of the year there
■as increasing talk of arranging a
moratorium of two t<> three years fat¬
her. France was the chief objector
to such delay, as she relied on the
money due her from Germany, but
she showed signs of yielding to the
general view. Division of Upper
Silesia between Germany and Poland
caused a lot of trouble. A plebiscite
was held there In March, but both
sides asserted It was unfair and early
In May the region was Invaded by
Polish Irregulars. Thinly veiled support
was given them by the Warsaw gov¬
ernment and also by the French and
there succeeded a long series of fights
between them and German volunteer
forces. The entente cordlale of the
allies was near to rupture, but In June
British troops entered the territory
and began clearing out the Poles. The
dispute was referred to the league
council which in October announced
the boundary lines. Neither Germany
nor Poland was satisfied but both ac¬
cepted the decision.
All through the year the Greeks
fought the Turkish nationalists In
Anatolia, with varying fortune, while
the allied powers held aloof, though
offering mediation which Greece re¬
fused. In November France made a
treaty with the Kemalist government
which aroused protests from Great
Britain and led to diplomatic negotia¬
tions.
The United Slates formally made
peace with the central powers, the
treaty with Austria being signed Au¬
gust 24. that with Germany August 25.
and the pact with Hungary August 29.
In these treaties America reserved all
that was given her by the treaty of
Versailles which the seriate had re¬
fused to ratify.
President Harding on July 10 is¬
sued Informal invitations t *> Great
Britain, France, Italy and Japan to
send representatives to Washington
for a conference on limitation of
armament and Far East questions.
Acceptance from all was already as¬
sured by a process of “feellpg out,"
and on August 11 the formal invita
tlons went out, China, Belgium, Hol¬
land and Portugal being asked to par¬
ticipate In discussions Involving the
Far East. The foremost statesmen of
these nine powers were named as
delegates and on November 12 the mo¬
mentous conference opened with Im¬
posing ceremony. Almost immediate¬
ly Secretary Hughes put forward
America's plan for reduction and
limitation of naval armament, includ¬
ing a naval holiday for ten years, the
scrapping of all shipbuilding pro¬
grams. destruction of vessels to a cer¬
tain point and the maintenance of
the navies of America. Great Britain
and Japan on a 5-5-3 basis. The plan
was formally accepted by the delegaies
of those nations on December 15, and
to the agreement were added clauses
for the preservation ot' the status quo
of naval bases and fortification in the
western Pacific.
Of almost equal importance was the
four-power pact accepted by the con¬
ference on Decemlier 13. This was
cast In the form of a treaty by which
the United Slates. Great Britain.
France and Japan agreed to maintain
peace In the Pacific, the Am 'o-.Tap
nnese treaty being abrogated.
China offered some very difficult
problems to the conference and all the
demands of her delegates were not
satisfied. The conferees, however, did
enter into an agreement to remove
many of the foreign restrictions on
China and to respect the territorial
and administrative Integrity of the
oriental republic and preserve the open
door for trade and Industry of all na
tlons. Direct negotiations between the
Chinese and Japanese delegates re¬
sulted in Japan’s agreeing to restore
Shantung province to China upon re
ceivlng payment for the railway.
It was evident from the first that
the conference could not do much In
the matter of limitation of land arma¬
ments so long as ihe situation in cen¬
tral Europe remained so unsettled.
Premier Rriand was present to give
voice to France’s needs of protection
and fears of aggression by Germany
and possibly by Russia. Ills eloquent
speech so far convinced the confer¬
ence that the other powers gave as
surance that France would never he
left iii the ‘‘moral Isolation” which she
feared.
President Harding has clung to Ids
idea thai an association of nntions can
he formed which would do what the
League of Nations cannot do, and on
November 25 be put forward the sug
gestlon of u continuing series of con
ferences like that in Washington,
which presumably might result In the
formation of the association. The
Idea was received with favor every
where, except that the French de¬
murred at the proposed inclusion of
Germany.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
During the first six mouths of the
year the guerrilla warfare between the
British forces in Ireland and the Irish
“republicans" continued unabated.
Murders by the Sinn Feiners and re¬
prisals by the British were of almost
daily occurrence. Ihe Irish were espe¬
cially exasperated by the exeefition of
a number of prisoners convicted of
complicity in the killing of soldiers.
The appointment of Lord Talbot, lead¬
ing British Roman Catholic, ns lord
lieutenant of Ireland, failed of Its ef¬
fect. ftn May 25 the Sinn Feiners
burned the Dublin custom house, and
on June 30 they re-elected Eamonn de
Valera president of the "Irish repub¬
lic.” Meanwhile the new government of
northern Ireland was organized, with
Sir James Craig as premier, and on
June 22 King George went across to
open the Ulster parliament. De Valera
on July 9 accepted the Invitation of
Premier Lloyd George to a conference
In London, and truce was announced.
Then hegan the series of negotiations
thnt lasted through the remainder of
the year. Offers and counter-offers
were made, and finally Britain prof
fered [reland full status as a dominion
within the empire, to be known as the
THE COVINGTON NEWS, COVINGTON, GEOKUia
Irish Free State. A treaty to this
.-fleet wo? ratified by the British par¬
liament and submitted to dall eireann.
Ulster was not consulted, but was
given the option of becoming a part
of the Irish Flee state or retaining
her status. Angrily she chose the
hitter.
Charles, cx-emperor of Austria-Hun¬
gary, made two rutile efforts ro regain
the Hungarian throne. On March 27 he
appeared In Hungary without force*
and claimed the crown, but Regent
Hortliy refused to step aside. Czecho¬
slovakia, JugoSfitrtn and Rumania
mobilized to frustrate the coup and the
allied council of ambassadors warned
Hungary that rite restoration of the
liapsburg regime would not he toler¬
ated. So Charles returned to Ids place
of refuge In Switzerland. But he was
not through, for on October 21 lie and
his wife, Zita, went by airplane to
Hungary and rallied a considerable
number of supporters who proclaimed
Charles king. Again the “little en¬
tente" prepared for action, but Regent
Hortliy led his army out of Budapest
and defeated the Carlists In a real bat¬
tle. The former emperor and empress
were taken prisoner, ns were a number
of prominent Hungarian nobles. The
allies decreed that Charles must be
exiled, ami in November he and Zita
were taken to Funchal, Madeira.
Russia's year was one of fighting,
famine and efforts to resume relations
with oilier nations. The soviet gov¬
ernment held its own against repeated
revolts, which included risings of the
workingmen of Moscow, -if peas¬
ants under Antonov, and an Invasion
of tlie Ukraine by Petlurn. which for
n time threatened ro be successful.
Failure of ilie crops brought a terrible
famine in the Volga region. Many
iliousands starved to death and even
the American relief administration,
which took charge of the situation,
could only partially check the disaster.
In seeking to break through the ring
of Isolation surrounding It, the Moscow
government gradually receded from Its
communistic principles. It sought the
aid of foreign capital, and on August
y ii abandoned state ownership of all
but a few of the largest industries.
Treaties were made with Ihe Baltic
states and with Turkey, and tempt¬
ing offers ot concessions were held
out to other nations. In a notable
pronouncement on October 21 Premier
Lenin admitted the economic defeat
of communism.
Old King Peter of Serbia died In
Belgrade on August 17, and four days
later bis son Alexander was pro¬
claimed king of .Jugo-Slavla. He was
reluctant to leave Paris, however, and
It was not until November 6 that he
went to Belgrade and assumed his
crown. Portugal was upset by sev¬
eral revolutionary movements toward
the close of the year. On Augusl 19
the ministry was overthrown by a mili¬
tary coup and several cabinet mem¬
bers, Including Premier Granjo, were
assassinated. A few days later a plot
of the royalists was uncovered, and in
November Carvalho Mesquita led a re¬
volt. Because of these disorders and
of the spread of bolshevism the pow¬
ers began consideration of a plan for
intervention. Spain bad rebels, also—
the tribesmen of Morocco. Against
them she maintained a wearying and
expensive warfare for months. And
while on the subject of rebellion, men¬
tion must be made of the revolt of
the Moplnhs on the Malabar coast of
India, which caused the British gov¬
ernment much annoyance and_not a
few lives.
There were communist outbreaks iu
Germany in March, and on August 20
Mathias Kizberger, the German states¬
man who signed the treaty of Ver¬
sailles, was assassinated. Doctor Wirth,
who became chancellor on May 10, re¬
signed with bis cabinet on October 22,
but was persuaded ro remain in office
and form a now ministry. In Novem¬
ber there were riots In many German
cities due to the high prices of food.
Tlie chauvinistic element In Japan
was active, especially after the Wash¬
ington conference opened, and on No¬
vember 3 Premier Hara was assassi¬
nated. Viscount Takahashl succeeded
him. The emperor of Japan suffered
a complete mental and physical break¬
down some time last year, and Crown
Prince Hirohlto was made regent on
November 25. He had lately returned
from a tour of Europe.
DOMESTIC AFFAIRS
During the early — i
part of the year J
the country was preparing for the!
change of administration on March 4. 1
President-elect front Ohio Harding resigned as J
senator on January 9, and j
the next day he asked that prepare- I
canceled, tlons for an feeling elaborate that Inauguration it would be j
be in¬
consistent with the urgent need for
economy. On February 19 Mr. Har¬
ding announced the appointment of
Charles E. Hughes as Ills secretary of
state—a choice that met with general
approval- and on succeeding days he j
completed his cabinet with these
name -: Secretary of the treasury, An- I
drew \V. Mellon; secretary of war, |
John t v W. if »i' Weeks: i.. '
.. . attorney . .. ... . general,
Harry M. Daugherty; postmaster gen¬
eral, Will II. Hays; secretary of the
navy, Edwin Denby; secretary of the
interior, Albert B. Fall; secretary of
agriculture. Henry C. Wallace; secre¬
tary of commerce. Herbert C. Hoover;
secretary of labor. James J. Davis. Mr.
Harding was Inaugurated on March 4
with simple, dignified ceremony, and
President Wilson, despite his contin¬
ued Illness, was able to be present.
The senate, in extra session, confirmed
the cabinet and a number of other ap¬
pointments. and adjourned on March
15 .
On the first day of the year General
Urowder was sent by President Wil¬
son to Cuba to see what could be done
to restore financial and economic coe-
tiltions there upset by the collapse of
the sugar boom. Ha remained on the
island for a long time and succeeded
in his mission to a considerable ex¬
tent. On April 11 telephone communi¬
cation between the United States and
Cuba was opened by an exchange of
greetings between Presidents Hurdlng
and Meuoeal.
The United States Supreme court
rendered several notable decisions. On
January 31 it held ihat Judge Landis
had no lawful right or power to pre¬
side over the trial of Victor Berger and
other Socialists. On March 28 It ruled
that profits from sale of corporate
stocks and bonds and capital assets
are taxable as Income. On April 11 it
refused to review the convictions of
Haywood and 79 other I. W. W. mem¬
bers. The conviction of Senator New¬
berry of Michigan and others for al¬
leged violation of the corrupt prac¬
tices act was set aside on May 2, the
act being held void. On June 30 Wil¬
liam Howard Taft was appointed chief
Justice and was sworn In on October 8.
The unemployment situation be¬
came so bad during the summer that
President Harding called a conference
of experts on the subject. It began its
sessions on September 20 und, after a
long study, established a centrul bu¬
reau and started local employment
movements throughout the country.
The resulting relief was but partial,
for business itself was suffering a gen¬
eral depression.
One nf tlie worst race riots in the
history of the country broke om In
Tulsa, Okla., on May 81. Before it
was quelled the negro quarter of the
city had been burned and 35 persons
had been killed and many wounded.
Labor troubles of long standing in
West Virginia culminated in an insur¬
rectionary movement by miners which
called forth a proclamation by the
■President ordering them to disperse.
Federal troops were sent Into the re¬
gion and the miners soon surrendered.
A commission, headed by Gen. Leon
ard Wood, was sent to the Philippines.
It reported in November, recommend¬
ing against immediate withdrawal of
the United States from the islands.
Meantime General Wood was offered
and accepted the post of governor gen
eral.
The American Legion, in session at
Kansas City, elected Lieut. Col. Han¬
ford MaeNlder of towa its national
commander on November 1. The Le¬
gion had as guests Marshui Foch of
France. General Diaz of Italy. Ad¬
miral Beatty of England and other
distinguished warriors. These same
visitors and many other eminent per¬
sons participated, on Armistice Day,
Nov. 11, in the ceremony of the burial
of America’s unknown soldier In the
National cemetery at Arlington.
Under the budget law which was
passed In May Gen. Charles G.
Dawes was appointed director general
of ihe federal budget and he and his
aids made notable progress in the way
of cutting down the expenses of the
government.
NATIONAL LEGISLATION
Not a great deal of legislation was
passed by tlie Republican congress
during the last two months of Presi¬
dent Wilson's administration. The
President vetoed the bill to revive the
War Finance corporation on January
2, and congress promptly repassed It.
On January 12, $7,100,000 was appro¬
priated for enforcement of prohibition.
The house decided, on January 19, that
its membership should not be In¬
creased. After much debate congress
set the limit of the regular army at
175,000 men. Mr. Wilson vetoed the
measure, but It was passed over his
veto. On February 20 the President
signed the Winslow bill, making avail¬
able to the railroads ?870,000,000 from
the government guarantee fund.
President Harding called congress
In extra session on April 11 aud nearly
all the rest of the year It was busy
with the task of redeeming the pledges
of the Republican purty, with what
success must be left to Individual
Judgment. Among the first bills passed
were emergency tariff and Immigra¬
tion acts; a new army bill cutting the
army down to 150,000; and the budget
bill. On April 80 the senate’ adopted
a resolution declaring the war with
Germany and Austria at an end; on
June 18 the house adopted a resolu¬
tion of similar purport, and the meas¬
ure was finally passed on July 1 and
signed the next day by President
Harding. Repeated efforts to pass a
soldiers* bonus bill came to naught,
a 8 °ldlers relief bureau was cre
on August 2 and Col. C. R. Forbes
wa8 raflde Its director. The house
P asse d both a tax revision bill and a
tar ^ bill, but the senate did not get
around to the latter. The tax meas¬
ure was enacted Into law on Novem
ber 21.
A.mong other important measures
passed were a bill to exempt American
coastwise shipping from payment of
Panama canal toils; a bill for govern
ment regulation of the packing Indus
§48.500,000 shipping board
deficiency bill; the blllion-dollar farm
ex Ports credit bill; and various meas
lirnq ures ra1ntlno> relating fn to enforcement of 4k„ the
prohibition amendment, including one
forbidding the manufacture and sale
of beer as medicine.
The extra session came to an end
on November 23, and on December 5
congress met for the regular session.
LABOR AND INDUSTRIAL
Two Strong tendencies In the world
of labor marked the year In the United
States. One was toward a reduction
of wages, as a part of the “return to
normalcy." and the other was toward
the establishment of the open shop.
Naturally both were contested by or¬
ganized labor, not wholly successfully.
The railway executives took the lead
ia both movements, but had many fob
cago; March 17, Dr. F. W. Gunsaub
educator, lecturer and preacher, ,
Chicago; March 19, Bert Leston Tay¬
lor of the Chicago Tribune, most f
mous “column conductor”; March 2\
jRmes Cardinal Gibbons, archbishop .
Baltimore; March 28, Mrs. George :j
Pullman, widow of the tar builder,
and Charles Haddori Chambers, Au
tralian playwright; March 29, John
Burroughs, beloved American natural¬
ist.
April 3, Annie Louise Cary, on<,«
famous prima donna; April 8, Jul ■
Opp, actress, and B. E. Wallace, plot .
circus man; April 9, Archbishop Wn!-u
of Dublin, Sydney Fisher, Canadian
statesman, and Ernesto Nathan, former
mayor of Rome; April 11, Augusm
Victoria, former empress of Germany;
April 80, John Robinson, noted circi.
owner.
May 3, Dr. W. R. Brooks, astrono¬
mer ; May 5, J. A. Sleiclier, editor Les-,
lie’s Weekly; May 14, Alf Hyman, the-'
atrlcul manager; May 15, Former Sen¬
ator T. B. Catron of New Mexico; May
18, Former Secretary of the Interior
Franklin B. Lane; May 19, Edward I).
White, chief justice of the United
States Supreme court; May 29, Gen.
Horace Porter, war veteran and diplo¬
mat.
June 5, W. T. Crooks, noted British
labor leader; June 7, Alvin T. II
Republican leader of Kentucky; June -
Col. F. VV. Galbraith, Jr., national c .
mander of the American Legion; ,L:
13, Gen. Jose Gomez, former presit!,
of Cuba, and II. C. Ide, former g o
nor general of the Philippines; J
15, Judge W. A. Blount of Flori I
president of the American Bar a
elation; June 10. William E. M son,
congressman-at-large from lilim :
June 22, Dr. Morris Jastrow, autlin
on Semitic literature, and Gen. C. .
Taylor, editor of the-Boston Glob- ■
June 28, Charles J. Bonaparte of L
timore; June 29, Lady Bonn - :
Churchill.
July 3, John F. Wallace, eminent a-"
gineer; July 10, Douglas Story, nut :
and journalist; July 12, Harry Ii,
famous British aviator; July 15. I
W. E. Stone, president of Purdue un
versify; ‘ July 29, Robert E. P.ui
prominent Democrat of Chicago, an l
Charles B. Cory, ornithologist; July I,
Edgar Saltus, author.
Aug. 2, Enrico Caruso. I lie fain-:;
operatic tenor; Aug. 6, John G. .!
kins, Wisconsin jurist; Aug. li. ’
11am C. Hook, jurist, of Kansas; Ann
12, Alexander Block, noted Kiri:-: *
poet; Aug. 13, Samuel P. Colt, leader in
rubber industry ; Aug. 17, King Peter oi
Serbia; Aug. 19, Demetrius Khali;
Greek statesman; Aug. 23, Sir So «
Hughes of Canada; Aug. 25, Pc
Cooper Hewitt, noted American h
tor; Aug. 31, Field Marshal Count t
Buelow, German war leader.
Sept. 2, Austin Dobson, lh g -h
poet; Sept. 11, Former Senator G ^
P. Wetmore of Rhode Island; Sept, l
Peer Stromme, American author u.i !
Journalist; Sept. 21, Sir Era st <
sel, British financier; Sept. 2S. K -1
bert Humperdinck, German eo npw >r.
Oct. 1, Former Federal Judge 1 ’< ■;
Grosscup of Chicago; Oct. 2, Dave
Bisplinm, American baritone, and W
liam II, former king of Wuritends ■
Oct. 12, Philander Case Ki, x. m.
■from Pennsylvania; Oct. IS. l.u
III, former king of Bavaria; Act.
MnJ. Gen. VV. W. Wot!, i- n. V
A.; Oct. 25, “But" Must r at. v
and former noted westerner; Oe
Henry Oyen, American now
Nov. 3, Dan Hanna, capitue -r
publisher, of Cleveland, O.. X<>\
Rev. Antoinette Blackwell, first wont' ;
ordained as a minister In the Ur '
States; Nov. 13, ('. II. Prior of - j
Paul, railway builder, and Mrs. G . >
J. Gould ; Nov. 20, Lawrence C. E
American painter; Nov. 22, Christine
'Nilsson, Countess de Casa Mir: nd
once famous operatic soprano,
Henry M. Hyndraan, British sociali
leader; Nov. 27, Lieut. Col. C. W.
Whittlesey, hero of the “lost buttai '
Ion;” Nov. 28, Abdul Baha Abbas, lead
jer of the Bahaists; Nov. 29, Iv;... |
Caryll, composer, and Lord Mount St
phen, creator of the Canadian P
railway system.
Dec. 10, Sir Arthur Pearson, famou
,blind publisher of England; Dec. 1
the earl of Halsbury, former Brit! 1
lord high chancellor; Dec. 12. H. Cl:
Evans of Tennessee, former commi
sloner of pensions; Dec. 15, Cbngre-
man J. A. Elston of California, who
committed suicide; Doc. 10, Camille
Salnt-Saens, noted French composer.
DISASTERS
Floods, tornadoes and conflagration?
cost many lives and vast proper; v
losses in 1921, A four-niillion-dollai
fire destroyed the business section <:l
Athens, Ga„ on January 24. The Ar¬
mour grain elevator in Chicago.-In;g
est in the world, was wrecked by fin
and explosion on March 19, the los;
being $0,000,000. A thousand houses
in Tokyo were destroyed by flames in
March, and in April fire in Manii;>
rendered 15,000 homeless ami 4.00(1
buildings were burned in Hakodate,
Japan. The Southern states were
struck by n tornado on April 15, 1(*:
persons being killed. On June 3 came
the terrible floods in eastern Colorado
In which hundreds lost their lives and
immense property damage was done.
San Antonio, Tex., experienced a dis¬
astrous flood on September 10.
The two most startling disasters
occurred abroad. On August 24 the
giant dirigible ZR-2, built by the Brit¬
ish for the United States, broke in
two while over Hull, England, on her
last trial trip. Forty-six men w e
killed, including 15 members nf the
American crew that was to bring the
vessel across the ocean.
On September 21 a great nitrate
plant at Oppau, Germany, blew up.
The town was wiped out, about 1.500
persons were killed and thousand*
were injured.
UtL WexUrn 1
lowsrs In January the national con ,
ference ot siate manufacture's' - t
clatious pledged support tor life < . e •
[shop movement, on the last day of j
jtbar mouth ibe railway executives
asked that tlie national working agree
'meats be abrogated; the railroad
brotherhoods appealed to President
■Wilson to prevent wage reductions but
he refused to interfere. By order of
‘the railway labor board some of the
.working agreements were terminated j
on July 1 and a wage cut averaging 12
per cent was put into effect. The rail¬
ways later announced they would ask
further wage cuts. The membership
of the brotherhoods decided by vote
that a strike should be called on Octo¬
ber 80, but nine allied unions refused
to support such a strike, and on an¬
nouncement by the board that it would
not consider wage cut requests until
all working rule questions had been
[decided the strike order board was reconstituted canceled.
tOn December 1 the
ithe working rules so that the open
.shop principle was recognized.
In the packing Industry there was a
wage reduction in March and a strike
was narrowly averted. In September
tlie large packing plants installed the
shop representation system and in No¬
vember, under this plan, the employees
consented to a further reduction of 10
per cent. The meat cutters repudiated
this and called a strike on Dec. 5.
There were many minor strikes,
,most of them short lived. Samuel
[Gompers was re-elected president of
[the American Federation of Labor
iwhich held its convention in Denver
jin June.
Greal Britain’s coal miners went on
[strike on March 1 and for nearly four
months the nation’s industries were
inear collapse. The rail and transport
workers refused to go out and the
government would not yield to the
demands that the mines be national¬
ized. so the miners returned to work
on June 28 without having gained
much.
SPORTS
It was n great year for sports. In
all lines there was activity and pros¬
perity. and international contests
were numerous.
Organized baseball, which had suf¬
fered from the White Sox scandal,
rehabilitated itself by the appoint¬
ment of Judge Landis as supreme ar¬
biter. The New York Giants and the
i New York Yankees won the National
Sand American league pennants, re¬
spectively, and in the series for the
world ^championship the Giants were
victorious. Tlie former members of
the Chicago White Sox who were ac¬
cused of conspiracy to “throw the 1919
world’s series” were acquitted by a
jury, though not by public- opinion.
Jock Hutchinson of America won
the British open golf championship in
Juue. In this country the titles went
as follows: Western amateur, Charles
Evans, Jr.; national open, James M.
Barnes; western open, Wa"Iter Hagen;
I national amateur, Jesse Guilford,
j Rattle The feature in pugilism was the
for tlie world’s heavyweight
title between Jack Dempsey and
Georges Carpentler of France on July
2. The Frenchman was knocked out
In the fourth round. Benny Leonard
defended the lightweight title against
Richie Mitchell on January 14; Jack
Britton, welterweight champion, de
feated Ted Lewis of England on Feb
ruary 7. and Pete Herman won tlie
bantamweight title from Joe Lvnch on
July 25.
DftvU and Johnston, the American
tennis team, won the Davts cup in
New Zealand on January t, und Til
den won the international champion¬
ship In I’arts pn June 4, and the
■ American championship on Septembei
19. The Americans again won the
Davis cup on September 3 by defeat
ing the Japanese team.
The University of Illinois won :!.
Western Conference track and tub.
meet and the National Colleglati
athletic meet In June. Yale defeated
Harvard In their annual boat race oi
June 24. The University of Iowa won
the Western Conferenct football
championship, and Harvard beat Yah
on November 19. The East was give
two Jolts in football, for the Univer
sity of Chicago defeated Princeton
and Centre college of Kentucky heal
Harvard.
On November 23 young Jake Sehaef
er won the world’s bulkline champion
ship long held by Willie Hoppe.
NECROLOGY
Just the names of tlie well-known
men and women who passed away in
1921 would fill much space. Among tin
shining marks found by Death wen
these: Jan. 1. Dr. Theobald von Beth
inann-Hollwegg, former German impe¬
rial chancellor; Jan. 3, Ferdinand
Schiesinger, Wisconsin capitalist; Jan
7. James G. Scripps, publisher of manj
newspapers; .Tun. 13, Henry Reintiardi.
famous American art collector aim
dealer; Jan. 19, Daniel Barto. profes
sor of agriculture in the l’niversii.\ <>
Illinois; Jan. 21, Congressman Charles
Booher of Missouri, and Mary M. Wlvlr
ney, famous astronomer at Vassal-; Jan
22. "Cap" Streeter, the noted Chicago
lake front squatter; Jan. 30, John
Francis Murphy, American landscap<
painter; Jan. 81, Gov. F. H. Parkhurst
of Maine.
Feb. 2, Cardinal Ferrari, archbishop
of Milan, and Luigi Manicelli, noted
composer; Feb. 8, Prince Kropotkin
nihilist leader, and Prof. Barrett Wen
del! of Harvard; Feb. 9, James Gibbons
Huneker, music critic and author; Feb.
22. W. F. McCombs, former Demo
tie national chairman; Feb. 24, Dr
F. J. V. Skiff, director of the Field
of Chicago.
March 1, Nicholas I, king of Monte- j
March 2. Congressman Champ;
of Missouri; March 11. S. W !
eminent astronomer oi Chi
