KING MANUEL, OF PORTUGAL, AND HIS MOTHER, Liberals in the new Parliament will undoubtedly take some definite action upon the question of woman suffrage. Notwithstanding the "deplorable, suicidal policy of a small section of its advocates," said Mr. Asquith, "the government does not desire to burke the question which is chiefly one upon which the new House of Commons should express its opinion." England's The opposition of the Lords to Land-Holding the Liberal budget, as already Peers pointed out more than once in these pages, arises chiefly from the fact that its provisions call for greatly increased taxes upon land and property, and a decrease of the burdens upon foodstuffs and articles used by the poorer classes. Some of the Radical and Liberal papers, notably the London Daily Chronicle, are publishing lists of the names of land-owning peers, indicating the number of their acres to show their reasons for voting against "a land tax budget." Out of a total area in the United Kingdom of 77,000,000 acres, the peers who voted against the budget own more than 16,000,000,more than a fifth of the whole. Conservative opinion in England holds that in permitting their personal interests to stand in the way of the national good the Lords (we quote the Chronicle) "have chosen the way of destruction." That the Liberals, if they again secure a majority, will fail to introduce some radical legislation looking toward the curtailing of the Lords' power, cannot be doubted. It is not to be expected that the British people will desert the constitutional principle of a second Chamber. That they will, however, in time do away with the hereditary principle is to be expected. A scheme of reform of the Lords has already been outlined by a commission appointed by themselves, and it seems probable that the present crisis may bring about a compromise acceptable to both parties. Events in Portugal The visit of King Manuel of Portugal to England late in November, for the purpose, it was generally believed, of choosing an English princess for a wife, recalled the attention of the world to the little Iberian kingdom. Two years ago next month, it will be remembered, King Carlos I. and his eldest son were assassinated by the agents of a political organization which regarded the Braganza family as responsible for the political and industrial decadence of Portugal. Manuel, the second son, succeeded. Since that time, with the help of the experience and moderate tugal's East Indian possessions, are made public at the same time as the Chinese Government accuses the Portuguese authorities of unjust treatment of the Chinese in Macao, the Portuguese island at the mouth of the Canton River. From Portuguese East Africa and Angola, the world hears stories of cruel exploitation of the natives and, during the past few months, so serious have been the charges of peonage and slavery in the islands of San Thomé and Principe, off the west coast of Africa, that an international agitation has been started to investigate the condition of the native workmen on the cocoa plantations in these islands. An agent of one of the large English cocoa manufacturers who visited the plantations reported the natives to be in a shocking condition. It should be said here that a royal decree, dated at Lisbon in July MADAME SELMA LAGERLOFF new King is patriotic and independent, and he will have this, the only purely foreign. problem of the country, to face, a task which may not prove an easy one, since King Albert is known to have strong German sympathies. It is not believed in the European capitals that the death of King Leopold can have much effect upon the politics of the continent. The general situation in Belgium, as the new King finds it, with some facts about the monarch and his Queen, and a brief survey of the career of the late Leopold II. are set forth on another page this month. It is believed in London and Paris that a change of rulers will be followed by new methods of administration in the Congo, since it is well known that the new King, understanding as he does from personal knowledge the true situation in Africa, is in favor of thorough-going reforms. Indeed, during the last hours of King Leopold's life the Colonial Minister introduced in the National Assembly a bill for the radical reform of the Congo administration. The Nobel Women have now won prizes in Prize Winners three of the five fields marked for of 1909 distinction by the bequest of the late Dr. Alfred Nobel, the Swedish engineer and chemist. In 1903 Madame Curie shared one with her husband and M. Bec (The Swedish authoress to whom last month was querel for her discoveries in connection with awarded the Nobel prize for literature) last, but only published in London within the past fortnight, suspends for three months "the recruiting of labor in Angola for San Thomé and Principe, cocoa plantations," and intimates a future "complete suspension." The New the radium ray. In 1905 the prize for the greatest contribution to the cause of international peace was awarded to the Baroness von Suttner, an Austrian lady, whose book, "Ground Arms," made a deep impression throughout the world. At the distribution of prizes for the year 1909, made last month in Stockholm, Madame Selma Lagerloff, the Belgium begins the year 1910 Swedish authoress, took the honors in litRegime in under a new monarch. On De- erature. Her collection of Scandinavian Belgium cember 23 Prince Albert formal- stories, which have been described as "bright ly took the oath of office and ascended the pictures of Northern optimism," has gone throne as Albert I. Belgium has had a long through several editions in Sweden and Gerperiod of peace and prosperity, and, secure many, and has made the authoress famous in in her neutrality and integrity, which is Europe and in this country as well. The guaranteed by the rest of Europe, the Bel- other Nobel prizes awarded last month went gians begin their new era with the best of to William Marconi and Professor Ferdiprospects. There has been a growing fear nand Braun, of Strasburg, for physics; to in recent years that German capital was gain- Professor Wilhelm Ostwald, of Leipsig, for ing undue influence in commercial and educa- chemistry; to Professor Theodor Kocher, of tional matters in Belgium, as well as in her Berne, for physiology and medicine, and to sister kingdom of the Netherlands. Against Baron d'Estournelles de Constant, one of this "peaceful penetration," looking event- the permanent members of the Hague Triually, it is apprehended, toward absorption bunal for France, and to M. Beernaert, forof the kingdom by Germany, many Bel- mer Minister of State of Belgium, for congians have protested in the public press. The tributions to the cause of world peace. A Minister to China at Last. The important event in our far ITALY TURKEY HUNGARY BRITISH ISLES SWEDEN SAUSTRIA PART ROUMANIA RUSSIA BULGARIA GREECE NORWAY SPAIN FRANCE AUSTRALIA AND EUROPE COMPARED GERMANY Eastern relations during the past few weeks has been the appointment by President Taft of Mr. William James Calhoun, of Chicago, as Minister to China. Mr. Calhoun has accepted the appointment, and the Chinese Government has pronounced him persona grata. Upon several important occasions Mr. Calhoun, who is a prominent lawyer of Chicago, has demonstrated his fitness for such a diplomatic post as the Chinese mission. Just before the war with Spain, President McKinley entrusted. him with the delicate and complex task of investigating the situation in Cuba. President Roosevelt commissioned him to perform a like service in Venezuela in 1905. On both these occasions he exhibited sound judgment, coolness, and diplomatic tact, qualities he will certainly need for his new duties in China. It is expected that Mr. Calhoun will same problem for itself. Australia also is depart for his new post early in the present intent upon the creation of the basis of a real month. It is one of the peculiar requirements navy. A bill providing for one armored of the minister of any country to the Celestial and three unarmored cruisers, in addition to Empire that its affairs are generally more im- other small vessels of war, has already passed portant in their relation to the neighboring its third reading in the Lower House of the nations of Russia and Japan than in them- Commonwealth. Within the past decade the selves. Mr. Calhoun will have to under- island continent of Australia has found her stand and deal with not only Chinese-Ameri- whole political environment suddenly and can relations but also with Chinese-Russian, radically transformed. More than one Chinese-Japanese, and American-Russian- naval and military power in alarmingJapanese relations. The tension between ly close proximity to her undefended China and Russia over the still unsettled coasts are apparently beginning to find in question of municipal administration in the Manchurian cities along the Siberian border, and the next steps in Japan's administration of Korea will be the immediate problems facing the new American Minister when he arrives at his post. In this connection it is interesting to note the fact that Prince Yamagata, one of the Japanese Elder Statesmen, has been appointed President of the Privy Council to succeed the late Prince Ito, who was recently assassinated by a fanatic Korean, and that almost simultaneously with the appointment of Mr. Calhoun to the post at Peking, Mr. Chang, the new Chinese Minister, presented his credentials at Washington, and Baron Uchida, the new Ambassador from Japan, succeeding Baron Takahira, arrived at San Francisco. her vast unpeopled territory a standing temptation for their national expansion. In reply to the contention of an English speaker in one of the recent imperial conferences in London, that Australia does not offer fertility of soil and natural resources in such profusion as to seriously tempt foreign aggression, the Hon. Bernhard R. Wise, formerly Attorney-General of New South Wales, replied, in a speech in the Federal Parliament, afterward incorporated in a recently published book, by saying: The coastal fringe of the continent alone, the fertility of which is universally admitted, is much larger than all the countries of Europe put together, if we leave out Russia. But there is of Russia as well, while the whole of the ineven room on the maritime belt for a portion terior does not make up an area one-half the size of the Czar's European dominion. In illustration of his point of view, Mr. Wise prints in his book an interesting map comparing Australia and the continent of Europe, which we reproduce herewith. THE READING OF THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES RECORD OF CURRENT EVENTS (From November 20 to December 19, 1909) PROCEEDINGS IN CONGRESS December 6.-Both branches of the Sixty-first Congress meet in regular session and adjourn as a token of respect to the memory of deceased members. December 7.-President Taft's annual message is received and read in both branches. December 10.-In the Senate, Mr. Cummins (Rep., Ia.) introduces his bill amending the Interstate Commerce law. December 14.-In the House, the District of Columbia Appropriation bill is favorably reported, and bills are introduced for the establishment of a central national bank and the further restriction of immigration. December 15.-The House passes two bills to promote safety on railroads. December 16.-The Senate adopts a resolution calling on the Department of the Interior for information regarding mine disasters.... In the House, Mr. Hitchcock (Dem., Neb.) makes a bitter attack on Secretary Ballinger. December 17-The House considers the District of Columbia Appropriation bill. POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT-AMERICAN November 20.-The United States Circuit Court for the district of Missouri holds that the Standard Oil Company, of New Jersey, is an illegal corporation and orders that it be dissolved. November 24.-W. Cameron Forbes, of Massachusetts, is inaugurated as Governor-General of the Philippines.... President Taft holds conferences with Attorney-General Wickersham concerning amendments to the Interstate Commerce law and the white-slave traffic.... President Taft appoints Benjamin S. Cable Assistant Secretary of the Interior, James L. Davenport Commissioner of Pensions, and Chief Justice William J. Mills Governor of New Mexico.... Governor Hughes, of New York, appoints Arion H. Cheney State Superintendent of Banks, to succeed Clark Williams. November 26.-President Taft approves the regulations for the collection of the corporation tax submitted to him by Secretary MacVeagh. November 28.-It is announced in Washington that the number of federal employees in the country is 370,065, as against 306,141 in 1907. November 29.-The Secretary of the Navy promulgates a plan for the reorganization of his department....The prohibitory amendment is defeated in Alabama by a majority of 20,000. December 9.-President Taft confers with Speaker Cannon and Vice-President Sherman on the legislative program in Congress....At a caucus of Democratic Senators, Senator Money, of Mississippi, is elected minority leader. December 13.-President Taft nominates Judge Horace H. Lurton, of Tennessee, for Justice of the United States Supreme Court. December 15.-Secretary Dickinson announces the selection of Major-Gen. Leonard Wood for Chief of Staff of the Army to succeed MajorGen. J. Franklin Bell. December 18.-Secretary MacVeagh issues an order eliminating State, city, and railroad bonds from securities which may be accepted for deposit of public moneys in national banks. |