The sun., 1896-08-30
LONDON IS PERPLEXED.
pIscUssIHs THE EPRoBLBM OF WIEN
IHE NEW cEN7 URT BEGINS.

The Two eidss OF the Qaestian- Results
Of n New InquirY In REGARD 90 ChloEo-
torm-suieidss In EasInnA Iaereasine-
miss Bird's Travsls-A shoP-eiosinG NH
LoSpoS, Aug. a2.-A problem worse than the
bfteen pu uLzle, worse than the sixteen -to-one
silver ratio, is about to distract Christondom.
II is a problem which Just ninety-six years ago
,st all society by the ears. In the year 1900 the
,nme problem destroyed friendships, and was
.ven tho cause Of bloodshed, Probably the con-
troyersy is still moro ancient, and its revival
now, three or four years In advance Of its proper
date OF recurrence, porteuds . contest moro
rrievous than ever In its intensity.
tits isavery simple little question which threat
ems to divide the Christian universe. namely,
Does the twentieth century begin on Jan. !,
1900, or on Jan. \, 1901 Everybody will have
the answer ready the moment this question is
NM, But wait moment Read carefully the
following paragraph and then cay candidly II IL
may not be necessary 70 revise your snap judg-
ment;
Let US suppose person to be writing . letter
some eighteen months after the birth Of Christ.
How will he date his letter. Will he write,
say, July 10. year !, or July 10. year 2? IL he
writes the former. he will consistently hold that
the next century begins Jan. I, 1000; II ha
writes tho latter, he will hold that It begins
Jan, /, 1901. The hrst Wow 10 based on the
theory that the time specified 10 one year six
months ene n'ue 49, ~" ee-s
% sAsep H'o' v.
Inc seoohu ses W NV A4soy
that tue p.ee spse,neN - 'ns soeouu ~ 'e~t siA'n
MONTH anu .eh,n uss a..s' ste en'9 go sn1 Az
eordhg 10 lhe n'se w .ee ~ Aoao, 'nsHue Np
l'sso years. ops 'non'a, nm. "~ss Ionu sotn'
hou's s'e' Wv 49, - .N''s', e-N e"'e so"-
'e9ueauy IN ING i'oo ao ssA Ae0'.S"s ls 80 sne
secohu 'lew' reo ~, 80, .ueaus w i'e'on
year. ssronu uon.h' sao .,nIA uAS' anu Se e!e
consequently III Ine ,s.t' hk W
the nrst 'ie"' tne ou,noei VI sne Year car
dinal NUMBER Aocofu'hS W me seeoha rie"'h
h an oFalnai nnmoer' eoth " 'hese "etnous
can eoneesVaolS % me'ntAiheo. ana AZ stAteo
ABOVE ootn hFe IN use ~ We "t!e 'eNer III
Tue Aitetaooh ana w'sn 70 sp'euS cue exact
Tins, We e~se|' v. ''oo ~, "Hien uteAnS
TOUT houfs anu 'ntt1s nA'nuHee Si.sF - 'eioeA.
mere We us' sN'a.aHA uuniu "e msh'
eensilS wen "F'.e tue URN houi oat
iAc' we 40 not 80 wr'e' ARan'
IN waking. - soon - you teAeh the 'ehth thns-
stohe IRON gwen s'AruhK place you nave
enmpistsu tsn mhss' 50 Shsh 'oS -
years o'u We sAs No IN hie tosh yeu' anu ne
does not nave 70 wall anonef year oetoFe
are based on the leesopAoie ki"uho tnat IN con-
eists fecHoninss " a'ne ana spAee We ns'
eesh Win l. hot villa u anu tnat tnsre Is the
zane space between y ana - thsts is oes"eeh
lana j. Inc question tneh II. "heh We write
1880 are We esihR cAEainA OF an ofainai
numosr' II Is clear tnat u We are using q car
dhal NUMBER the iaat aeS OF tne century
peo' d. loss. "hile "e are es'hs An or
aihAi humoeF the last oss oi the century u
Dee o. 1000.
nave quoted ttom tne Lohaoh ltmsss aifhi-
nsa eoatiiuotion 70 tne sh.y season aeoates.
Ihs eommoa impfession' psssu"e. eheoe
persons VINO nave NOT e'sen the suo1ec'
,aopkn., - uaI .us uoS eeHta's "ttt aA"H On
'eh' l. 'soo, oaI Tue WIZ a1oI sisumsul. ~ tea
opinion OF 'ns sc'iisspohoeu. "ho oaos'hen the
top'' IN lne A'nAs' 10 III i~'o' VI isVi' taese
arc hD reasons
W ~ tnk"sh We uSo sne o'enHt nuH W.
N tho aA' OF Tue month, "esAS Isl ga ad'
&c. sha hoI !. =, D. &C. the hame OF the
NOUN n,so equt'A'ent 70 en o'uihAi huinoer.
ossAus' " re"u g. ~s mean tne secpea
uOp'h' u "ouia mus % '"okra' 70 suppose
met Wv sea' 'ea'aS4 hnhus' "ns" the
'noh'h Ana aAS are o'ainas. u! ~ we tpfh ths
''N 'H'U -H'ih ~ san ofatn~' huinpsr-H.'
-, 80 -, - E-,,-L 1
ahrt,r' 80 - &. @ $50. o
49, ~ s., 80 - - zoe
~. -, -. ~ ,soz "a ~ ma,
81. - -. a. Z >s I W, p~4'
80. ~. - -, Ss,ta. - ,. - -
,pc ,onasS ,,~s,.,o,- -, Ts
in .7ro,n,,s AnnaI.s, ~ 49, III ,,
h0nI1 ~. - -, 8 ~ 20 ~
800. ,ri,h 90 ~ -
IN "a ,kI. ~ - .ou.ss ~, Ss.. 80.
,,,s,I.,;on =, -, ~, - - -,' 80 I
an ia .".e.,sS -. :, ..aLiS S.-'
,,..LIna iInro nonatnW ~ '.nt,
oaIv ~ ~" ~. =, S.,,nn ,n. 80 SI
sombs, :. ,.ad !, sn.,,a ~ D :, D., Cs-,-
,un, m 10 ah,la -. ~ or.,.e~
to,,,tv .ass in soid,ra ,h., ~ -, e, p
b.vn. o. - ,oaS ,s",ah , s
MAJ \. ouo,sd - 49, o,h.. go,
ni,, dIs,Ino, d,sannnin,r.n, ..,s.
NJ. ,nr,, ,-si, v..s 49,. r.. ~ .rns.. ~
b.to,s ,,t,r..s,,a -. ntsi, 80.
tls,b s.n,nrv Wanv ,.,so.s Ill, 80.
s4,, ,hs rr,,.,.n,.. 49,, IT,, - "
At tsir on,.na r., ,h.r, ,.I pp ',
snd .ti,,n, 49,. -, ,ssno mi ..h" 'sv'o, ,h,',,,
k.L 'S' 80" r.1p' '"'s Nt'