Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-17
PLAGUE AND FAMINE.
rsprvs DOUBLE CALAMITY DRAW
NC THE ATTENTION OF EUROPE.
TIE ANGLO-AMERICAN TREATY.
u,,s Is Not Generally Regarded ns
-, I,poch-Making Event-Rus-
sia's Movements-Quccn Nictorias
u.oIth-Othcr Foreign Notes.

-
,,.,,oecan world are turned this week to-
asrs India. Each days intelligence from
,,,, stricken land makes it more appa-
., fbat the greatest tragedy in modern
,t.,o~y is being enacted there under tho
5,,ble curse Of plague and famine. The
,.rf NJ Europe has been touched at last.
.,d the universal sympathy is perhaps
..,-s because It IS now tinged with appre-
,.,sion. IL would not be surprising If
.,,.h,n a month a genuine plague panic
,,o,ld spread through Christendom. The
.-..t Powers show alarm. and the news
,,r,cs to-day that Italy has summoned an
.,.ernational conference, to meet forth
,i.h al Rome, 10 consider measures for
s.s,nc with the danger. There is little
6,uM that the response OF the govern
,cs.ts will be favorable, and all the re-
s,Yrces Of modern science will be speedily
srraved against this hideous foe.
Notable information about the real ex-
cent Of the plague in Bombay and vicinity
&c lacking. and regarding mortality, it Is
orlv said in general terms that more than
tsif OF those attacked succumb. The news
Twice of the London press is strangely
t-sreouate and II is from private sources
800 most of the information comes. The
,,irt which most interests Europeans Is
,rhe,hor the awful disease is likely 10
eourish IN northern ATTITUDES If Injection
sbopld be introduced here but evidence
be not forthcoming yet. II is argued by
MEDICAL men. however, that If the plague
,-os dangerous in Hongkong. it will find
,r equally prolific field IN London ana
paris. so far as climate is con-
csrned. 1t is generally admitted that
the plague is filth disease.
Dr Hankin, a wel-known bacterioloslst,
Who ls investigating the subject in BON
bav fastens the responsibility for carry
ing the Infection upon rats, ants ana
other insects. Rats in houses have the
plague: they die. and are eaten by ants,
which carry the germs into the creVices
Of the buildings. TO water-tanks. ana
sirks Thus the poison is diffused. and
cannot be eradicated except by fire. THIS
evnIains the efficacy of the old method
of cleansing by conhagration, and at the
same time. the futility Of isoiatng the
sick as I'm other infectious diseases. Inc
only thing TO do is TO remove the healthy
II IS stated in the Daily Nails dls-
matches. which are the only ones worth
reading i'm the London papers, that large
business-houses in Bombay which are III
fDefG-i ON rats UdNt R'NA i'-A''N'Nr
tenable by the ravages of the plague
among those vermin. They die by the
hundreds in the walls, and the human oc-
c,naots have been compelled TO vacate
the buildings. 1t IS not observed that any
larger animals are subject TO the IN
lection.
The French Austrian. and Italian gov
eruments have already taken stringent
precautions against the importation or the
plague. but il can hardly be possible 10
escape a series Of alarms from this cause
during the next few weeks. The raVages
of the famine in the interior OF lndla are
aim far more deadly than the more horri-
hIe nlaeue at Bombay. The victims OF inc
nlague are perishing by hundreds daily
hut tho victims of hunger succump Dy
thousands daily.
ARBITRATION TREATY.
such interest az was aroused early IN
the week by the publication OF the
terms of the proposed arbitration treaty
hetUeen Great Britain ana the United
states seems to have entirely dlsap-
reared. 1t Is by no means regarded
In Europe as an epoch-maklng event,
which one or two newspapers seeIheu
IA consider IT, The Indian calamity
and the massacre Of half dozen Els
rshnnen in Benin have aroused lar
doener public concern. IT is in diplo-
matte circles only that the subject IS
SIM alive. and it is in its bearing upon
Furopean politics that the treaty IS 10
De- considered The impression preNalS |
that there is small chance OF the treaty |
being ratified by the present senate
and II would not be surprising II Rus
STA and. perhaps, other Powers shouiu
make overtures to the new adminlstIa-
lion which would enable Mr.. Mckinney |
Of fpQl
new Senate for joint consideration IL
action is DELAYED on the present one.
Tine automatic world takes more IN |
tarest I'm the appointment OF Count |
luravieff as Russian Foreign Minister |
than I'm any other subject. The Car /
selection came as a great SURPRISE out
20 is everywhere interpreted as mean
ng a steady and unfnching pursuit Oh
Ike policy followed by the late Prlnce
Io0anoff. There is difference OF opli,,
ION Tins far. whether Muravieit VIII
b. Greater than his Office, as Prince
IobanoN was. or merely an executive
officer Of the Emperor's, as NJ. Shish-
Kin has been. His Office is undoubtedly
fne most important in Europe at the
present moment. and his character ana
.nfecedents are. therefore, being care
fully studied in all quarters. His APP
p0.ltment is popular in France, put NOT
upon the whole, in Germany. Ehglsh
opinion Of him is Uniformed, put Is sus-
pc.ous. His youth Is his hrst anu
obvious offence to English conservatism.
lisa pleasure 10 be able TO record the
fact that the Royal Academy election
Thursday night met the hearty approval
OF both the artists and wider social cir
cIes. The result was a surprise to most
persons. but the selection OF two Amefl-
cans. and a third, whose talent Is tho
roughly Identified with America, was
purely accidental. and served TO demon
ara.e that this most illustrious institu-
ti0l knows no national boundaries III us
recognition Of talent There has not
ta.u q voice raised in criticism OF the
aademys action In selecting Mr.. SaI~
sent as an academician, and Messrs.
shannon and Parsons as associates.
POSTAL CONFERENCE.
The International postal conference at
Washington peXt May vs. likely TO at
tract larger attendance OF government
delegates than any OF its predecessors.
partly because II is nearly six years since
Ae last conference, and partly on
account Of some OF the European dele
gates determination 20 obtain reduc-
pon in the mail-Tates for letters. The
it.ofmers say that a thousand million
people are interested in this question OF
iias. and that the reform has been TOO
long delayed The main argument seems
70 Re that. II a parcel can be sent 10 any |
pant OF the countries in the Postal Union
ioF frame it Is exorbitant 10 charge a
quarter Of a franc for carrying a small.
.sli letter ia Europe alone. Efforts have
l'an made TO induce the newspapers and
news agencies TO combine TO Obtain fur
.N'F extensions of the privilege Of press
U-esFaph rates, and reduction in the