The Washington times., 1901-09-12
FOREIGN TOPICS.


in the big towns of Lancashire and YORK
shire. In one place there lived until re-
Gently a man insured by penny-a-WeeA
premiums for an aggregate to represent
moderate fortune. Nearly everybody IN
the town was said to have something on
him." There never was a character whose
death was so anXiously awaited by SO
many He was always giving promise
! of such a consummation, being always IN
brawls or some other danger AT last ne
di.d-of a draught of "cosed beer IL Is
suspected-and that town rloted roSaly
for weeks over the return of the pennies
il had hazarded accompanied by the
sums stipulated upon.
| II is believed that the decease of the
Empress F'rodedick Will be largely re
| fiected in the English property market.
eases of property We're drawn to last
during the empress lifetime, and, or
course. ended upon her death. The death
| of Queen Victoria had far-reachins results
| of this nature. for during the carrier
period of her late Majestys reign tihs
form of speculation had considerable
vogue
| An organization known as the pa
mond Fields Teachers Association, OF
| Kimberley, South Africa, has presented
statement 10 the British Colonial Once
| regarding the imminent language ques-
ton in the colony The statement is ac-
companied with a set of resolutions. the
policy suggested in the statement is that
there should be no suppression OF the
Dutch language but a strong and consis-
tent encoura cement to use English IL
points out that the difficulties attending
the use of English are less than Is ire
uuently supposed. The Orange Free State
as il existed before the war was the only
part OF South Africa where education was
compulsorv. and it was there a general
4 ,tS., hole - ha
to be taught through the medium of
Dutch and about half through the me-
dunn of English, and the inspectors ex-
| amiued accordingly For this reason it
is concluded that there is no obstacle
other than political why English should
. not he made the medium of instruction
in the Orange River Colony. Even less
| difficulties would be encountered in the
Transvaal and in towns none at all The
| statement. after showing in detail how
| English as a medium of instruction may
| be made to prevail in South Africa, closes
with the resolutions, which are as fol-
lows:
.Q1 That in the interests of education
it is of the highest Importance that En-
glish should be the medium OF instruction
in the State aided schools OF the new
..(21 That in view of the fact that GER
| tain teachers formerly in the service OF
the Governments of the Transvaal and
| Orange Free State may be unable to
teach through the medium of English 1t
should be permissible for these teachers,
, | if reappointed. to use Dutch as the me-
dunn of instruction for period not ex-
! cceding three years. during which time
T they are required to qualify themselves
to use English.
t "t3) That under no circumstances
} should Dutch be used a medium of
instruction in these schools after period
of three years from the time when set
4 tIement Is effected.
..GD That it is undesirable that grants
should be made by the State to any
S schools not directly under its control
:. The assassin who stabbed Hoshi Toru
ex-Japanese Minister to this country. ha:
been sentenced to hard labor for life
D According to the Japanese idea the pun
s ishment inflicted on the assassin of Min
j lister Hoshi is more severe than death
The assassins name is Iba. He is a teach
I er by profession and said he slew tn
: Minister because he judged that his ac
c | was necessary for the good of the coun
try. The murder took place on a street il
Yokohama June q last
Iba is a master of swordsmanship and
a descendant of one of the famous Samura
: families of Yeddo For the murder o
: Hoshi he employed antique sword o
great beauty and value. The killing wa
accomplished so quickly that all was owe
It before those near Hoshi realized wha
a | had happened SIX cuts with the sWor
e Before committing the murder Ib
c | wrote TO his wife follows;
Il pray you to think of me as dream
II Desiring not to bring any trouble on yo.
a / hereby divorce you. Live comtortabi
IT | at the charge of your son-in-law ThouS
!, | the house of Iba fall, feel no guilt tt
ward my ancestors, Tor snail nave at
, complished my purpose
The population of Sweden in 1898 b
s. actual count was 5O62,9ls and the es
| .s..a IL .,r,n
IS as London. The men number 2,466,6SS an
d the women 1886 go. which is 1900 men
,e .Os2 women, while the ratio for all Eu
rope is / 00O men to ,02i women. The eS
cess of women in Sweden is caused by tn
. emigration of men
L Sixty per cent of the population live b
ID agriculture, Is per cent. by manufacturin
ie and numbering, 10 per cent by comrnerC
10 and trade. per cent by mining. and n
'e remainder are in the professions and III
army and navy, and engaged In differer
employmentS.
in | BY the last census there were 333. O
,o farms. of which 2s0,000 were occupied an
- Titled by the owners. and 5000 were lease
y This is a larger percentage Of ownersh
he than can be found in any other countr
rd excep- Norway. The Swedish peasant
od have always been free and Independent
:. and have owned the land they till. The
81 have occupied il for 4;CS years at leas
he and during all that period have not ASSN
ms Hated with any of their neighbors. NJ
:, has their blood been diluted by mixtul
IL with any other nationality, that. e1
er cept the Norwegians. they claim to be
ne purer blood than other Europeans.
=. One anniversary previously kept at t
20 British Court for sixty years was not o
- served this year 1t was the birthday
. the prince consort, who was born thr
-. months later than the Queen. on Augu
z6. 1873 During his lifetime it was I
=, family festival Of the year, and after
- death al first it was held as day of sc
-, row. Time, however softened even t
- Queens grief and highland games we
an given 'in memory of the birthday of [
beloved prince consort" At dinner
the Queens command, there was but o
* toast: The pious memory Of the ev,
NJ lamented prince consort" This was I
~ only gathering OF loyal subjects at whi
IN when there was toast list, the toast
pit The Queen" was not given. The IL
ry- year Or two of Nictorias S life she ke
of the day at Osborne where IL was ce
"a brated on the same lines as at Balmor r
nat That British manufacturers have 7
Is, been slow to take advantage of the ST
ore strike in this country has been made ve
uff | evident of late. The English press is
joicing and urging local steel interests
greater efforts. The London Mall
Gently contained the following signifca
editorial:
THE famous engineering strike injui
me our steel trade so much that it was or
our pied for many day after; now the Am
for lean strike is giving us chance aga
nch on all sides American agents are seek
Ig.-s-.-