The Washington times., 1901-08-05
FOREIGN TOPICS.

animation of candidates for commissions
in the British army have been issued. A
much greater latitude in tine way of ac-
tual measurements is to be allowed but
stringent rules are laid down to ensure
absolute fitness for campaigning. can
ddate twenty-three years of age. for ex-
ample. may only be five feet two and a
half inches in height. with an expanded
chest measurement of thirty-fve inches
and yet be passed. The esza of the ply
sical part of the examination, however
Is more than counterbalanced by the diff
hcuity of passing the medical part. The
eyesight test is to be very difficult but
defect in one eye to the extent of one
sixth viii be allowed If the defect is a
simpie error in refraction remediable by
glasses. Good teeth are essential but
well-stopped teeth will be considered good
apart from mere measurements, the chest
ana limbs must be well formed and de-
Veloped and the joints of the latter must
pc In good working order. The examin-
ing board is also to decide whether the
candidate is of pure European descent"
put the order does not state what Is i'm
piled by the term pure European"
Hoshi Toru. the japanese statesman,
formerly Minister to the United States.
who was recently assassinated at Tokyo.
was fifty-one years old His career had
been very checkered. When only twenty
two his abilities were recognized, and
from a humble station he was raised to
the post of assistant inspector of customs
at Yokohama. In that office his attempts
to check the Illegal use of private land
ing places by foreign residents involved
him In a controversy with Sir Harry
Parkes, which ended in the youthful re-
formers loss of his position as a penalty
for writing the title of her late Majesty
with an unsuitable ideograph. Subse-
quently he studied law in England. eat
ing his dinners at the Temple and on his
return to Japan he entered the political
lists vigorously against the Government
and experienced several vicissitudes. He
published two newspapers, both of which
were suppressed as calculated to disturb
the peace. He was thrown into prison
for speech bringing officials into con-
tempt. his name being at the same time
removed from the list of barristers He
was expelled from Tokyo under the pro-
visions of the peace preservation law.
Entering the Diet, he was elected to the
important post of President of the House
of Representatives, and was expelled
from the House two years later, only to
be returned again Immediately by his
constituency. His singular astuteness had
shown him from the first that an implac-
able struggle against the Clan States
men must end in the discontinue of the
political parties. and the Clan States
men," on their side. recognized in him
the necessary link between the parties
and themselves.
Goust is the smallest Republic in the
world. though that of Tavolara has fewer
inhabitants. Goust is only one mile In
area, and is situated on the fiat top of a
mountain in the Pyrenees, between
France and Spain. II Is governed by a
President and a council of twelve. was
established in 1e4s. and has 130 inhabi-
tants The President Is tax collector, as
SCISSOR, and judge
Rather curious issue has been precipi-
tated on Belgian railroads by the action
Of an independent young woman who re-
Gently was a passenger on the Southern
out of Brussels She was in a
carriage reserved for ladies', h,:t shortly
after the train started she lighte3 cigar
cite and calmly proceeded to smoke it
the other women in tie som-
partment became very indignant, threat
ening to complain to the guard as soon
as the train stopped.
II am in "A carriage reserved FOR ladies'"
observed the smoker blandly, '.and 1 am
not aware of any law which prohibits
ladies' from smoking"
When the train stopped the guard was
Informed of the proceedings, but was
lo ath to interfere and the result was that
when the lady smoker arrived at her des-
tinaton she consulted lawyer. who has
now, by an action in court, raised the in
teresting question, Should railroad COM
panies be compelled to provide separate
smoking cars for women who wish to
smoke while they are travelling? 1nas-
much as smoking is becoming more COM
mon daily among women in Europe, it
may be that the question will soon meet
with affirmative answer.
A writer in Figaro" who has just re-
turned from the district of the Great ST.
Bernard. states that one day while he was
on mountaineering excursion he was
Overtaken by fog which made advance
impossible. Although he waited on the
side a long time hoping that a
ST. Bernard dog would come to his aid, no
such good fortune was his. Later he paid
4 visit to the hospice and enquired how it
was that none of the animals came to his
rescue. Our dogs only go out now when
hey are called by telephone was the un-
expected answer IL seems that in former
times when the dogs roamed the noun
ain-side by day and by night they suf-
fered a great deal of needless hardship
and exposure. Now the watching of
he traveller has been organized. He is
iignaled from point to point, and in the
BAD season the monks, warned by tele-
Dhone. go out with their dogs and escort |
aim to the neighboring station.
The progress of military automobilism |
n Germany is indicated by the fact that |
series of machines which will carry two |
small Maxim guns, protected by nickel |
steel plates. He has also ordered a series |
IF automobile breaks which will be pro- |
,iied with tables. These breaks will be |
Ised by the general staff and the officers |
nay thus consult their maps or papers en- |
route. spreading them upon the tables. |
series of light vehicles, or voiturettes. |
5 also is to be constructed to be used |
IN the firing grounds for ascertaining the |
'esultS of the cannon shot. In Austria |
hungary, the Minister of War is having |
series of automobiles constructed.
The Sultan Is much afflicted by the |
leath of his third "kadine." or legitimate
wife Her funeral was, in accordance |
With Turkish rite, as simple as that of |
he most ordinary individual. The body
s wrapped up In cloth and on a plain
wooden bier conveyed to the nearest |
cemetery Since Mohammedanism entities |
he Sultan to four legal wives. or kadines, |
he third ones death has brought va
ancy about which will give rise to much
ealousy in the imperial harem:
The <adineS are the SeraiglieS, or
palace slaves, who have found favor in
heir imperial masters eyes and have
,orne him a child But, as may be sup
,osed the actual number of kadines far |
exceeds the allotted number. Each
,adine with her children inhabits sepa-
ate part of the palace and has in her
urn a special number of slaves to attend
lpon her. She lives in the greatest seciu-
ion and cannot visit any of the other
though they reside in the same
'lace.
|
English village. are the latest persons who
L li...ax. |