Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-18
OTHER LANDS THAN OURS.

General Wahl, whom the car recently ap-
pointed assistant minister OF the interior.
is not the sort of man, II there be any sub
stantial foundation for the various reports
concerning him, whom one would have ex-
pected Nicholas TO select for so important
a position. His name came before the pub
lie very prominently, 1t will be remem-
bered, some time ago in connection with
his arrest of two hundred persons in a
theater at wilma. During the performance
seditious p~roclamations we're showered upon
the audience from the gallery, and two
hundred men were taken into custody as
they left the theater. General wahl fogged
the lot, and when, not long afterwards, he
narrowly escaped assassination, no one was
surprised, except at his good fortune. While
he was governor Of wilma he allowed no
street gatherings Of any kind, and many
laborers and students were whipped by his
directions. Certain Polish priests were
forbidden to preach, and he even went SO
far as to close the Roman Catholic churches.
1t is rather difficult to regard this gentle
man in the light Of an exponent Of liberal
reform.
One Of the new articles Of war, recently
promulgated by the German emperor. deals
"ANA NHS VI pIlNdlt6 Nv OIlteTH
and on-commissioned officers. and saws
that whoever treats his subordinates in a
manner contrary to the regulations, who
ever insults or mfitreats them, and who
ever abuses his official power so as TO OBJ
tain advantages for himself at the expense
OF his subordinates will be severely pun
ished." Complaints are to be made through
the proper channels, but anything like com
mon action or the collection Of signatures
for complaints is forbidden under penalties.
The articles are to be published in Lithu-
anian, Polish, Danish, and French, as we'll
as in German, so that all recruits may be
able to understand them. Special stress Is
laid upon the privileges as we'll as the du-
ties OF the soldier, and the rewards of the
highest military rank are declared TO be
open to ability and merit. 1t is notorious.
however, that there are few If any instances
In the modern Prussian army Of private
soldiers rising to high rank, while as for
the Jews, they have no chance at all even
Of getting a commission.
A Paris writer claims for France the fast
est railroad trains in the world. He saws
that the Northern railroad has a special
between Paris and Amiens doing SIX miles
In se~venty-seven minutes, giving an aver
age speed OF 63k miles an hour, and on
the same route by other trains It registers
speeds OF 61h miles an hour, maintained
for 100 miles, and 1913 and 50 miles an hour
for distances exceeding 100 miles at a
stretch. The fact comes into immediate
contrast with the deplorable attempts of
the English lines having boat trains in
connection with the channel steamers. The
Southeastern & Chatham railroad this year
has conspicuously failed to approach it's
own record of last year-one hour and
forty-one minutes from London to Dover
pier, which works out at something under
forty-fve miles an hour for the 75h miles,
Even with this liberal time allowance the
English trains are never to time, but the
French are invariably. A record is claimed
in a recent run of the mail express from
Boulogne to Paris. Owing to the late ar
rival Of the boat from Folkestone the train
was forty-six minutes late in leaving Bou-
logne, but the engine driver made up time
and got to Paris punctually to the minute.
His average speed for this run is said to
have worked out at So miles per hour. The
distance is about 16O miles.
zee
The people Of Formosa have Just become
up to date enough to have a railroad Of
their own, and a detailed report OF its con-
struction has been forwarded to the stock
holders, many of whom are Frenchmen and
Englishmen. The rails are English; the
locomotives are English and American; the
bridge work and Orders are American, and
the rolling stock is native built on Amer
! en- trucks. The la'oi emp Led was For
mosan and Japanese, but the work was
done under the direction Of French, Eng
lish and American engineers. The rates
Of wages paid per day to the mechanics
4AA I0hnHAHa FVNRn4dh an NANAwaaNFA- -
trast between the value put upon work in
the occident and Orient. The Jap, on an
average, received one-third more than the
Formosan, and the day was Of ten work.
ing hours, Here Is the schedule OF the
highest rates paid: Carpenters, So cents;
sawyers, "a cents; masons and plasterers,
so cents; ~roofers, IS cents; coolies, 81
cents; workmen on scaffolding, SO cents;
~navvies. As cents; painters. ss cents; black
smiths, rs cents.
The sultan Of Turkey has ordered the ex-
tirpation, by as severe methods as can be
devised, so as to teach a lesson, IT Is re-
ported, of a new religious sect that HAS
made great Roadway in Damascus. The new
religion is not Jewish nor Mohammedan
nor Christian, but a sort OF medley OF all
three. 1t teaches that neither Mohammed
nor Christ was a divine person, though
their existence is admitted. They were
simply great philosophers who were en-
dowed with powers to perform certain mir
aeles. More interesting. however. is that
the members, having admitted some be-
lief in Islam. are allowed a plurality OF
wives, while as a recognition Of Chris
tianity they are not forbidden to be total
abstainers from strong drink II is an en-
ticing religion to those who have no de-
sire to place too great a curb on their pas
sions, and such are common in the land
OF the Turk; hence, probably, so great a
number Of recruits that the attention OF
the sultan and the sublime porte was at
tracted to It.