The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-28
COMMENTS ON MEN AND
 MATTERS OF THE WORLD

gregation and a strong assembly of burnt cork artists who will travel under the direction of Quinlan and Wall. Maxine Elliott. Julia Arthur, Richard Mansfield and several other well known actors have already made arrangements for the next season. It is to be hoped that the coming winter will bring forth something new and that the quality of the production will be above the usual run of plays that came south last year.
 Dues in the National Educational asso- ciation are probably more easily collected than in any other organization. The sum received every year is no small one by any means. The dues are S2 a year. The meeting of the association is held at a different place each time and this year classic Boston was the city chosen. The way the dues are collected is very simple. Whoever buys a ticket to the convention, whether he is a member or not, con tributes to the funds of the association. The railroads make a special rate from all parts of the country. When the ticket is paid for the sum of s2 is deducted for the dues of the Educational association. The railroads have about wound un their affairs for the convention just past and have turned over to the association about S70,000 for membership dues.
 The rumors of war between Russia and Japan are worthy of more credence than such reports generally receive. The threatened clash opens a field for some fnferesffno snecuIafior A,+1,a,,-.4. l.. seem at first glance to be a battle of A pigmy and a giant the outcome could not be so certainly forecasted. Tn fact the contest would not be so unequal as the disproportionate size and resources of the two countries would lead us to believe. The reason of this is that Japan is on the spot about which the war would cen. ter, and could hurl all her energies against the Russian bear with comnara- lively little trouble. On the other hand Russia has not million people within a thousand miles of the seat of trouble, while Japan has forty-four millions. Most of Russia's troops would have to be hauled a distance of at least five thou sand miles and over a single line of rail- road. Then again Japan has her navy, her coaling stations dockyards and ma chine shops all In easy reach, while Rus sa would have to bring her ships around through the Atlantic, where she has no coaling station on the way.
 Rumors of war are so frequent now adays that people pay them scant att tention, but it would seem that Japan and Russia are more apt to mix things than any other two countries just at present At any rate the situation is more interesting than the status of affairs down among the South American repub- lies, where revolutions and wars are of almost daily occurrence.
 Although King Leopold of Belgium may not be renowned for his morals, he is a good business man, and has managed af- fairs in the Congo Free State in such a manner that he has amassed a large fortune and has practically made this re- zion his personal property. It is said that no one could have conducted the busi- ness of the company of which King Leo pold is head better than he has done, and although his methods are not gen orally understood, 1t is apparent that the profits have been enormous.