Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-28
HAS FUN WITH MILLIONAIRE.
SEEKERS FOR HoNoRS
San Marino Said to Haze Been kp.
preached with a View Of Pur-
chasing Handles for
Names
by EDGAR BoYNToNE
bad cable DO rhe Herald.

morning paper on AMERICAN DllluOu-
aires 1t reports that Pierpont Nor
gan, Mr.. Carnegie and Mr.. Vanderbilt
are negotiating with the republic of
San Marino for the purchase of high
title of nobility, giving in exchange
large sums of money
That II Is only a joke is proved by the
fact that the said millionaire might,
with the same amount of money OBJ
tain any title they liked in almost any
country, while those of San Marino
amount TO nothing.
The story arose from the visit of the
regents of San Marno to Rome for the
purpose of raising loan of $4,000 for
some necessary public works in their
little state The newspapers publish
eel a story that the consul of a Central
American republic offered the said re-
gents any sum San Marino would want
in the names of Pierpont Morgan, Mr.
Carnegie and other American Million
aires, on condition that the republic
grant them as a reward titles of no.
bility, to be handed down to their heirs.
The military court of Justice at Flor
ence has acquitted Lieut. ModugnO.
Modugno commanded a portion of the
Italian troops during the war in
China against the Boxers. He returned
to Italy and was charged with having
murdered his wife, but was acquitted.
Then he was charged with Illegally ap-
propriating enormous riches in China
through plundering and killing several
wealthy China men. The chief charge
consisted of having buried in coal
rich Chinaman. The fact was at the
time related by the papers, and there
was no answer to this last charge.
which caused a deep impression. Mo-
dugno appeared before "A military
court, who acquitted him. He had been
a prisoner since 1908.
Since the election of a German as
general of the Jesuits, certain elements
in the press here are constantly en-
deavoring to esta blish that there is a
secret alliance between the pope and
the kaiser, the former hoping to use the
latter in his fight against France. AS
this outcry has begun to impress Catho-
lie centers in other countries, which
considers friendship between the vati-
can and Berlin as dangerous, certain
circles in the Vatican are trying to in
duce the pope to take action which will
fully show to the world that the Vati-
can is not subservient to Germany.
Its Navy Grows
The steady increase of strength made
i'm the Austro- H hungarian navy and the
recent order of the day issued by the
Austro-H -Hungari Admiral Montecuc-
coli are being made the basis of press
campaign in favor of an increase in
Italian armaments. The object aimed
at is desirable enough, the Italian navy
being undoubtedly in need of more
liberal expenditure, but it would be
well not to attach toe much importance
to exaggerated language used by Ital-
ian newspapers in order to recommend
such an expenditure to the country. 1t
is a misfortune that even such serious
Journals as the Corriere of Milan or the
Stampa of Turin should feel themselves
1-..A
order to effect a very necessary and le-
gitimate end.
Queen Margherita, who is on mo-
toring tour in France, is meeting ev-
erywhere with splendid reception.
Her majesty's kindliness and gracious
manner are said to be winning hosts of
new friends for Italy in the republic
What is considered the queens great
est triumph is in winning over Count
Castellane, the famous nationalist dep
uty 1t Will be remembered that when
President Loubet visited the king of
italy in Rome, Count Castellane bitter
ly protested against the visit, which he
described as d deliberate insult to the
pope The count who is Il very prom
inent member of the Catholic party in
France, but he has so far ameliorated
his feelings with regard to those whom
he regards as at variance with the Vat
ican that he invited Queen Margherita
- y
entertainment in her honor. The Incl
dent has attracted Widespread attention
in Italy.
To Stop Malaria
A report which has just been drawn
up by a society engaged in the attempt
to subdue malaria furnishes a most in
teresting history of the many and long
continued efforts made to drain the
Pontine marshes. These extend from
Nelletr southward to Terracina and
westward to the Mediterranean. They
stretch on the land side from the base
of the mountains to the sea; and seen
from height they appear to constitute
wide, flat and fertile plain. 1t is only
when you drive along the Appian way
which, paved and well kept, passes by
them and at times through them, that
you learn their true nature The Ro-
mans in their early history fought the
Voscians for two hundred years In or
der to obtain possession of this fertile
and rich land, which at one time had
within its limits no less than twenty
three flOuriShing cities The history of
pagan and Christian Rome is associ-
ated with the story of the Pontine
marshes. When Rome was at pease
the water was drained and the lands
restored to cultivation; when Rome
was warning against the nations, OF
the nations subduing her, the water
channels became blocked up by silt and
vegetation and the lands were again
flooded.
Although there has not been in recent
years much achieved in the way of
great drainage works, yet there has
been steady improvement in the cuI-
tivation Of the reclaimed lands. This
is made evident by the increase in the
rent of the lands. Some propretors
making their calculations on the basis
OF the product of recent harvests are
inclined to raise the rents 10 someIvb a
more than twice the former rate.
However important TO the common
veal these questions may be- there is
not one In a thousand travellers in ItaIy
who has the least interest in them
And indeed not one i'm five hundred
ever sees this fertile plain except from
the top of the dome of ST. Peter S
whence IL appears as a purple visior
OF distant, indistinct land, which fades
gently into the sunlit sea.
Bad Flour