The National tribune., 1906-11-01

| Death in foreign land always seem!
! a tragedy to one who loves his OWL
country, even though he dies anon;
those who speak his own tongue ant
whose customs are his, but wheI
death comes to an alien among thoSt
who speak q different language. who's,
customs are so different as to become
almost sacrilege, then, indeed. is dying
| a tragedy. Such death has Just oc'
| CURED here in Washington. The new
Minister from Siam, Luang Ratanayap'
! ii, arrived here from st. Petersburg
| Oct. 8, and took quarters at the Airing
ton. He was accompanied by his wife
and three young children. a fact thai
was not known at the time. On Oct
! 10 his wife was taken ill and died from
septic fever induced by severe kidney
troubles The fact of her sudden death
| was closely guarded. and the frs
| intimation of the demise was givei
4, nearly a week after it happened an,
when it became necessary to take the
body away.
Phya Akharaj Varadhara. the late
Minister. left this city last week. in
tending to sail for London and from
there to Siam. where, it is understood
he will formally tender his resignation
1t was to take his place that Luang
Ratanayapti was sent here from Rus
sia.
The new Minister was for n number
of years Charge d'Affaires of the Siam
ese Legation in London, and was later
sent to st. Petersburg. He is a young
man, and speaks English fluently, as
do all of his children. two of whom.
were born in London.
While this is true. the Minister IS
devoted to the customs of his country.
and yet with regard to the dearest
thing in life to him, he cannot carry
out the sacred rites as he desires to do.
A number of the customary Eastern
rituals We're dispensed with in the fu-
neral services of Madam Ratanayapti
One of the customs that was not OBJ
served consists of the taking of the
body out of the house in which death
occurred, through a newiy-made hOl.
in one of the walls. carrying it three
times around the garden. and then TAX
ing it for interment. In Siam the dead
are kept in a temporary vault for :
certain length of time, according to tho
rank of the deceased. that of the King
being kept in a sepulcher for six
months before being cremated. This
custom is being observed in the obsc-
quies of Madam Ratanayapti.
It is well known how the Chinese
reverence their parents and to what
lengths they will go to do them honor.
yet the mother of the Chinese Minister
died in China the other day, and he.
being high dignitary in his own coun-
try, who should do more than the com
mon person in observance of the death
of parent must even forego the or
binary custom of mourning. which in
China demands that for parent one
must so into absolute retirement at
least three years, and often it is longer.
The Chinese Minister desired to resign
his ministerial position, and at once
enter upon his period of mourning. but
his Government will not permit him to
do so. Life is whole lot of tragedy.
no matter how you put it up.
Reports that Midshipman Asahi Xiii
gaki. of the third class at the Naval
Academy at Annapolis. rendered his
resignation because of alleged strained
relations between Japan and the Unit
ed States are denied by Mr.. Hanihara,
of the japanese Embassy, as without
any foundation whatsoever and too
absurd even to dignity with a denial"
Mr.. Hanihara said that Kitigaki left
for Japan about three or four months
ago for reasons purely personal. and
that he would tender his resignation if
it has not already been placed with the
proper authorities.
Kitagaki has always been treated
with the greatest courtesy at the Naval
Academy. He was popularA among the
student body, and well liked socially.
He is an athlete of note, having figured
prominently in wrestling. and is apt in
his own country'S art of jiu jitsu. His
home is in Tokyo, and he is a son of
Baron Kitagaki. of the Mikado's Priyy
Council. He entered the American Ma
val Academy in September, 1904.
Oklahoma aspires to become one of
the galaxy of Stars on the Union Blue.
and to herd with the other States, and
this Is the way one of her newspapers
talks editorialiy:
eyesa hosh, Nan ulhutuka, mona che,
Chukta okla y ses mih. shki."
That ought to give any party a black
eye.
An interesting rumor was current in
the War Department last week involv-
ing important changes in the stations
of high ranking officers. 1t is predicated
on the statutory retirement for age on
April IA, 1907. of Maj.-Gen. James F..
Wade. commanding the Atlantic Divi-
sion. with headquarters at New York
City. The story is that when Gen.
Wade retires, Maj.-Gen. Leonard Wood,
now commanding the Philippines Divi-
sion. will be transferred to New York
and that Maj.-Gen. J. F. Weston, now
commanding the Department of LuZon.
will succeed Gen. Wood in command of
the Philippines Division, with head
quarters at Manila.
The whole Cabinet hiked out into the
field in the final roundup for election
day.
Hon Herbert G. Squiers, of New
York. formerly United States Minister
to Cuba, who is to be Minister to PAN
anna, while reticent about Cuban poll
tics, IS quite ready to talk of the re-
sources Of the Island.
Cuba is a veritable gold mine." he
said. "and has great future, depending
entirely upon the stability of the Gov
ernment that will be established. With
rich soil, delightful climate and great
natural resources. Cuba is indeed the
population of million and half, but
is capable of sheltering. feeding and
making happy as many as 1900, 900 or
100000 persons.
THE best element on the Island, as
far as ability to work is concerned, are
the Spaniards. The native Cuban labor
IS good. but inferior to the Spanish
With its proximity to the Panama
Canal and the southeastern coast of
the United States. and with ready ac-
cess to the markets of Europe. Cuba is
bound to develop wonderfully during
the next generation.
Great stories were sent out about
two storks that were being sent to the
White House to the President from