Omaha daily bee., 1908-06-20
orHnR IANps mas Guns.

OTHER LANDS THAN OURS.
-
An Englishn.an who recently visited the
British northwest expresses In a London
magazine alarming views regarding the in
tluN OF Americans into Canadian territory.
II Is not the number Of Americans that
provoke disquieting dreams. Their number
IS exceeded by Immigrants from the United
Kingdom. But The Americans are more
enterprising. energetic and far superior to
the native and imported settler in strength
OF limb and mind. Besides the Americans
bring their Americanism with them and
keep II on tap during their waking hours,
infusing sluggish blood with its electrifying
impulses producing a perceptibie transit
ton from subject to sovereign. The writer
remarks that the boundary line between
the United states and Canada Is rapidly
disappearing. "Ybu pass through a broken
wire fence" he says, and you are told
that you have left British and stand on
American soil; at the next house you find
that the farmer is a brother cf him with
whom you stopped overnight in Canada; as
you ride through his herd you notice many
brands familiar across the boundary. The
land is one; the people are one: and the
herds are mingled; the absurd fence is
broken down In many places. You wonder
how long that frontier-that barbed wire
and the tariff-will endure" A circum-
stance that lends poignant grief to the
pessimism of the Englishman is the fact
that an American. John Mitchell. was a
hiore potent factor in settling the coal
miners strike in the Saskatchewan reEidf.
than the Canadian Arbitration board. and
an American minister was obliged to travel
1000 miles to indianapolis, L. S. A, to
negotiate with that American for a settle
ment of a labor difficulty In Canada. That
was very humiliating to imperial pride. and
affords warrant for the writer's fears that
the dominant Americans in that section
some day will insist on annexins them
selves and their homesteads to the United
States.
How well Germany clings to the old
fashioned notions OF family life is shown
in the official statistics of marriages, births
and deaths, a summary of which has been
sent to the Department of Commerce and
Labor by American Consul Guenther at
Frankfort. The figures show that during
the year 1906 there were 1885, $40 marriages
In Germany, 2,0S4. 749 births Including 62.262
children, still-bopnJ, and l.174.4e4 deaths.
The birth rate averages about 81 Iner 1000
of the existing population. OF the deaths
374,6Ss were infants under l year. Ger
many's population increases at the rate Of
about 100000 per year, the result OF excess
Of births over deaths. The loss by emf
grafton has been slight in recent years.
The vital statistics of the neighboring re-
public of France presents a contrast with
those of Germany that Is most deplorable.
Notwithstanding active efforts TO check the
decline of family life In France. the re-
fatrhe fAN TOaT 1l.avr 1850 al
over births. the figures being 79S,OO deaths
to 77I,O0O births. Some of the s~o-called
modern thinkers Of the republic welcome
the low rate as evidence of modern Gull
ture. modern comfort and modern happi-
ness. 1t Is equally convincing evidence Of
modern decay
IT'S an i'll wind that blows nobody good.
While the British authorities in India are
straining their energies to check the grow
ing symptoms Of revolt in that country
enterprising makers of big and little gods
are working overtime to supply the native
demand. The country is already stocked
with millions OF gods. metallic. marble or
wood, but the present crisis calls for
more and the manufacturers Of gods in
Birmingham and Philadelphia are deter
mined that no native shall suffer. Native
dllllCtIS view AlG NIuIGlbu IL III Will
much. trepidation and have entered the
market with some gods just as good, claim
ing for their product superior powers to
the imported deities. It Is a merry war for
war gods. and is the only beam of gaiety
that lightens the gloom of discomfort from
the Himalayas to Calcutta.
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The British law granting compensation
for injuries to workmen is producing re-
suits wholly unexpected by the authors and
promoters. The tip, so universal in the
kingdom, enters into the calculations in a
manner surprising TO householders. In a
recent case the trial court held that tips
given servants should be computed as part
of the ~ervant's wages. and must be con-
sidered in arriving at the amount of dam"
ages a servant is entitled for injuries. In
Industrial establishments the effect of the
law is seen in the discharge of middleaged
workmen, insurance companies refusing to
accept them as risks. Sir Hiram Maxim, a
large employer Of labor, says the act is
doing a great deal to discourage indus
tries in England. 1t should be ranked
among the numerous other laws classified
by Herbert Spencer as having an exactly
opposite effect to that for which they were
supposed to have been framed"
csc
An instructive feature of the worlds
railroad statistics compiled by a German
publication is the showing of railroad con-
struction in Asia during the year 1908 OF
the 9.4OO miles of road laid In the old world
during the year, 4,063 miles are credited to
Asia. 1900 to Europe and Ills miles TO
Africa. This is said to be the first record
OF railroad construction in Asia. and is
properly designated as a record breaker.
China led in the total of Asia's mileage,
having built 1,452 miles Of new track in one
year, while $50 were laid in Asiatic Rus
STA, 100 miles in Asiatio Turkey and 81
miles in British India. These figures fur
nish impressive and significant evidence
of the awakening OF the far east.
ssR
The decline in religious sentiment In
france is illustrated in a rather remark
able manner by the publication in the
Gazette de France, a leading Roman Catho-
lie organ, of its inquiries concerning the
yield OF the so-called denier du cutie, a
series OF collections organized throughout
the country for the maintenance Of the
clergy and of certain pious works. Appre-
tensions were rife that the contribution