The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-07-30
FROM OTHER PENS
AMERICAN SEA FIGHTERS.

European papers are engaged in a
! lively discussion over the relative
strength of the navies of the world.
| The French papers are contending
that the American navy is equal, if
not superior, to that of Germany.
Magazine experts, here have demon
strated to their own satisfaction that
the United States navy Is wholly
modern fleet the vessels which we
sent on a cruise around the world
would go down as If they were made
of paper. So we are, or ought to be,
duly grateful to the French writer's
for proving that we stand second to
Great Britain in sea power.
Nobody on this side of the ocean is
seriously anticipating war with any
other nation. but. on the other hand,
few Americans tremble at the word
war In all the naval conflicts in
which this country has been engaged.
from the time when John Paul Jones,
in the old, rotten, and unwieldy Bon
HOmme Richard, met and DESTROYED
ough off the coast of Scotland in
1879, down to the time when Schley
destroyed the Spanish fleet in Santi-
ago harbor, the American navy never
met with disastrous defeat. 1t oc-
casionalIy lost individual ships, as,
for example, the Chesapeake, in its
fight with the Shannon, or the Essex
while contending with the Phoebe
and Cherub in the harbor at Valpar-
also, but in every case where the
chances We're even our ships have
won.-Washington Post.
END OF COLOSSAL LAND FRAUD
After years of litigation million
aire John A. Benson has gone to
prison for engineering gigantic
frauds by which he obtained title to
large tracts of public lands. This is
probably the final chapter in the not
able land fraud prosecutions i1st&G1t-
ed during the Roosevelt administra-
ton, not because the Taft admins
tration has changed front, but be-
cause the prosecutions have accom-
plished their purpose. Future viola
tors of the land laws will be prose-
again will there be found such a 81
gantic system of land grabbing as
Benson and others engineered and |
for which so many prominent citizens
We're convicted, including one United |
States senator.
The exposures of the OBVIOUSLY de- |
frauding methods alone tend to make |
a repetition of the offense improbable !
wholesome check, In addition to |
stopping the practices. millions of |
dollars worth of valuable timber, |
mineral and agricultural lands have !
been restored to the public domain, |
and suits involving other areas are |
still pending, particularly in Okla
homa and the intermountain country. |
Omaha Bee.
RAIN AS A WEATHER CHARM.
Ten days of bright. dry weather are
enough to make the average man or
woman hungry for summer showers. It
lakes less than a fortnight Of brilliant
skies, by day and night, to make the
seed of rain painfully apparent. 1t is
wanted for the streams and the crops, /
he wells and the springs. The dusty
caves Of trees End shrubs call for it,
and all animal life would rejoice in it If
t came. Two weeks of weather so
,eautiful thar it could not be finer
,reates conditions which show how
greatly change is needed. how easily
climate may be too fine. IN respect to
,teady sunshine
There is nothing which can take the
)laee of rain. Irrigation may serve in
growing crops, but not in washing the
lir and making the topmost twigs of
rees bright and green. 1t cannot give
.uman beings the delight of the smell
y warm rain on the parched earth. 1t
onnot invest sunshine with new charm
~ hiding the sun for few hours and
reating the background of entirely diff
erent weather conditions.-Cleveland
leader. "