Putnam patriot., 1911-09-15
Editorial Scraps

 ed China in modern times Is predicted by correspo pondents Of the Christian Herald, following the floods which have turned many hundred miles of the Yangtse valley into lake and taking probably 100000 lives.
 President Taft's recent message to Congress asking that 1t be determined whether the Spanish men-of-war sunk in the battle of Santiago E years ago should be given away, and Secretary Knox's opinion that the wreeks belong to the United States, have revived speculation at Santiago de Cuba as to the possible refoating of the ships.
 Tn the Philippines the disadvantages of an education which merely fits the student to become a clerk appeared to have been promptly realized, and what are known as trade schools have been established, which are training equally both hand and head.
 Omaha, Neb., now has a population of I25, ,000, and the considerable size Of the city will make the experiment Of the commission form of government quite AS instructive as in any Of the other cities that have adopted 1t.
 As an investment in the health of their members, four large fraternal orders, two international labor,unions, and one of the largest insurance com IfnftaH h n "a aa- tablished sanatoria for the treatment of tuberculosis, according to state ment issued by the National Associa. ton for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis.
 The famine riots In Changzoh are spreading and the American Baptist chapel near Quinsan has been sacked by band of marauders from Suchau. With large areas under water, the wretched populace is desperate in the face of prospective starvation. In the Shanghai market the visible supply of rice will last for about ten days. Only meager reports have reached the capi- tai from the walled towns in the re- zion of the Yang-tse Valley, where the floods have hemmed in the mission . arles and other foreigners. The report received by the American mission at Wu-Hu estimating that 900 per sons have been drowned by the water overfiowing the banks of the fang'tse river, has not vt been verified, but every account confirms the great ex- tent of the disaster.
 It was learned that Congressman Edward w. Higgins is seriously i'll at his summer home, Massapeag, on the Thames MT. Higgins's condition, &C., cording to his physician, is due to a general nervous breakdown brought on by his congressional work.
 The agricultural department ex- poets to complete this fall soil survey of Windham county. A partial sur yey was made last year, but that did not satisfy the farmers, who wanted more detailed classification of the soils and more complete information about the survey.
 The Canadian election campaign has now been in full swing for month. An army of orators has been busy throughout the country daily; tons of literature have been distributed. Yet today the leaders of each party claim thnt victory Is assured and they ap- pear to be sincere.
 Nine persons were killed and more than twice that number wounded when Reyistas and Maderistas elashed Sat urday in TuNtle Chico, village in the state of Chiapas, near the southern boundary of Mexico.
 One of the fastest passages ever made te Boston was completed by the White Star line steamer Arabic when she passed Boston light days, 9 hours and Is minutes after leaving Daunt's Rock.
 Mount Etna is showing a revival of activity. Two new craters have open ed about $ 5000 feet above the sea level. An immense cloud of smoke Is visible
 
 continuously, Frequent earthquake shocks occur at intervals of from five to ten minutes and can be felt in all the surrounding villages, where the inhabitants are greatly alarmed.
 Fears for the health of Miss Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross society, who has been i'll at her summer home at Oxford are not well founded, according to statement issued here today by her nephew, Ste phen E. Barton. The trouble IS said to be due to slight muscular weak ness of the heart and is not serious.
 For the hrst time in history, a Chinese naval vessel Sunday night en- tered American waters. The naval vessel from the Orient is the cruiser Hai Chi of the Chinese navy, which anchored of the entrance to New fork harbor.