The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1911-04-09

London, April S-If London is a dull
town-and all who have lived in other
cities assert that it is-its newspapers are
in no way to blame. Our Americanized
newspapers, that is to say, the papers
that have adopted all the worst features
of American sensational Journalism with
out taking up any of its virtues, seem to-
have made up their minds that it is bads
for the Londoner to live in peaceful en-
joyment of business and pleasure, for
they are continually predicting terrible+
calamities about to befall US. Last year
we were kept in state of constant fear
and trepidation by the prospect of Zeppe-
lin airships flying across the North Sea
in the dead of night and dropping bombs
into the vaults of the Bank of England,
and now, when We had just made up
our mind to enjoy the festival Of the cor
onation and empty the pockets of thsr
hosts of American visitors who will soon
invade the country, a sensational evening
paper tells US that the great black plague
is hanging over our heads like the sword
Of Damocles.
Germs Carried by Rats
Rats" most of US exclaimed when we
saw the headlines, but the paper an
swered:
Right you are,'
For it is the rat which is the great
source of the plague, and. according to
the paper mentioned, within the last six
| months there have been plague-infected
| rats in the port of London, and there
have been plague-infected rats, rabbits,
and cats in Suffolk. although the authori-
ties are inclined to explain their disease
a 9 violent form OF diSternper
To bolster up its case the paper has
| interviewed one of our best known ex-
perts on the plague, and although he
does not feel sure that the plague will
break out this year, he holds out the
encouraging prospects that it will surely
| kill us off next year unless we mend our
ways and take every possible precaution.
1t is said that in London alone there
are 100000 rats-that is, there is a rat
| for every man, woman, and child in
habitant. And the sooner that We set
| about this rat population, the better
| will be our chances of escaping the
| plague.
| Grain of Consolation.
There is one grain of consolation
Fears have been expressed that the re-
| cent outbreaks among dogs. cats, pigeons,
| and bees has some connection with the
plague. The authorities are not inclined
to take this view. The dogs and cats,
they say, are probably suffering from a
severe form of distemper; the bees are
| dying OF pneumonia, but not of pneu-
monte plague, while pigeons have been
proved by experiment to be immune to
the plague bacillus.
theoretically, the cat, like any other
furry animal. may harbor the plague
| stricken rat flea, but in practice the risk
| is so small that an Indian plague ex-
pert has advocated the importation of
| cats to kill the rats, but one breads to
| think of the sleepless nights We shall
have when more are added to the 1,Oon,OO0
| lovesick cats that are now providing
through the streets Of London after
dark.
German Officers to Compete.
Thanks to the German Emperor, it Is
now practically certain that a team Of
German officers will compete for the
King Edward Cup at the International
Horse Show in June-a competition from
which the German army has hitherto
held aloof. The Russian and United
States armies are also entering teams. a.
understand, for the first time, the for
mer largely owing to the influence OF
the Grand Duke Nicholas Nicholaievitch,
president of the council of national de-
tense and commander of the military
CircumScription of St Petersburg.
France and Belgium are again entering
teams, but the participation of Austria
Hungary and Italy is doubtful. The off,
GERS of King Victor Emmanuel are such
accomplished masters of equitation that
their absence, owing to the celebration
of the jubilee of the House Of Savoy,
will be greatly regretted. Hon Clifford
Sifton, whose speech was an outstanding
feature of the debate on reciprocity in
tho canadian HnnSa ~ {c
tending the show again this year, and
his son, Lieut.. Sifton. will be in the
Canadian team. The hope Is also enter
tanned that teams representing Australia
and South Africa will be picked out Of
the troops which are coming over to at
tend the coronation.