Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-02-24
FOREIGN NEWS
AND GOSSIP

- i
London, Feb. GA petition signed
by zoo notable people has been issued
BY the International Arbitration eIAgue
protesting against the Use Of aerial
vessels in war. The signatories appeal
to all governments to foster an inter
national understanding which shall
preserve the world from "a new hid
eousness OF warfare" and deprecate the
| suggestion that aerial warfare, by rea-
son OF its horror. must brighten men
from war, and that the art Of flying
Will never reach full development with
out the stimulus Of war. $3.50 =
A stranger coming suddenly into tho
district near Creditor, Devonshire this
month would have thought that the
vanguard of an invading army was
skirmishing with the defenders Of Lon
don. But 1t was only 1000 farmers en-
gagged in the determination Of the wood
pigeon. a bird which had become a
notorious crop pest in that county. 1t
Is estimated that the first days shoot
ing resulted In bag OF $4,000 birds.
The district selected for the hunt COM
prises ten square miles of wooded hills
and dales. The birds have long Sc
lected this spot as their favorite rest
ing place and comparatively few Of
them attempted to escape from its
boundaries when the slaughter was on.
The New England Company. one Of
the oldest missionary organizations in
the world, will celebrate its 250th an
niversary this month. 1t. is an inter-
esting coincidence that Robert Boyle,
one Of the contributors to the Harvard
University foundation and founder of
the Royal Society, which celebrates its
e50th anniversary next July. should
have been prominently connected with
the missionary society of the same age.
Like the Royal Society, the New Eng
land Company existed for some years
in a different form before its actual in
corporation by royal charter In Feb
ruary, 1862.
It is said that the censorship on the
press in Russia has been revived with
all Of it's former severity and one Of the
first sufferers was al AMERICAN IieSv:-
paper which had cartoon which 1t
had copied from a humorous publica-
ton blotted out of the copies mailed to
Russian subscribers. But the greatest
volume OF complaint against the oper-
atoms of the censor comes from British
writer's and publishers, who are de-
prived of an excellent market by his
activities. One Of these writer's has
complained to the public in a letter
in which he asserts that while techni-
cally the censorship has been abolished,
practically the publisher and the press
are more than ever worried by official
dom. He declares that the, only hope
full sign is the fact that.a cookery book
which was suppressed by the censor
because one Of the recipes advised
perfect freedom" in the use Of some
Ingredients, is now allowed to circulate.
On the other hand, he states that the
list of prescribed books continues to
grow long and varied. 4
ss;s&
The French cralser Descartes sailed
recently from Lorient for America.
where she will remain two years Wis
iting different ports in North and
South America, but especially inspect
ing the French fisheries at Newfound-
land.
"A torpedo dirigible balloon Is the
--latest addition to Frances great aerial
fleet. The matter has been held with
considerable secrecy, but 1t is known,
that at the Bayard works .las IAsnieres,
construction. The dirigdble deck will
be fitted with torpedo tube and the
balloon at each ascent will carry three
an, ~
be launched at the armies over which;
the dirigible passed.
voted by the Swiss people at recent
22o, 900, a new law for insurance against
The law is really in two parts. both
Swiss parliament. The first part rela-
tive to insurance against illness met
with no serious opposition. but the
second, relative to insurance against
accident. was combatted somewhat In
tablishment Of national fund of about
$1.600,000 annually.
The opponents of, the second meas
uC SdItACu oAi a SSoSSAAoIAS puS iuAiiS
campaign among the people, contend
ing that such an immense appropria-
ton would endanger the national
treasury and that 1t constituted
doubtful adventure for a state to min
gle in matter which properly be-
longed to private companies.
President Taft's suggestion for an in
ternational conference or the high cost
Of living has interested France, where.
as in other countries. the increased
cost of commodities has developed
serious problem. Captain Frank H.
Mason, the American consul general at
Paris, points out that the high cost Of
the ordinary foodstuffs in Paris and
particularly thruout northern France
has become most absorbing topic Of
public interest. Partly by reason Of
the long, hot dry summer. which af-
fected disastrously grass. clover, pota-
toes and garden vegetables-practi-
cally everything except grapes and
hops-the prices Of meats and produce
Of all kinds advanced in figures unpre-
cedented In the markets of Paris.
The situation with regard to milk
was especially serious, Captain Mason
says, as It was based upon q dimin-
ished supply. not only by reason Of tho
drouth and temporary crrtAfiment Of
pasture, but also because Of gradual