The Washington herald., 1913-12-28

| olympic Stadium, said TO De tne hheSe
In the world. in which the Olympic games
Of 1916 will be conducted.
On March q, Prince Constantine OF
| Greece. was crowned King OF the
Hellenes, in succession to his tatner'
| George i, who was assassinated py
| half-insane fanatic three days carrier.
The slain monarch, who was Lane,
, brother OF dowager Queen Alexandra OF
| England, was imported from denmark
| in 1858 to rule the Greeks. he was one
of the moving spirits in the formation
| of the Balkan league and the movement
| against Turkey, but he was always re-
garded as a foreigner by his people. The
| new monarch Is forty-fiye years OF age
| q soldier by profession, but by choice
\ man OF peace.
In May King Alphonso of Spain
visited Paris and was received with such
cordiality by the government officials
that the report Of Franco-Spansn
alliance created a diversion at all the
lchancelleries of Europe. The two govern
ments have come TO a complete under
standing about their respective inter-
ests in horocco and the restoration of
Spanish prestige in North Africa. Short
| ly before leaving for Paris, King Al
phonso was attacked by an anarchist In
Madrid and norrowIy escaped death. The
incident served to demonstrate his great
popularity.
On October 6. at Peking. after three
/, ballots had been cast for twenty different
candidates, the national assembly OF the
new republic OF China elected Yuan
Shih-kai, who had been Provisional Pres
| ident for some time, permanent Presi-
| dent for a term of five years. A new
| constitution has also been formulated on
American and British models. Immedi-
ately after the election the representa-
| tives Of the powers at Peking sent notes
\ to the new President formally recognizing
| the republic Later the parliament dis
| solved for need Of a quorum, and the
| new President assumed a dictatorial at
| titude.
During recent years, the so-called up
per houses OF national legislative bodies
have been having rather a difficult time
OF It. The powers of the British House
| OF Lords have been curtailed greatly,
and there is now a strong disposition to
do away with the hereditary chamber al
together. In Canada there Is strong
opposition to the senate, the members of
which are appointed for life In New
Zealand, there is a movement to sub
stitute an elected chamber for the ap-
pointed upper house. The council OF the
empire in Russia, which is antagonis-
tic to all projected popular reforms origi-
mating in the Duma, seems to be doomed.
The Italians have been trying for years
to make the members OF their senate
elective. In Germany the reformers have
been agitating vigorously for a purely
elective chamber to replace the Bundles
rath. The recent amendment to the con-
stitution OF the United States which
provides for the election Of senator's by
the direct vote OF the people is another
telling example of this tendency. The
latest recruit to this reform Is the old
land of the Pharaohs, whose khedive has
abolished the upper house and established
a new one-chamber parliament, with the
power to initiate legislation
Industrial Unrest SIN Worldwide.
During the first month of the new year
there occurred a number Of serious dis
turbances in the Industrial world. The
disagreement between the firemen and
fifty-four railroads east Of Chicago and
north Of the Ohio and Potomac rivers
came to a crisis in the middle of January.
1t was finally decided to let the question
OF a strike go to a vote. The result was
a decision to go on strike for higher
wages. Finally, however. II was decided
to refer the matter to arbitration, which.
in April adjusted an increase of 10 to L
per cent in wages
Another strike of immense proportions
was that of the garment workers OF New
York City. This demonstration involved
the going out of 1S5OO0 men and women
and was accompanied by a monster
parade and many acts of violence. On
February IS the strike was terminated
by an increase in wages and the referring
of the question OF shorter hours to ar
bitration. Early in January, the bitter
strike of the textile workers at Little
Falls. n. Y, which had continued for
ten weeks and had been marked by
numerous collisions between the authori-
ties and the strikers, came to an end. the
settlement terms giving the workers a
wage increase and sixty hours pay for
fifty-four hours work. In January. also,
the walters and hotel employees in New
York City, to the number of 1000. went
on strike, but failed to obtain their OBJ
ject.
On'February /. the American Federation
of Labor ordered a general strike in the
mills OF the United States Steel Corpor-
alton in the Pittsburgh district. Early in
April street car service in Buffalo, n. Y,
was crippled by a strike. Two regiments
of militia and a troop OF cavalry were
ordered out after a day OF rioting by the
strikers. The trouble was finally brought
to an end by the successful mediation
of the mayor. On July %. the strike of
the silk workers at Paterson, N. J., which
had lasted five months and affected z, 900
employees. was abandoned.
Early in June a United States Senate
committee began an investigation into
conditions in the West Virginia bitu-
minous coal fields. The attempt to union
ize the miners of this region had re-
suited in a reign OF terror" and large
districts were under martial law. The
committee visited the disturbed sections
and prevailed upon the men to return to
work, although there is still much bitter
ness and discomfort over the situation
During the first week of November a
strike of motormen and conductors in
Indianapolis tied up traffic completely.
The month Of August was marked by
an Industrial outbreak in Italy which
resulted In serious consequences. At the
end Of a week Of general striking at
Milan twenty-three persons were slain.
nine soldiers among these, and thousands
were put under arrest. About the same
time, at Barcelona, Spain, a general
strike threw 5000 men out Of work and
closed go factories. The general strike
proclaimed in Italy resulted in failure
for the strikers.
The board of arbitration appointed to
settle the differences between the East
ern railroads and their conductors and
trainmen filed its award on November 10
in the United States District Court.
Wages were increased approximately Z
per cent and the pay rolls of the forty
one roads concerned were increased
100000, with an additional $1,000 900 to
satisfy the full-crew requirement.
ia In, lrfN -,