Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-02-22
FOREIGN NEWS NOTES

London, Feb. 22.-London bears the
appearance of a city barricaded for
riots. since the militant suffragets de-
cIared war on windows. jewelers. nave
stationed guards outside their estao-
Iisbments to pull down their shutters
at the first sign Of determined look
ing woman taking aim with brick,
and women carrying heavy handbags
Or packages are looked upon with par
ticular suspicion when they appear on
the shopping streets.
! One of the big shipping offices on
! Cockspur which neglected to board
up it's windows after being warned
/ that the suffragets were bent on win
dow wrecking, lost two windows val
ued at $500 each. Other firms, how
ever, profted by the warning and
sent hurry orders to carpenters for
board protection to exposed windows.
In the shopping districts many Of the
merchants have hired special guards
who k about in secluded spots ready
to pouhce upon any suspicious-looking
woman who may stop to gaze into the
windows.
At nightfall business London be-
comes desolate with every blind down,
and dark and forbidding shutters of
heavy boards have taken the place
of bright windows filed with displays
of retail merchandise.
Opium smoking is becoming so pop
ular in London that several Of the dens
in the Whitechapel district are said
10 be catering exclusively to aristo
cratic patrons of the pipe. Two OF
these were visited lately by an inves
tigator, who found them furnished in
the most luxurious manner. The vic
tins of the habit can indulge theil
dreams in surroundings which should
appeal to the most fastidious devot
ees OF the drug.
Shortly after dark the patrons began
to arrive, stealing in furtively after
leaving their motor cars and carriages
some distance away. A nearby trades
man declares that in the daytime NJ
one approaches the places, which de-
not encourage visits at such times
because Of the danger of police inter
. ference.
{ Beth of these palatial dens are ruI
by Chinese. Low divans stand on car
: pets so thick and soft that no sounds
of footsteps can be heard; soft silk
: en- cushions are placed for headrests
/ and rich curtains hang over the door
! ways. No smoker need move from
his couch, as numerous attendants
! moving at the motion Of hand, cool
, the opium and prepare the pipe 70
i each customer.
According to the investigation. tn,
patrons Of the place are business men
, young men about town, and eve1
D members Of noble families. Some O
2 the visitors are merely looking 10
A. new sensation, but most OF then
are hopeless victims OF the habit 7
Is said that the dens are enormousI
profitable, for each smoker pays fror
: 81 to S25 nightly for his entertainment
A censorship OF the hymn book ha
a been proposed by Councillor Hopkin
4 of the Nottingham county council
; The proposal came as the result G
g complaints against certain hymns /
q the books used by the schools OF tn
G county council, and In voicing the oil
q jections the councillor declared ths
S the words OF songs expressed neithe
Il good religion nor good politics. HI
d chief objection was directed agains
+ the following lines:
!, The rich man In his castle.
q The poor man at his gate.
God made them high and lowly
: And ordered their estate.
= Hopkins asserted that the Almight
). did nothing Of the sort, and ne d,
. clared the following verse to b