Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1913-08-18
Peace PLANS and warlike Acts.

despite the fact that Secretary of
State Bryan is having some success
in forwarding his plan of consum-
mating arbitration treaties. The
first of the series was signed on
Thursday last, the republic of Sal
vador having the distinction of lead
ing the list. 1t is officially given
out at Washington that 26 countries,
including most of the great powers,
have approved the plan in principle,
and other signatures were expected
to follow that of the Central Ameri-
can state. Meanwhile the irrepressi-
BILE Castro has again descended on
Venezuela and that unhappy coun-
try is in the throes of another revo-
luton, the arch intriguer having Sc
cured large following. In the sis
ter republic of Mexico the provisional
government of Huerta is still being
hammered by rebels, but they are
making no headway. Wilson, the
American ambassador to Mexico,
who was called to Washington to
confer respecting the posture of af-
fairs in the distracted republic, re-
signed last week, presumably by re-
quest. and special agent has been
sent by President Wilson to make
inquiries, and, it is said, to inform
the MeXicans that they must choose
some other man to head them than
Huerta if they desire American rec
ognition. The intimation has result
ed in a great deal of adverse criti-
cism and it is freely predicted that
the effect of President Wilson's atti-
tude will be to rally over the enc
mics of Huerta to his support. In
China there is a great deal of resist
ance to the new government, much
of which seems to be due to the ma
chinations of countries desirous of
cutting up the republic and dividing
it among themselves. There have
been serious fights, in which the
casualties were great, and the pros
poets of peace are poor. The Balkan
troubles seem to be at an end for the
present. The Bulgarians have ap-
parently come to the end of their
tether or have been persuaded to
listen to reason, so all is quiet in
Europe at present, and the only
cloud on the horizon is that caused
by the increase of the armies of Ger
many and France and the continued
expansion of the British navy.
Fuel Oil for Battleships.
Americans have been prompt to
recognize the superiority of oil for
fuel purposes, and it is largely en-
ployed on merchant ships plying on
the Pacific, but the United States
navy has been slow to adopt it.
Some experiments have been made
with small craft, but thus far Ameri-
can battleships have not been
equipped to burn oil. The attitude
toward oil fuel is wholly indifferent
in Great Britain. Naval experts be-
lieve it is in every respect more de-
sirable than coal. 1t is urged in it's
favor that a given tonnage of oil as
against an equal tonnage of coal will
enable the same ship to steam much
faster, to get up speed quicker, and
to travel 40 per cent farther, and
in addition it is pointed out that the
supply can be replenished in a much
briefer space of time than is required
to coal ship. These are the argu-
ments employed by British naval ex-
perts who advocate the equipment
of all battleships with oil steam-pro-
ducing plants, but there is consider
able opposition to pursuing such a
course made by owners of coal
mines, who, like the shipbuilders of
Great Britain, have come to believe
that the maintenance of a big Brit
ish navy is as much a matter of
contributing to the prosperity of
home industries as it is to defend
the island and the commerce of the
nation.
Foreign Governments and the 1915
Exposition.
The 1915 exposition during the
week was the subject of international
discussion provoked by the commun-
icat'on of the British secretary of
foreign affairs, in which the an
nouncement was made that Great
Britain would not make an exhibit
or be represented. The announce
ment was the signal for sharp ad-
verse comment by a large number
of American papers, which attribut.
ed the action of the British govern
ment to desire to get even with
the United States for its action in
the matter of canal tolls These in.
timations resulted in stirring up the
British press, the columns of which
were filled with explanations and
| disclaimers and exnreSsions of th.