Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-10-04
DARK IN PRUSSIA
WHEN COPS SAY So
Daylight Plays Second Fiddle
When Authorities Declare
It's Night.

dark. The mere fact that it may
happen still to be daylight in de-
fiance of police orders is of no I'M
portance
This is the decree of the Prussian
Supreme Court in an appeal taken
by a truck owner accused of driving
after dark without a lantern on his
wagon The law prescribes that a
lantern must be carried by such We
hicles after dark. and the police have
decided that it is dark thirty min
utes after the sun sets. The defend
ant admitted that he had driven
after the prescribed time without
lantern. but contended that 1t was
still light. Two lower courts per-
mitted him TO prove his contention
and acquitted him. The police. the
lower court held. have no power TO
set a certain time when it shall be
considered dark. The actual eondl-
lions must govern in each case. The
Supreme Court has reversed this de
cision upon appeal by the prosecutor
and imposed a fine on the offender
An analogous ruling has been made
I'm an action for damages, brought
by a tenant of an apartment house
who had fallen in a dark hallway and
Injured himself The landlord pleaded
that the hour had not yet arrived
when, by police regulation, Railways
must be lighted. The defendant Of
fored proof that it was quite light
when the accident happened. The
proof was excluded as irrelevant. The
police. said the court, had decided
that it was dark at a specified hour.
and that settled it.
Military Apostles Alarmed.
decided check in the growth of
Germanys population. most alarm
ing to the military apostles of the
empire is shown by the statistics
for 1911 which have Just been pub
lished
The surplus of births over deaths
fell from $4,000 in 1910 to 100000 in
1911, shrinkage in the rate of growth
of $4,000. or over 10 per cent. This
marked retardation in the growth of
the nation was due both to redue-
ton in the number of births and an
Increase in the death rates Despite
an increase in marriages from 496, 396
TO 512.S19 the total number of births
for the empire dropped from 1.9S2,S3
: in 1910 to l,927,039 in 1911, While on
the other hand the number of deaths
rose from 1.103. 123 to 1.1SI094, an in
crease of more than $4,000. This in
crease in mortality is attributed
chiefly to the extraordinary heat and
drought which prevailed during the
summer of 1911. and under which in
fants suffered with particular sever
itY.
Almost a third of the deaths, 359,
522, during the year were of children
under one year old some $4,000 babies
more than in 1910 succumbing TO the
heat. The death rate for children in
their first year rose from 1872 in 1910
10 49, in 1911. The general death
rate. too. after a steady decline for
n number of wears. rose to 1872 per
1000 as compared with III in 1910.
6crmsD view of Monroe Doctrine.
4 novel Interpretation of how the
Monroe doctrine should be applied
after the completion of the Panama
canal has Just been voiced by Ger
man diplomat of authority and high
position. In substance il is TO give
the United States full control as far
south as the Isthmian waterway, but
10 let the countries of Europe, includ-
Ing Germany, have free field from
Panama to TERRA del -'uego.
The high standing of this diplomat
may reasonably be expected to in
fluence the standpoint of Germany
in any future controversy involving
she famous doctrine of American
foreign relations; consequently his
views are not without a certain in
terest. He would cut the American
continent in two at the Panama Canal
and allow TO the United states full
and free hand as far south as that
waterway: but exclude from the
sphere of any Washington supervision
or control the relations of Germany
and the other European powers with
the States of South America. He be-
lievcs Germany should refrain from
-9l,s
and that the same rule should apply
10 all the Central American States.
This would involve a virtual extern
sion of the southern boundary Of the
United States to the canal. so far as
the relations of these States to the
European powers is concerned. This
it will be seen. is the Monroe Doctrine
for Central America in an even
stronger form than Is at present en-
forced
But the European States must and
should, this diplomat believes, be al
lowed to settle their controversies
with the countries south of this line
in their own way and without refer
ence to Washington. The role Of the
United States rs guardian and pro
tector to the whole continent is, he
believes. - thing of the past: the
South American states have reached
tho legitimate sphere of control Of
the American department of state;
tho countries of Europe arc entitled
10 insist on a free hand in their re-
lations with them.
German Government banking.
Encouraged by the remarkable sue
cess OF the postal system Of open
check accounts the German postoffice
authorities are about TO carry gov
eminent banking one step further by
selling postal letters of credit de-
signed to appeal specially TO regular
and occasional travellers whose finan-
cial requirements are not great
enough to call for a bankers letter
OF credit
Two great advantages for these
classes of travellers are that the let
tiers win be issued for smaller sums
than banks are willing to bother with
in this line. and that money can be
drawn on them at all the larger
postoffices. For purposes of identin
cation the holder VIII be supplied
with q special card bearing his signed
photograph.