Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-03-04

festivities this year. so that in the
end it was found impossible to ar /
range even so much as a concert
The mobilization ruined the public /
balls. Apart from the enormous ex-
pense it entailed and the loss OF bust |
ness, it has taken thousands Of men |
away from the capital, especially a I
large number Of officers who are the |
life and soul OF dances in Vienna. |
Recognizing the necessity OF doing |
something to help the storekeepers, !
who had no Christmas trade at all,
unusual efforts were made TO insure
the success of these public gatherings.
But it was useless. The male guests
were lacking. and the balls fell fat.
At one Of the most important of the
whole season there were not enough
persons present to form the lines
through which distinguished visitors
are led from the entrance TO the dais
at the top OF the ball room.
| The death of the aged Archduke
Rainier, just ten days before the end
/ OF the carnival season, caused a gen
eral abandonment Of public festivities.
/ Secretly the committees OF the balls
! thus given up reioiced, for it saved
them from a very embarrassing situa-
( ton. since there was not the slightest
! hope Of any Of the functions attaining
even a passable measure of success.
And now that the social season is
finally ended and with it all hopes of
the trading classes recoupins them
selves for the worst Christmas trade
in many years, it is feared that many
bankruptcies will be recorded. The
January figures of insolvencies are the
highest since the panic Of 1873, espe.
cialiy in the dry goods branches.
wholesale houses of many years stand
ing are hard pressed TO meet their en-
gagements and retail firms are in an
equally bad plight Everybody is com
planning that there is no money 70 be
got, and collectors are going round
begging customers to pay debts so
trifling that in ordinary times the
firms would have waited months be
fore applying for payment
News has come here from St Peters
burg and Russian towns along the
Austrian border. showing that Russian
newspaper readers are daily perturbed
by war alarms, due 10 the critical sit
uat.On in the Balkans and the Difficult
ties in Austro-Russian relations.
Many Russian papers are serving the
, people daily with alarmist reports
from towns along the Austrian from
tier. Mysterious aeroplanes and air
ships, always equipped with a high
. power salrchlight. have a habit of ap-
pCaring nightly. turning their search
lights upon the city halls. railroad sta.
tons and other buildings and then dis
, appearing in the direction of Austria
OF ROumania. Or a band of Austr -
-, or German emssaries will visit the
cabin of a railway section hand. bind
and gag him and then make all elabC
, rate survey of the bridges and cUlverts
. in his section, presumably to see i
they viii bear the weight of Austrian
rolling stock.
, Sometimes the reports have NOR
E. substantial foundation, as in a case
4 just reported in an order of the day
/ By the commander Of the Russian from
. tier guard. A sentry on the frontie
noted a group of Austrian gensdame
= at some mysterious work in a Iittl,
. cOpse on their side of the boundary
, Investigation showed that they hat
., managed to tap The Russian militar,
. telephone line at point near the boz
4 der The case was reported 10 tn
! Russian emperor and the intelligen
10 sentry received the imperial thank
a and a substantial gift Of money.
I Another verifcation of the Austrc
20 Russian tension is furnished by III
- removal Of the highly venerated mir
o culous image of the Virgin from tn
70 Russian monastery at Pochaieff TO
>. place of security al Zhitomir.
IN Pochaieff is only five miles from tn
=. Austrian border. BY standing ordc
=. dating from the time of Nicholas I
20 the monks are required. in case of daI
.. ger on the western frontier. TO remov
: the image 10 Zhitomir, and in NOR
- serious cases to KurSk During til
"A present crisis the monks applied 10 tn
holy synod at ST. Petersburg for il
= structtons and the removal of III
image was ordered. 1t took place wit
g great solemnity, the image being born
in solemn procession, followed by hui
dreds of peasants, to the nearest raj
road station. and thence by speci;
train to Zhitomir, where II was we
coined by the commander OF the trooI
Of the Kiev military district. Gener,
Adjutant Ivanoff; the governor of tn
province. the archbishop at the hea
Of the clergy, and all the soldiers
the garrison.
The recent discussion and gener
opposition in Austria to co-educatic
in the schools and colleges of the du
monarchy has brought comparison
the working of this system of instru
tfon In Russia.
Khorol, a town near Kiev, CARR,
the banner for severe ordinances Her
as in many provincial towns, boy D
pills have been forbidden 10 go wal
ing with the girl students in the tow
streets, but the Khorol board Of ed
cation followed this ordinance up wi
an order prohibiting the teachers al