The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-25
Both Share in Responsibility
for Many Disastrous Fires
That Have Overtaken English
Country Homes.
JAPANESE ARE BUYING BOATS
Have Purchased Many Second
Hand Vessels in England
To Be Used in the Korean and
Manchurian Trade.

London Oct. 25.-Apart from the
country houses burned in recent
months by the incendiary brigade OF
4 the suffra gettes, England has of late
suffered some other serious losses In
the destruction by fire of we'll known
country mansions.
A number of county landmarks
have gone, the latest being Valdez
share Park mansion, the country seat
| of Earl Guilford, situated a few miles
out of Dover. In most cases defective
electric wiring has been the cause of
the fires, so that the loss can be put
down to the demand for modern COM
forts in country homes
Waldershare Park was the residence
| of Lord North, George IT'S minister,
to whose obstinacy England owed the
| loss of the American colonies. He sue
! ceeded his father as Earl Guilford,
and the present Earl is direct de-
scendant of his For centuries past
the occupants of country mansions
like Waldershare Park have had to
| be satisfied with the light of can
dies or in some few cases gas, but
with the advent of electric light and
| the extension of the systems to the
country there has been a steady de-
mand for this modern form of light
ing and with it greater number or
fires In the case of the Earl of Gull
ford's residence the wiring for the
electric lighting was only just being
installed so that it could not be held
directly responsible, although it was
the indirect cause, one OF the cleo
tricians leaving a light at the top of
the building which during the night
set fire to the woodwork.
Japanese steamship companies have,
during the present year, purchased be-
tween forty and fifty secondhand
steamers from British companies, pay
ing in every case fairly high prices for
them.
This led to a report that the Japan
ese government was in the market for
one hundred and fifty steamers to be
used as transports, the rumor connect
ing the reported intention of the gov
eminent variOusly with an expedition
against China and to hold in reserve
in case of war with America. AS
matter of fact, although the steamers
purchased by the japanese companies
might be used in case of necessity for
transporting war material, they would
be of little use for the carrying Of
troops. They are really freighterS Of
type that is no longer built by Brit
ish companies and are to be used in
the Korean and Manchurian trade, and
also in a trade that Japan is endeavor-
ing to work up with the states on the
western coast of South America.
Shipyards are so busy at present
that the japanese found it cheaper to
pay high prices for secondhand steam
ers than build new ones
In view of the important part
played by wireless telegraphy in the
rescue at sea of over five hundred of
the passengers and crew of the steam
er Volturno-iD. response to her
sos signal no less than ten steam
ers hurried to the aid of the burn
ing emigrant ship-particular inter-
est attaches to an international con-
ference to be held in London next
month for the purpose of placing on
an international basis the new regula-
tons that are proposed or are already
in operation for the greater safety of
life and property at sea.
Fourteen nations will be represent
ed at the conference, which was
called at the initiative of the Ger
man emperor as a result of the I'll
tanic disaster. The German delega-
steamers carrying rs persons, includ-
ing the crew, and freight steamers
carrying crews of so or more, be
equipped with a wireless installation
capable of sending messages a hun
dred sea miles. So far as the Brit
ish government is concerned, very
elaborate and complete regulations
have been brought into effect to pro-
vide greater safety at sea since the
Titanic disaster and some of these at
least it is expected will be adopted
by other countries.
Besides wireless there will come up
the question of the provision of life
boats and the instruction of crews in
their use; protection against fire, and