Mexico Missouri message., 1914-12-31

The Panama Canal was formally opened
for world traffic on August Is. The steam
err Ancon. belonging to the Panama rail-
road. passed from ocean TO ocean in ten
hours. In September the railroad rate
case showed increased activity. The roads
east of the Mississippi and north Of the
Potomac again petitioned the Interstate
commerce commission for permission TO
advance freight rates 6 per cent. and the
commission consented TO reopen the case.
The commission granted the increase.
with certain exceptions, on December is.
A delegation of railroad presidents WIS.,
tied President Wilson at the White House
and laid before him the unsatisfactory |
situation which confronted American |
roads. The president was sympathetic, |
but expressed his confidence in the inter-
state commerce commission to regulate |
the matter satisfactorily.
On September % Secretary McAdoo |
aroused great interest in banking circles
by announcing his intention to withdraw
government patronage and assistance
from national banks known to be hoard
ing currency or demanding excessive IN
terest.
In October the court dismissed all but
one OF the governments charges In Its
suit to dissolve the Atlantic steamship
| trust. Final argument In the suit TO dis
| solve the Steel trust was made at Phila-
dephia, and the discussion OF Increased
| railroad freight rates was resumed before
| the Interstate commerce commission.
At the elections held on November the
| Democratic majority in the house of rep
| resentatives was reduced from 1E to %,
although the Democratic majority In the
| senate was increased from 10 to is. Con-
stitutional amendments giving the suf-
| frage to women were carried in Nevada
and Montana and prohibition triumphed
In Washington, Oregon. Arizona, and
| Colorado. In Missouri the so-called "full
crew" law passed by the legislature was
rejected.
Politics In Other Lands.
On January "a Michel Oreste. president
| OF Haiti, warned of the approach OF
large body of revolutionists. abdicated has
tily and took refuge on a German cruiser.
On February Orestes Zamor was elected
president of Haiti. and on the same day
Jose Vicente Concha was elected presi-
dent of Colombia.
Early In the year the Chinese adminis-
trative council re-established Confucian-
ism as the state religion of the republic.
At the opening of parliament February 10
King George urged mutual concessions In
the Irish home rule controversy. On
March the home rule bill was introduced
for its third passage through the COM
mons. On May 25 the bill passed the COM
mons for the third time. On September
IS King George signed the home rule and
Welsh disestabllshment bills and the par
lament was prorogued.
On March II, as the finale to bitter
political and personal controversy. the
wife OF the French minister OF finance.
, Nine Caillaux. shot and killed the editor
of Figaro. CASTOR Calmette. Her hus-
band resigned his office at once and a
, new cabinet was formed. Tile trial of
= Mime. Callaux resulted in her acquittal
on July %. On March Il a treaty of peace
a.. a r4ss1 af
Constantinople, a sequel to the Balkan
war On May the new Chinese consti-
] tuition was published It abolished the
l premiership and gave increased power tc
the president. On May Prince Alexan-
y der of Teck, Queen Mary's brother. was
= appointed encouragement OF Canada.
On Nav Is Colonel Benavides. leader
: of the Peruvian faction which expelled
> President Billinghurst. was elected pro
: visonal president. Three days later 6
. group of senators and deputies declared
9 Roberto Leguia provisional president. The
v Peruvian supreme court however. recog
e nized Benavides. On July q Ahmed Mir
% "a, sixteen years of age. was crowned
shah of Persia. On August 26 the Frencl
q cabinet was reconstructed on commit
= tee of national defense basis. Rene vi
N viani. Socialist, remained premier.
20 on September 10 Turkey notified tn
outside world that she had done ava
N in that country have been exempt fror
local jurisdiction in civil and crimina
cases and under which many special priv
= ileges have been enjoyed by citizens O
- other countries residing in Turkey.
!. Two days later a note was presented (
a the Turkish government by Great Britain
n France. Russia and Italy, in which IL wa
N affirmed that the special rights of alien
w can be abolished only by the powers tha
"a were parties TO the original contrac
IN Austria and Germany presented a sepa
IS rate protest.
nd On September 2S the Albanian senat
TO which had driven its recently elected rule
IN Prince William of Wied-out of III
H. country, chose a Turk for king-PrinC
g. Burhan-Eddin. son of the deposed ADD
be Hamid of Turkey. The European power
10 protested but their wishes were disr
d. garded. On October 4. after four month
an exile, Essad Pasha, accompanied by a
r. armed force. entered Albania and toe
ma possession of the government. On Il
A day following the death OF King Charl
ge of Roumania his nephew. Ferdinand, toe
On the oath of Office as sovereign.
nit On October IL a rebellion broke out me-
I'm the border of German Southwest Afric
roll but was frustrated by the loyalty of q
Beers Of the Union. On October 3 A. Ru
re TEN Bey. Turkish ambassador to the Ur
ar- ted States, left Washington, where
he had incurred criticism by his frank vie,
ad of American affairs.
,er Industrial Trials and Triumphs.
ad The Ford Motor company at the begi
iz- ming of the year adopted a PROTESTANT
gh plan by which 100000 is to be distr
so, uted annnallv among the pe 600 wage-ear
lat ers M that CONCERN. The great South AT
ION can railroad strike came to an end.
rk' January 10 a strike of the Delaware a
ar Hudson railroad men. as a protest again
the discharge of two employees, was s
TN tied within sixteen hours by the fede
The hoard ~ mediation and Cancellation.
,ad Two great labor controversies had he
me left over from the preceding year-one
MS the Michigan copper mines. which beg
nj July % 1918. and another In the Colora
ced coal fields. where 14000 men had been
re- strike since September % OF the previc
nA- year. Violence ensued and federal
" was demanded. On April 20 the striki
mn - aia.I,o1 ,,.,tb A. stata ,oIlitia N,