McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1914-08-14

gum, Holland, Italy and Russia are
all making war on Germany and
| Austria, and the latter country is pep.
pering away at poor little Seryia. II
twas not to be EXP ected that Italy would
join Austria in fighting Servia. whose
people speak the same language as
those of Montenegro, of which country
the present queen of Italy is a native
Religion, commerce and language are
all involved in this strife. There are
ten branches of the Slav0nic rpce.
Russians, Ruthenians, Bohemians,
Poles, Servians, Montenegrins, Bulga-
rians, Croatians. Slovenians and Rou-
manians. Their languages, except
the last-named. are so similar that,
through knowing Russian, | have
been able to make myself understood
on ordinary subjects to many of the
different branches. All these peoples
want to get together, and if they can
join forces, they will make nation
containing two hundred and fifty mil
lions, which will come near dominat-
ing Europe Russia alone now has
100000 Of people, and the popu-
lation is increasing three millions a
year. This is told me by Constantine
Medzikhof'ski, commercial attache of
the Russian Embassy in this city, who
also told me that Germany had been
Fostering his country's business for
hundreds of years, claiming credit for
every article of commerce that went
out of Russia through Germany to the
world. At my suggestion, the attache
called upon his government to estab-
lish big Russian business building,
exhibit and agency at Washington,
and perhaps some time twill be done.
The great Russian writer Tolstoi,
yaar before his death, predicted that
mankind would be divided into four
great nations: Anglo-Saxons, Slavs,
Romans and Mongoliaus. But we have
a prophet at home, the Rev. Charles
7. Russell, evangelist of the Brooklyn
Tabernacle, who has been doing some
predicting Of his own. For years he
has been predicting war of the
world, into which all nations, includ-
ing our own, will be drawn. and it was
set to begin in 1914. According to
Russell, all things pertaining to time
will wind up by the 18th day of Octo-
Der. 1914, at which date Christ will
reappear on earth, and the resurrec-
ton of the dead begin. Those who
died last are to rise first, and so on
back to Adam. Christ is to reign on
earth thousand years, during which
time there will be no death, and all
mankind will be given a chance to
acknowledge him as the Savior. If
at the end Of a thousand years there
are any who do not so recognize Him
they are to be blotted out of exist
ence. He declares that there is no
hell, but simply humiliation, for the
irredeemable wicked. Many intelli-
gent people believe in this strange
doctrine. One wealthy merchant of
Washington, owning twenty or more
stores, is an adherent of Russell, and
is reported to be selling out his bus
mess in anticipation Of the approach
ing end Of all present things.
This war is bound to affect us in
several ways. Corn and wheat are
likely to 60 up, and meat will accord
ingly advance. Tennessee corn and
hogs will find good market. 1t is
likely to prove very serious for the
cotton market, which depends so
largely on the European demand, but
the world must have cotton, and we
produce the bulk Of the crop. Still,
it may drive other countries to raise
it themselves. For instance, Mr..
Medzikhoffski told me that the abro-
cation of the commercial treaty be-
tween America and Russia had caused
the latter to begin raising cotton in
the province of Eastern Turkestan, it.
self about as large as Texas, where
the staple grows finely, and that
five years hence Russia will not
be buying a pound of Cotton from
US, whereas she has been buying
thirty millions dollars worth year.
But South America will have to come
to US for supplies, instead of Ger
many and England that have hereto
fore been getting the bulk of the
South American trade. Mr.. Eduardo
Braga, special representative of the
! Denartment Of Apricnltnre and Com.