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* Cbe Conservative. 11
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"dominating I bo sous , disposing of
enormous resources and weighing upon
tlio entire world with a force absolutely
preponderating if this group confronts
only divided nations. " To meet this
colossal threat ho advocates "the or
ganization of a European federation as
0110 of the tasks imposed by a near fu
ture. "
M. Thiery , the other essayist , does
aot indulge in such melancholy antici
pation , but ho draws a comparison be
tween the resources of the- United States
and those of rival peoples , their relative
burdens and drawbacks , with a free ad
mission of the enormous advantage of
this transatlantic power in the future
race for precedence. lie analyzes the
Dost of European armaments and shows
their effects on the burden of taxation
and the resources of industry. His con-
alusion is that military nations must
sutler most seriously in competing with
the industrial nations of Anglo-Saxon-
join. His appeal echoes that of the czar
and urges the release of national strength
from its "Old Alan of the Sea" in the
jbupo of national militarism.
An interesting paper was read by
Profeasor Luustrom of Sweden before
the British association at its recent
meeting describing experiments made
on growing plants through the action
of electricity. The trials were continued
for more than a month and extended
over 101 hours in midsummer. The cur
rent was applied for four hours in the
morning and four in the afternoon. On
a general average there was found to bean
an increase of tlioir seeds during this
period of experiment of 40 per cent and
in the roots of from 25 to 75 per cent ,
the latter increase being in beans , straw
berries and raspberries. The time of
ripening was shortened fully one-third.
The experiments satisfied the author of
some things in the philosophy of nat
ural operations. Unless water was given
the plants at the same time with the
electrical current on hot , sunshiny days
the plants wore injured. Electrical
storms in the state of nature wore con
ceived to bo important to vogetatiou
Professoi Lunstrom believed that either
the gabcs in the air were transformed
to ozone or nitrous oxides , which , being
heavy , fell upon the plants and helped
the activity of their vegetation or that
the electricity induced the juices of the
plants to circulate more rapidly through
the capillary tubes. It was claimed that
the method was ready to bo carried into
practical operation. From experiments
made in the United States some years
ago it was found that artificially ap
plied electricity was of special value in
growing fruit , vegetables and flowers
under glass , but loss reliable in the field
The1 Kansas City papers have boon
having their fun over one of the attrac
tions of their carnival , "hoi illustrious
highness Princess Mbau-Na-Ulivan.
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k.tjj * ; ;
eldest daughter of Tnniio Moafu , king
of the Fiji islands , who has already
started from her father's capital , Savn-
Savu , situated on the island of Aloula
Mairari , for San Francisco , and will
arrive there on Sept. 20 Her highness
brings with her the court costume she
will wear when in Kansas City , and be
fore leaving her island homo it had
been carefully packed in a cigar box and
sealed with the royal seal. " It seems
that the princess at the last moment
struck for throe copper nose rings and a
necklace ol human teeth , while the
royal father insisted on 25 pounds of
scrap iron and a bottle of Medford rum.
The German attache who accompa
nied General Kitchener's expedition
and was present at Omdurmau with its
frightful carnage in his report accuses
the English general of bad strategy and
tactics. So , too , General Mack , the
Austrian soldier beaten at Mareugo , ac-
anted Napoleon of poor generalship on
lhat occasion. Both Napoleon and
Kitchener , however , hit the bullseye of
success. Pedants are amusing persons
A s between the alleged bones and the
jhip , the country is quite well satisfied
lo retain the Cristobal Colon , which
Spain consented unwillingly to leave in
the West Indies.
The late Hooley scandal in the Eng
lish peerage was dropped quite sum
marily as far as the law courts are con
cerned , but the papers have produced
many pithy comments on the whole re
lated question. It spems that a certain
class of the peerage , of the type involv
ed in Mr. Hooley's transactions , whoso
members are known as "guinea pig"
peers , has long been in evidence. The
Critic's list of those entitled to enter
this order is quite formidable , and of
course does not include a largo number
of the peerage who ore honorably as
sociated with companies of sterling
merit. But the black sheep and the
black list number GO peers and 190
companies , an astonishing showing un
til ouo reflects that London is the great
est center of stock company promotion
in the world. The companies have ex
ploited a capital of 04,019,849 , of
which more than 54,000,000 belong to
companies which have never paid a
penny of dividend in cash or scrip. The
Critic , coming down to details , cites
among other examples one prize "guinea
pig , " the Earl of Donoughmore , who
has been in 14 companies us promoter
meter and director. The Critic goes on
to say : "It wo accept 250 per annum
as the average amount of yearly fees re
ceived by the directors of a company
which appeals to the public for capital
the fees vary from 100 to 500 wo
find that the Earl of Donoughmoro took
in fees during the years he was a di
lector a larger sum than the sharoliold
ers of all the 14 companies received in
interest for the use of nearlv 8.000.-
)00. ) ' ' How unfortunate for many an
mpeouuious peer that the Hooloy fail-
are called such attention to this matter 1
! t must have reduced many a "corouot-
ed" income , at least for the time being
Our consuls and consular agents in
franco report u great field there for an
ncreasoof American business if Ameri
can merchants and manufacturers would
jo about it the right way , but a siugu-
ar stupidity is attributed to most of
them. Instead of sending their circulars ,
price lists , schedules and other doscrip-
; iye matter printed in the French lan
guage , they send these important medi
ums of business in English , which not
one French merchant in a score under
stands. The result is that this business
apparatus finds its way to the waste-
basket. The English speaking person ev
erywhere appears to have the idea that
it is the inherent duty of every one else
; o know English and that ignorance of
t shows perversity of mind. Another
drawback is that our merchants do not
think to put prices , weights , measures ,
etc. , into their equivalent French forms
On euch little things often great results
depend. Indeed all successful business
s mainly accomplished in the adminis
tration of detail.
Jewelry experts declare that the
amount of paste jewelry worn by people
of wealth ie enormous. People of mod
erate means are far more apt to wear
genuine stouns , when they use such or
naments at all. A rich woman only can
dare to disport a tiara of flashing gems
without being set down as an impostor
No one thinks of suspecting a million
aire's wife or daughter. The reason is
not far to seek. Both in England and
America very valuable jewels are kept
in bankers' or safety deposit strong
boxes and are only occasionally with
drawn. It is too much trouble and in
volves too much danger to wear these
very often. So for ordinary exigencies
paste stones are worn. Probably not one
person in a hundred is capable of dis
tinguishing between the artificial and
the real product. It is alleged that on a
brilliant opera night in New York or
London not less than nine-tenths part
of the most showy exhibitions of jew
eled ornaments is sham. It is often the
case in England that a bride marrying
into a great family wears the family
jewels once or twice. Thou the superb
stones go back to the gloom of a bank
er's safe , to bo hidden there again for
years. The manufacture of paste stones
involves great skill and care , and though
a minor industry yet represents a large
value in its total. The principal seat of
sham jewel making in the United
States is Providence. All this goes to
show what an enormous element of
snobbery , fraud and humbug enters into
the higher walks of fashionable life , for
it is in this quarter that the sham prod
ucts find their most active custom.