Conservative. 11
inllmr and friendly terms with tbuir
Mohammedan neighbors at the time of
the insurrection in 1895. Even the
Kurds , the most intractable and savage
of the Turkish population , had been
cordial iu their relations. It was the
Armenian revolutionists who brought
down the whole cataclysm of evils on
the heads of their brethren. Tha Ar
menian language , creed and schools
wore alvays free in Turkey. No social
restrictions of any kind had been im
posed on them. Their lives and property
had been as secure as those of any Turk
ish subjects. They enjoyed such a de
gree of liberty and social freedom as no
alien race ever enjoyed in Russia The
rebellion instigated among the Armeni
ans by the emissaries who came over
the Russian frontier was suppressed , ac
cording to Mr. Whitman , with as little
severity as possible , and the outrages
on the part of a few bands of fanatical
Kurds were outside of government re
sponsibility Indeed the perpetrators of
the outrages vcero severely punished by
the pasha commanding the disturbed
district , and the victims were cordially
assisted by the resident Mohammedans
with money and protection.
Mr. Whitman's investigation of the
outrages , made among Christians and
Mohammedans of every class , Turkish
officials , Christian missionaries and Ar
menians themselves of the better class ,
convinced him that the stories of Ar
menian atrocity were so vastly exagger
ated as to be little better than an in
verted pyramid of lies. The convictions
formed by Mr. Whitman seem to be
that the Turks in dealing with the last
attempts at Armenian revolution did
so with as little cruelty and barbarism
as could be used , and that the monstrous
deeds with which Europe and America
rang , narrated from Armenian sources ,
had but little true basis except so far
as they were perpetrated by lawless
ruffians
Navy PcM-sonncl Bill.
A bill of great importance to the
navy , reported by Congressman Foss of
Illinois and already referred to the
committee of the whole , will be taken
up probably by the nest session of con-
gtess for final disposition This proposes
to reorganize the whole personnel of
tbo navy by amalgamating the line and
staff in rank and duty. The profound
interest felt iu everything whiuh can
increase the efficiency of this brunch of
military service justifies some comment
on the topic Since the civil war , when
steam became the prime ship motor ,
there has been a tendency of the line or
fighting and navigating officers to re
gard the engineer force as their in
feriors When steam enginery became
u necessity of ships , it waa neces
sary to supply its officers from civil
life , and the professional naval man
naturally looked down on them The
feeling even remained after engineering
became a part of the regular Annapolis
f
course and engineers were graduates ol
the aoatlomy , for once an engineer al
ways an engineer. 'The cleavage be
tween the two kinds of officers worked
detrimentally iu many ways The now
bill amalgamates them and regards the
engineer detail as ono at any time like
ly to bo changed for deck duty or vice
versa Iu other words , the new naval
officer must bo fit to take his turn at
any time in the engine room , if neces
sary The less accomplished officers not
equipped for such heavy all round work
will bo gradually weeded out by volnn
tary or enforced retirement This change
of course will greatly add to the impor
tance of studies iu steam and electric
engineering at the academy and will
graduate a body of u far more masterly
torly iu their profession It is getting
to bo a recognized fact on a warship
that no man is fully ripe for command
till he knows his machinery as well a&
his guns
There are other provisions in the bill
for the correction of minor evils which
have gradually grown up , but the elim
ination of the friction in feeling and
duty between staff and line is the priu
cipal aim. The bill was mainly drawn
up by a body ot naval experts , includ
ing line and staff officers , and has been
fully indorsed by the naval board. It ie
believed that it will be of the greatest
ell'vict in improving the personnel oi
our naval officers , already a uoblo body
of men with manifold gifts. The crew
which fights the warship is the great
factor of victory and the officers are the
trains of that crow.
The English Broom.
One of the botanical oddities of Massa
chusetts is the existence of the English
broom , which grows in only two places
in Sterling , this county , and in Sa
lem. It is not a native plant , and how
it got across the water is a mystery.
Perhaps some homesick colonist caused
it to be sent to him , that the hills about
his new homo might have the familiar
appearance of the old country. It is a
beautiful golden yellow in color and
grows in u compact , spirelike plant ,
with blossoms close together. So thick
are the stalks that the pastures are like
sheets of gold , and at first sight seem
to be buttercups in masses. Arba Pierce
brought some of it into the city and
proposes to make a display of it at the
exhibition of the horticultural society.
Every one has heard of the broom.
English and Scotch literature is full of
it. It was the flower of the royal house
of Plautageuet. In fact , the naiiie Plan-
tagauet is the French for broom plant a
genet. Their ancestor , the Count d'An-
jou , wore a string of broom as a badge ,
therefore their name. The name broom
is given it because of its usefulness for
the purpose. Worcester ( Mass. ) Ga
zette.
A Bismarck Dael.
A duel in which Bismarck was once
engaged had a very amusing origin. It
occurred when he was chief secretary
of the Prussian legation at Frankfort.
Ho went much into society , and one
Christmas attended a big ball. During
tho'height of the festivities Bismarck's
attention was directed to an exceedingly
pompous individual who strutted about
the room. This was a M. do Clancy , a
noted French duelist. Later on this im
portant individual took part in a dance ,
but having omitted to leave his hat at
the proper place had perfoico to hold it
out almost at'arm's length while ho
danced. The spectacle tickled Bismarck
immensely , and as the Frenchman came
sailing majestically along Bismarck
stepped forward and dropped a coin in
to the hat. A duel was ouo of the next
day's events. Though it was with pis
tols Bismarck escaped unhurt , while
his adversary was wounded.
The English foreign office recently
complained of the promptness with
which the London Times became ac
quainted with the most secret negotiations
in the in
tions pending tsung-li-yamen
which Great Britain was interested.
Statesmen forget that newspaper pro
prietors are as able to bribe as they
themselves. It has long been known
that every foreign minister in Peking
has one of the confidential officials oi
the great Chinese bureau of state in con
stant pay. Nothing goes on in the tsung-
li-yameu without its being promptly
known to the "foreign devils" at the
legations. The humor of the thing is
that the high Chinese authorities know
and wink at it. It is suspected that more
than one of them , too , is as venal as
the minor officials in this way. The
London Times has done exactly what
the einbassadors are doing every day
As for the publication of such secrets to
gratify the public longing for prompt
news , which has been stigmatized by
the outraged gentlemen of Downing
street as immoral and unpatriotic , that
is a question of ethics , where the rela
tive point of view alone makes the dif
ference between tweedledum and twee-
dledee.
A writer in The United Service Mag-
a/.iuo states that the United States has
spent more than $10,000,000,000 in
war during the national existence. This
generous statistician has probably reck
oned it at compound interest , us repro-
tenting what might have been saved.
But then the country would not have
existed at all
It is said that Dreyfus is to bo
brought back to France to await the
further issue of events. Should he over
get out of prison to make a square meal
again ho should at once devour , among
other delicacies , a "paty dn Clam. "
A young man is rich in all the future
which he dreams. The old man is poor
in all the past which he regrets. There
are many millionaires who would ex
change some of their millions for a cup
of forgetfuluess.
The most dangerous vices are virtues ,
which have put themselves into per
verse and inharmonious relation to life.