Life — January 14, 1904 — page 4: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

e there ts Life there's Hope.” XMM JAN 1b 19 West Tunery-Prest St... New Yous vou. 1904 No. 1107 fin ade vill be returned untess stamped and addressed Vo contribution accompanied by Hustrations in Like are copyrighted, and are not to be reproduced, Prompt notification should be sent by sub- scribers of any change of add ess ‘HERE is uneasin: in what the news- papers call“ well-in- formed circles "’ for fear of acomprehensive and miscellaneous war starting in the neigh- J vorhood of and ramifying out large the Russia over a rt of world. and Japan have long been jously odds. Some pped the Liao-Tung Peninsula in the Yellow Sei the spoils of vietory, But d Russia said she couldn't and she hi, pan ov s part of ance, Germany have it give it up, and eventually I Port Arthur ice-free por Trans-Siberian Railway. f and its ports, and Dalny, are the only ts of her Japan that. Shi populated and wants Kore sshe has as ou his been sore about is over: » Which is convenieutly near and much ander. populated, Bart Ru earth, inc es Korea in her list of needs finds it rable Japan should have the whole of it. So they hor ia, Who wants the and Y quite int that ant agree on this matter, sbout Manchuria and other im- portant details of dispute, and for months they have both been making ominous preparations for war, while negotiating indust for some basis of settled peace. If any two nations attack Japan, England is bound by treaty of alliance to help Japan. If asly ‘LEE any two nations attack Russia, France, her ally, must come to her aid. But if Japan goes to war, she is likely to have China's help, and that would make the Russian-French pact operate, which would in turn drag England in as the ally of Japan, With England and France on opposite sides in war, there would be mighty lively times all over th, and nobody believes but that many would claim a right to cut into the game (probably on the side of France and Rassia) and share whatever winnings there might be. T is evident that this is a serious The hopeful feature of England situation. it all is that it is too serious. and France have not the least desire to fight another, and will try ately hard to keep out of a big war, Neither Japan nor Rassia can afford to fight, but Japan can better afford to fight now than later. The Czar wants peace if he can have it, but how much of what he wants the Czar can have is a question. The natural basis of settlement would seem to be rJ to gobble up Korea and let Russia one despe ave her way in Manchuria, alth and strength, tohave her way in Manchuria, to allow but Russia intends, by s! anyhow, and has ne mind Japan any adequate inducement for Russia professes to fear called The Yellow Peril, F t to having Japan estiblish he and of Asia. So altogether it is as fine a ask for, and is brisk, and filling some wrangle as any the marker and Omaba 1 pound orders for beef. Par ([PHEY say we are going to have a war, too—with Colombt Let us hope that before it comes—if it is coming—we may get complete infor- mation about our Government's deal with Panama, Our Democra temporaries have come to rea their chance for success in the next Presidential election lies almost en- tirely in the possibility of convincing a majority of the voters that Mr. Roose. velt is not a safe man, and should not sneceed himself, Therefore, they are taking the Panama matter very much to heart and probing and discussing it industriously. With them is a con- siderable body of conscientious persons who consider that we have relied far more on might than on equity in our recent dealings with Colombia, and thar, if we come to blows with her, we sball not command the advantages as- cribed to him whose canse is just. It is a tangled skein—the Panama mat- ter, Theend isall right, and Lure has faith to believe that the more that is known about the circumstances of the the better will the means em- ployed little of ordinary tales of dent and loss of life. A smash-up on railroad, with a score or two of deaths, makes the headlines in the newspapers bigger and blacker for a single day but the next day it is half-forgotten, and the next day but one some newer catastrophe pushes it quite ont of mind. But Chicago's dreadful the fire on December thirtieth was s palling in its gross nd so harrowing in all its details that it ssion of the public mind, andeven now, a whole fortnight later, is not forgotten. There is noth- ing consoling to be said about it, unless one is of the disposition to tind it cor forting to say prayers for the dead. fhe theatre was new and was called fireproof. Perhaps it was fireproof, but the audience that filled it wasn't. That is borne in results fairly took possi the point most of all to be mind by people who build) or man. thear The audience is never fireproof, and when you filla theatre with flame or or gases, though the building tand it fairly well, the andience The Chicago story is a story peap asbestos curtain that would not come down, of exits and fire: apes by which people could not get out, of laws not enforced and precautions neglected ; a dismal story of prevent- able dis: won't comicbooks.com