News From the Past

I've come across a curiously addictive source of lunch-break news reading: The Library of Congress offers a 100 Years Ago Today selection of fully scanned news papers.

So, for instance, on August 4th, 1911, the San Francisco Call offers these headlines include:

PEACE PACT SIGNED BY NATIONS

Great Britain and France Both Enter Agreements With United States

HENCEFORTH ALL QUESTIONS WILL BE DULY ARBITRATED

Step Is Hailed by Diplomats as Forerunner of the Abolition of War

DOCUMENTS TO BE RUSHED TO SENATE FOR APPROVAL

Washington, Aug. 3 -- President Taft will send to the senate tomorrow the general arbitration treaties between the United States and Great Britain and the United States and France, signed for this government and for Great Britain here today and signed in Paris for the government of France.

The brief messages of transmittal to the senate were written and signed by the president today, and tomorrow it will lie with the United States to ratify what has been termed the greatest step toward the abolition of war that the world has thus far taken.

In local San Francisco News:

ANNA LANGLEY GOES FREE
Man's Law Swept Aside for Higher One

"GOING HOME TO MAMA," SAYS GIRL

Grand Jury Exonerates Young Wife Who Killed Husband Because of Taunts

WAVE OF CITY'S SYMPATHY AFFECTS LITTLE WIDOW

Heart Touching Scene Enacted When She Is Reunited With Her Parents

"TEMPORARY INSANITY," IS VERDICT AFTER INQUEST

On the same day, The Washington Times offered these among other headlines:

SENATE ACTION ON COTTON BILL WILL PROLONG SESSION

Revision of Schedule Now Assured -- No Adjournments Next Week

The Senate this afternoon by a vote of 38 to 26 ordered the cotton bill, which passed the House yesterday, to be referred to the Finance Committee, with instructions to report not later than August 10. This action was taken on motion of Senator Martin, the Democratic leader.

And:

NATION'S HONOR AWAITING TOGO, HERO OF ORIENT

President and High Officials Arrange Elaborate Program For Visitor

STATE DINNER TO BE A BRILLIANT AFFAIR

Dinners, Receptions, and Sightseeing Planned For Japanese Who Humbled Russia.

East may be East, and West be West--
Tomorrow the twain shall meet,
When Togo from the Eastern lands,
And Taft, the Western, greet!
And there be neither East nor West,
Border nor breed nor birth
When Togo, the Samuari [sic] comes
For we know what a hero's worth!

Banzai! Togo, the Samurai, hero of the sea of Japan, wielder of the destinies of war, comes to Washington tonight.

The little admiral will reach this city to begin four days of state ceremonies as the honored guest of the nation, at 9:25 o'clock this evening.

The admiral being greeted with such excitement is Admiral Togo Heihachiro of the Imperial Japanese Navy who had been Commander-in-Chief of Japanese naval forces in the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-1905. In 1911 he was 63 -- when he died in 1934 he was honored by a Japanese state funeral and Great Britain, United States, Netherlands, France, Italy and China all sent ships to take part in a naval parade in his honor in Tokyo Bay.

Then, of course, there are the funny pages (this from the New York Evening World)

and the ads: