AGRICULTURE. The acreage, production, and value of the principal crops, as estimated by the United States Department of Agriculture, in 1914-15, were as follows:

Republicans

Democrats

197,000

7,092,000

4,397,000

Republican majority. .

1

TRANSPORTATION.

17,000 784,000 616,000 1,428,000 1,343,000

The railway mileage of the

State in 1914 was about 335. No construction has been undertaken in recent years.

EDUCATION. The total school population is about 50,000, with an enrollment of about 36,000, and an average daily attendance of 23,000. There are 1000 teachers employed, of whom about 860 are women.

FINANCE. According to the report of the State Treasurer for 1914, the total receipts for that year amounted to $685,273, and the disbursements to $716,653. There was a balance on hand at the beginning of the year of $45,797, and at the end of the year of $14,418.

CHARITIES AND CORRECTIONS. The State has no board of supervision over the charitable and correctional institutions. The Associated Charities of Wilmington has a director in direct supervision over many philanthropic institutions. These include the Home for Friendless Children, The Home for Aged Women, St. Joseph's School for Orphan Colored Boys, the Florence Crittenton Home, Delaware Industrial School for Girls, Home of Merciful Rest, and the Layton Home for Colored Persons-all at Wilmington. There are, in addition, several institutions at Dover and Marshalltown, the Delaware Hospital for the Insane at Farnhurst, and Newcastle County Hospital. The Delaware State Tuberculosis Commission has general charge of the work for the prevention and cure of this disease.

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT. There was little of political interest in the State in 1914. The Legislature met, but the laws enacted were merely local in their significance. The most interesting feature of the State's economic history resulted from the operation of the munitions plants at Wilmington and other cities. Some of the largest powder and munition factories in the country are located in Delaware. The large number of war orders received resulted in the employment of large numbers of men, and the State received a large amount of money. For comments on explosions occurring in munition factories during the year 1915, see UNITED STATES AND THE WAR.

STATE OFFICERS. Governor, Charles R. Miller; Lieutenant-Governor, Colen Ferguson; Secretary of State, George H. Hall; Attorney-General, Josiah L. Wolcott; State Treasurer, William J. Swain; Auditor of Accounts, John W. Luff; Commissioner of Insurance and Banking, William M. McCabe.

SUPREME COURT. Chancellor, Charles M. Cur

The population of Denmark proper increased from 929,001 in 1801, to 1,969,039 in 1886, and 2,449,540 in 1901. Males (1911), 1,337,900; females, 1,419,176 (1,257,765 and 1,331,154 in 1906). The rural population in 1911 numbered 1,647,350, as compared with 1,565,585, an increase of 81,765; the urban, 1,109,726, as compared with 1,023,334, a gain of 86,392. Copenhagen (Köbenhavn), covering 28 square miles, had (1911) 462,161 inhabitants; Frederiksberg, 97,237; Aarhus, 61,755; Odense, 42,237; Aalborg, 33,449; Horsens, 23,843; Randers, 22,970; Esbjerg, 18,208; Vejle, 17,261; Fredericia, 14,228; Kolding, 14,219; Helsingör, 13,783; Svendborg, 12,667; Nyköbing, 11,010; Viborg, 10,885; Slagelse, 10,463.

Marriages in 1913 numbered 20,460 (20,533 in 1912); living births were 72,465 (74,651); still births, 1734 (1754); and deaths 35,378 (36,481).

PRODUCTION. Agriculture and dairying are the principal industries. About 80 per cent of the total area is productive; less than one-half the productive area is under crop, the remainder being forest, pasture, and meadow. The tables below give area (in hectares) and production (in quintals) of main crops, with yield per hectare in 1913:

Wheat

Rye

Barley

Oats

Beets *

Potatoes

Quintals

*Sugar beets.

Creameries in operation in 1911, 681, with 104,557 work people; the milk employed was from 605,208 cows, with an average production of 2570 kilos of milk per cow. The live stock censuses of July 15, 1909, and July 15, 1914, returned 535,018 horses and 568,240, respectively; cattle, 2,253,982 and 2,462,862 (of which, cows 1,281,674 and 1,310,268); sheep, 726,879 and 514,918; swine, 1,467,822 and 2,496,661; goats, 40,257 and 40,670; fowls, 11,815,783 and 15,153,999.

Margarine factories (1912), 26, with total output of 39,620 metric tons; beet-sugar mills, 9, with total output of 134,670 metric tons. Fisheries products (1911) were valued at 15,230,200 kroner.

COMMERCE, ETC. The general and special trade is shown below in kroner:

Vessels entered in the 1913 trade, 41,071, of 4,615,800 tons; cleared, 42,042, of 1,637,067. Merchant marine (Jan. 1, 1914), 4386 vessels, of 566,727 tons.

Railways in operation at end of 1913, 2390 miles (1243 State owned); State telegraph service (1914), 8373 miles; telephone wires, 342,522 miles; post offices, 1171.

NAVY. The fleet, maintained for purposes of coast defense, is composed of 3 monitors carrying, each, two 9.4-inch and four 6-inch guns, and 1 carrying one 9.4 and three 4.7; 3 torpedo gunboats; 14 first-class torpedo boats; 6 submarines; besides an old battleship, a cruiser, and some small craft. Building: a coast-defense vessel and several submarines.

FINANCE. The budget for the financial year 1914-15 estimated the revenue at 132,525,240 kroner (taxes and duties, 83,586,400), and the

GOVERNMENT. The King is the executive, assisted by a ministry of eight members, appointed by him and responsible to the Parliament, or Rigsdag. This body consists of an upper house of 66 and a lower of 114 members. Justice is administered by judges of the Hundreds and by city magistrates, from whose courts appeals are taken to the superior courts at Viborg and Copenhagen. There is also a supreme court of last recourse of 24 judges at Copenhagen. In case of impeachment of ministers the Upper House appoints 4 judges to sit with the Supreme Court as a joint tribunal. Reigning sovereign, Christian Charles Frederick Albert Alexander William, born Sept. 26, 1870; married April 26, 1898, to Alexandrine, Duchess of Mecklenburg (born Dec. 24, 1879); proclaimed king (Christian X) May 15, 1912, upon the death (May 14) of his father, King Frederick VIII. Heir-apparent, Prince Christian Frederick Francis Michael (born March 11, 1899).

HISTORY

now

CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS. The democratic constitutional amendments which had been defeated by the Landsthing in 1914 (consult YEAR BOOK, 1914, DENMARK) were again proposed by the Folkething in the spring of 1915, and since changes in the membership of the Landsthing had in the interim created a favorable majority, the amendments were finally passed and received the King's assent, June 5, 1915. Under the amended constitution, the property qualification which had previously excluded the poorer classes from voting for the members of the Landsthing was abolished; the twelve members hitherto appointed by the Crown were henceforth to be elected; and full political status, implying both the right to vote in parliamentary elections and the privilege of eligibility to sit in the Folkething, were conferred upon the women of Denmark. A fortnight later another important constitutional amendment, enfranchising the women of Iceland, received the royal signature. Shortly after the passing of these constitutional reforms, particularly violent attacks upon the Radical government began to appear in the Conservative press of Denmark, coupled with insistent demands for the creation of a coalition cabinet. In reply to its critics, the government called a conference of all parties, and invited the Opposition to state its griev ances. As the criticism of the government's interpretation of the duties of neutrality in the war had been especially keen, it was expected and freely predicted that the neutrality issue would cause the overthrow of M. Zahle's Radical cabinet. By meeting frankly his antagonists in conference, however, M. Zahle was able to disarm his critics, and maintained himself in office. Consequently the Conservatives were unable to erase the constitutional amendments from the statute book, and Premier Zahle could confidently announce, October 26th, that the forthcoming elections in the summer of 1916 would be conducted under the new electoral laws.

EFFECT OF THE WAR UPON DENMARK. Rumors that foodstuffs and contraband commodities

little basis. After the excretion of sugar has been stopped and the acidosis controlled, a suitable diet is advised; but instead of attempting to increase the weight, the aim is now to keep the weight low in the belief that the reduction is beneficial. Any gain in weight which results in a return of glycosuria is harmful. During the fasting period alcohol may be given until the ketonuria disappears. Even weak and emaciated patients are said to bear the fasting with out untoward results. Their behavior indicates that they are suffering from a kind of intoxication, rather than from a lack of nutrition.

As an article of diet for diabetics, the soy bean has been urged as a nourishing food. It is almost free from starch, and at the same time rich in protein and fat. The soy bean (Glycine hispida) is an annual leguminous plant, grown extensively in Japan and China, and used for food from time immemorial. Over 200 varieties of the plant are known. It was introduced into the United States on the return of the Perry expedition from Japan, in 1853, but it was known, both in Europe and this country, before this time, as a botanic curiosity. Street and Baily, of the analytical laboratory of the Connecticut Experiment Station, have analyzed several varieties of soy bean grown on the station farm, giving the following average percentages: water, 10; ash, 5.54; protein, 38.29; fibre, 4.64; nitrogen-free extract, representing the total carbohydrates, 26.64; and fat, 14.89. The average percentages of commercial soy bean flours are: water, 5.1; ash, 4.5; protein, 42.5; fibre, 3.7; nitrogen-free extract, 24.3; and fat, 19.9. The carbohydrates consist of forms not considered dangerous to diabetics. The bean is just beginning to take a place as a farm crop. It is a palatable vegetable, but is not in general use as human food, being employed chiefly as a forage plant, for ensilage and fertilizer. See C. V. Piper, and T. H. Nuelsen, "Soy Bean" (Farmers' Bulletin, 372, U. S. Dept. Agriculture, 1909); and Carleton R. Ball, "Soy Bean Varieties" (Bureau of Plant Industry, 98, U. S. Dept. Agriculture, 1907).

DIAMONDS. See MINERALOGY, section so

entitled.

DIAZ, PORFIRIO. President of the Republic of Mexico from 1876 to 1880 and from 1884 to 1911, died at Paris, France, July 2, 1915. When he first assumed the reins of government, revolutions and brigandage were rampant, ignorance, poverty, and corruption everywhere prevailed.

Diaz first of all was a fighter. The revolutions he crushed with an iron hand; and was successful in suppressing brigandage and corruption. Turning his attention to the development of the vast resources of his country, he invited the investment of foreign capital, at the same time seeing to it that no internal disorder and lawlessness should exist to frighten away the desired investors.

Industrial establishments of every type sprang into being, giving employment to thousands. The banking business of the country was put on a firm basis for the first time. Vast engineering works, including the draining of the valley of Mexico, the construction of 15,000 miles of railroad, and the building of many reservoirs, were undertaken. While all these plans for the betterment of his country were being carried out Diaz also found time to swing his energies into still another channel of perhaps

greater importance, that of education. He established a public school system and founded normal schools, manual training schools, colleges, and professional schools. Nor were women overlooked in Diaz's educational schemes, and the first of his girls' institutions of learning was opened at his native town of Oaxaca. In carrying out his programme of reforms, he was frequently accused of arbitrary conduct. He was, in fact, an absolute dictator, and the history of Mexico prior and subsequent to his régime would seem to indicate that only a man of this strong type could hope to attain similar success. He knew his people, or rather mixture of peoples, and appreciated that a firm hand was needed if order and progress were to be obtained.

Diaz was born in Oaxaca on Sept. 15, 1830. His father was a Spaniard, and his mother the daughter of a Spaniard and an Indian woman. The death of the father, when Porfirio was only three years old, left the family in the throes of poverty. Friends, however, came to the rescue and young Diaz was enabled to study for the priesthood. As he grew older, the idea of a church career lost its appeal and he decided to devote himself to the law. In taking this step he followed the advice of Juarez, who was later to become president of Mexico.

When war broke out between Mexico and the United States, Diaz declared himself against the rule of Santa Anna and an order was issued for his arrest. He took refuge in the mountains and later joined a band of Indian revolutionists, of which he became commander. At first he met with success in combat with the government troops, but his band was finally dispersed, and he remained in hiding until 1855, when General Alvarez overthrew Santa Anna.

Diaz was made sub-prefect of Ixtlan by Alvarez and immediately began to organize the Indians in his territory into an army. A revolution was started in November, 1855, which forced Alvarez to resign. Gen. José Maria Garcia raised an army which he led against Diaz, who with his Indian forces won a signal victory and induced Garcia to abandon his plans. An uprising in Tehuantepec next demanded the attention of Diaz, who emerged a victor but only after being severely wounded.

The revolution was eventually quelled and Juarez succeeded to the presidency. Diaz was appointed a lieutenant-colonel, although but 28 years old, and also was chosen deputy to the national Congress. When Napoleon III made his attempt to found an empire in Mexico, Diaz was put in military command of Jalapa, which was occupied by a French army. He won much praise for his skillful conduct of the campaign in that section and came to be looked upon as one of the ablest and most patriotic of the Mexican generals.

After the battle of Santa Ines he was captured by the French, but escaped and joined President Juarez and his army in Northern Mexico, being placed in command of the native troops, whom he reorganized effectively. In 1863 Diaz was made a general of division, the highest rank in the Mexican army. The following year he met with reverses in battle and was obliged to surrender to the French General Bazaine. Once more he escaped and started his third campaign against the invaders. The interference of the United States at this juncture