The age-herald., 1898-07-27
CURRENT COMMENTS!
 OF THE DAY

The rigorous decorum which character izes the court of Madrid under the in- fluence of Queen Christiana stands out so conspicuously against that period of shamelessness when it became, through the dissipations of Alfonzo XII, the most corrupt court in all Europe that the pres ent war tragedies only emphasize the part that she has had to play and the radical changes that have come to the court. The old story of Alfonzo XII.'s infatuation with Mercedes Montpensier, a young girl of Seville, whom he married against the remonstrances of the entire court, and the supposed tragedy of her death is probably the only period that Alfonso ob- served any court proprieties. It was to this infamous court and to the greatest of profgates that Queen Christiana was supposed to adjust herself. Instead she is a moraist of the strictest type.
 Since her husbands death she has re- voked a concession that he had given for a gambling resort at Huelva. It was to have been a second Monte Carlo. She would not touch the money and ordered the place be to closed. As far as in her power she will not receive at court a wo- man who has been connected with the slightest scandal. It is well known that she has never attended the national sports of Spain, and it is said now that there are court beauties, among them the Infanta Culalia, that are seldom seen in Madrid, because the restraints are too great for their frivolous natures.
 There is some perplexity apparently in regard to the meaning of the Red Cross
 of xryhn badge of mercy. The symbol which in the public mind has become identified almost exclusively with the organization known as the Red Cross Society is the official cognizance of the medical department of the army and navy.
 The women nurses who have been ehi@ ployed by the surgeon-general upon the recommendation of the National Society OF the Daughters of the American ReVoiution' and who are now at the general army-hos- pitals at Key West, at Fort McPherson, at Chickamauga and at old Fortress Monroe, wear the badge of the hospital corps, red cross. but they are in no way connected with the National Red Cross Society. There have been no laws passed governing the use of the red cross, and many organiza- tions have adopted it, though frequently with other devices. Any society can now call itself a Red Cross society, but the American National Red Cross, of which Miss Clara Barton is the president, Is the only one that is a branch of the interna- tional society called the Red Cross. In most of the countries which have adopted the international treaty there exists civii society of the Red Cross, whose purpose is to render aid to the military staff.
 The well organized medical departments of both army and navy in America and the Red Cross society have had up to the pres- ent war no occasion to aid the surgeon- generals. In foreign countries the Red Cross society is immediately under the con- trol of the military authority, and auxiliary to it. In Norway the surgeon-general Of the army is president of the Red Cross as- sociation, and in Japan 1t is an auxiliary to the medical department of the army, but in the United States it is an independent society.
 Agents of the various foreign steam- ship companies that combined to keep up the price of transporting the Santiago prisoners to Spain, are not at all satisfied with the policy of the government in giv- ing the contract to the Spanish company that was not in the syndicate. One of the points against the policy will be the re- lease of a number of Spanish merchantmen that are tied up in neutral ports, but the papers in taking the matter up dwell upon the fact that the policy of this government has always been against unnecessary in- terference with peaceful commerce and to remove these ships from the auxiliary naval service of Spain. dsarm them and give them safe conduct across the sea for this specific voyage can do no harm. while the great advantage of having the prisoners aboard vessels of their own does away with much responsi- bility.
 The government, however, is being threatened with a law suit by the various steamship agents which is after all of small moment in consideration of what disposition will be made of the Spanish prisoners themselves This problem before the government has brought about the suggestion that the prisoners be brought over to New York; given jobs and have them neutralzed in time for the fall elec- tions
 ANNIE KENDRICH WALKER.
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