New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-09
rur NEWS OF TWO CAPITALS
LONDON.
poPEs HEALTH THE CHIEB TOPIC
ioN OF DISCUSSION.
-,,vr THAT he CANNOT SURVIVE LONGER
DE- THREE MoNTHs-THE NATION
.1Isr REVIVAL IN IRELAND-A
GkEAI OIIO " Vt
Inv cARIT TO THE TRIBUNE.l

- the chief topic Of discussion in nearly
IT, european capital. My own information
...s from personal inquiries in Rome during
,ost few weeks leads me TO believe that ne
.,on,l, breaking down under the weight OF
and that he lacks the power or raIlylhs
-. his recent surgical treatment. The facts
- o,i,. known within the innermost circle Of
-. vatican. and the bulletins and official eN-
.,.,etjons are too optimistic 10 be depended
-, His closest advisers have been quoted
- 49,. "a saving that he can hardly be expected
. ,i,.s more than three months at the furthest
-, that the end may come within few weeks
- srjte or his remarkable vitality. Conflicting
-.otements are found in every days dispatches
- have the utmost confidence in my own
'.,.rce NJ information received while in Italy
o,o reason for the reticence maintained at
49, Vatican respecting the Pope's real condi-
.,on Is the zeal of the newspaper correspondents
1, torecasting the election Of his successor and
,bs intrigues among the Cardinals one day
-. German Emperor is described as pulling
.s,se for the selection OF his favorite. and the
,sv, morning a secret cabal in the Sacred COL
,,s is represented as making advances TO Car
,,al Vaughan and endeaVoring TO induce MIN
:, stand as a candidate. with view 10 pro-
,,o,ine the fusion of the Anglican and Roman
,hurcbes Then there will be counter move
mont in the interest of reacuonary Itailah
..,d,date and this will be followed by a can
..ss IN favor Of an American Cardinal win
eotolii as a compromise choice, agreeable 10 all
.oc,lons All these surnses are imaginative
,,, the effect of 50 much journalistic enterprise
!. ~ induce caution and self-restraint in Vati-
-, circles and To encourage credulous accept
..,. If every rumor Of Improvement IN the
Popes condition.
r;+na discernment is required for true FORE
..s+ ~ the nationality Of the next Pope. No FOR
.,gn Pope can reaffirm the claims OF temporal
.o,ers as forcibly as an Italian Pontif. These
,ain,s moreover must be proclaimed anew anu
constantly emphasized: for otherwise the Pope
orid become the chaplain Of the King OF
r,aIy. and would lose much Of his political pres
,i,s ard influence in Europe. The logic OF the
,mat.on IS an Italian Pope and an indefinite
continuance Of the struggle between Church
snd state. The Sacred College IN any event Is
~, controlled by a secret caucus. 1t does It's
work when the time comes for decisive action.
and not before.
NJ F Marion Crawford has undertaken al
ready IN write the biography Of the Pope, and Is
row at work upon it at his beautiful residence
rnortalis." has met with great favor in Vatican
rrclss since II describes the sacred city in A
.pr, OF enthusiasm and reverence. He is re-
earded as n biographer who will be able to write
g memoir Of the most statesmanlike OF recent
pontins. which will not only have a sterling
sersrv quality but will also be we'll received
~ English-speaking Catholics. His relations
with the Vatican are so close that he will have
nj the requisite facilities for obtaining secret
u.ormation and completing his work with the
last pussible delay. This book will be pub
ished by the Macmilans in England and
America.
The Samoan negotiations attract little atten-
Ton from the English press. The work has been
done in Washington, and the American En-
tsssy here has no share in 1t. Whatever stress
nay he laid by Germany upon the unanimous
action OF the High Commissioners, It is as
suned In diplomatic circles that a practical
basis FOR agreement has already been reached
which Is satisfactory TO the three Powers.
The English press is not considering the
cuixotc proposal for the exchange Of the Brit
hh West Indies for the Philippine group. nor is
there auv serious discussion Of IL by any one
well informed on diplomatic questions No bar
gain of this kind can be arranged on any prin-
olple OF equivalent values The islands Of the
Philippine group. with their varied resources
undeveloped are worth much more than the
British West Indies. which are entirely de-
pendent upon their sugar industry, and that can
only be protected and rendered remunerative at
the expense Of Cuba and Porto Rico. Men who
are familiar with the West Indies perceive
clearly the impracticability Of an American pro
+ba isia N
ter II Americans can succeed in the course Of
decade in restoring the prosperity Of Cuba and
Porto Rico they will be doing all that can be
Reasonably expected Of them They would cease
to be Yankees, with traditional shrewdness for
bargain II they were 70 trade off good for bad
territory simply for the convenience Of English
free traders. who are unwilling to arrange
sugar tariff for the benefit Of the British West
Indies
African railway questions are receiving more
sttention from the English press than any
policies affecting American interests. Mr..
Rhodes has many warm partisans, who are at
tempting TO force the Chancellor Of the EX-
ehequer 10 take up the project for railway
rom the Cape TO Cairo as an imperial work and
they are laying great stress upon the fact that
sl the capital required for the German section
o. the railway has been guaranteed, whereas
Mr. Rhodes has received no encouragement from
the British Government They are also arguing
that the Government guarantee Of the Work VIII
not cost the British taxpayer n single penny
but DO not succeed in convincing any one that
60 grandiose an imperial project will not prove
ourdensone The contrast between German
support Of this scheme and British inaction Is
more effective than the economic argument that
The Government guarantee will cost nothing.
The whrligig Of time never made more ran
'astic revolution: three years ago Mr.. Rhodes
was behind the Transvaal raiders. and the Ger
man Emperor was congratulating President
Kruger upon his victory over the hhbusters
and forcing the British Government 10 order
'ut the flying squadron; now the German EN-
psfor is Mr.. Rhodess chief patron In carrying
oat tremendous policy Of African expansion