The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1900-10-04
PARIS LETTER.
..o, our Regular Correspondent.

PARIS. FRANCE, Sept. 10, 1900.
The question of most political in
a. the moment here is which Of
.ss two feelings, not to say two inter
Wv w. will influence the French govern
''' "n, in its Far Eastern policy,-the
Alliance with Russia or the oft-repeat-
q nromise of France TO act in con
~ s.-, with the collective Powers. With
.Se mass of the people the first feeling
!. bv far the stronger and in the end
~;lI probably prevail because, while
me ministry strongly desires to keep
&c nliqh,ed word, at any rate to the
worlds ear, its fear of falling is strong
Or still and opportunism will therefore
nile its councils. French ministers
are Of far too fragile kind to risk
tnocking against the iron pot of pop
nlar sentiment when floating down the
stream of politics, and particularly
,yben. as IN this case, the ministers, as
men, heartily sympathize with popular
nred,ection. Whether the alliance
with Russia can be called an interest
as regards China is highly doubtful.
Controversy is always rife, even in
France. as to whether the alliance is
Of material benefit to that country or
not; whereas it is pretty certain that
France is likely to get far more of the
Chinese picklngs from the powers col
lectively than from Russia standing
alone or in opposition. Many people
hold that the French are simply "spoil-
ing" for war, and that once the Ex
positon closes she will invite or make
one Certainly, if she now throws in
her lot with Russia, there will be no
small chance that the longing will be
ua,ihed since exceedingly delicate
complications are bound to arise.
| was on the way to the Chinese
and Japanese sections of the Exposl.
ton the other day when was divert
ed from my purpose by the attractions
of the Catholic Missions building. 1t
is certainly one OF the most interest
ing and at the same time horrifying in
the Show. AS you push back the
heavy curtains at the entrance you
ind yourself IN dimly lighted hal
with wax-work scenes on either hand
and visitors gliding fearfully about
One of the scenes-all of them by the
way are marvelously litelike-show:
an old missionary, gaunt and pale, but
with the fire of religious enthusiasm II
his eyes, seated on a chair, with ;
bible on his lap, at the very mouth o
loaded cannon to which an Arab i
about to apply the fuse. This is
Jean de Vacher who in 1893 wa
blown from the cannon's mouth il
Algeria for refusing to forswear Chris
tianity and adopt the creed Of Maho
met. Another group, even NOR
horrible, is that Of which the chic
figure is Mons'gnor Borie, who in IS5,
was decapitated at Tonkin, but nc
till after the sword of the executione
had fallen seven times. The bishol
is kneeling, after the first or secon
blow, with his head thrust through
balk of timber which he had carrie
with him from the day ofhis captlvit,
A third group represents sister {
charity dressing the sores of leper &
Mandalay in Upper Burma, and i
from the loathsome and terrible natur
Of the disease, the most horrifying {
all. One other group must be mel
toned since it relieves the horrt
OF the rest--that of the missionary,
great, strong. bearded man, con
pletely clothed in skins, arriving at tt
hut OF christlanized Eskimo. Tf
snow is all about, the sledge and do!
are in the back ground, and Il
Splendid figure of the missionary,
ne greets the convert in his simp
lcelandic hut, wonderfully impress'
you.
Upstairs in the same building a
collections OF charts, and wearing a
parel, and miscellaneous articles OF {
sorts from nearly every cline al
region where the evangelist has pen
trated. There is the figure of
Chlnese priest, convert, and at b
feet a placard showing the state
the missionary enterprise at the b
ginning and at the end OF the I9
century. Briefly, at the beginning
The century there were in the who
OF China but five mission stations al
100000 Catholic converts; at its clio
there were forty stations and 1905
900 converts. Yet what drop in
ocean OF Chinese millions. One
the statistical charts is of interest
Americans as showing broadly t
DEAFNESS CANNOT BE CURED