Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1900-10-11
OUR PARIS EXPOSITION LETTER
A Visit to the Catholic Missions Building
Few French Mayors Accept invitations
to Visit Exposition.

"'o"o"e hV'o 10 "hiSh VI tWo iceiingc,
, not TO say two inte rests, will influence
the French government In its far
a eastern policy, the alliance with Russia,
or the oft.repeated promise Of France to
act in concert with the collective
powers. With the mass Of the people
the first feeling is by far the stronger
; and in the end will probably prevail
because, while the ministry strongly
desires to keep its plighted word, at
any rate to the worlds ear, its fear Of
falling is stronger still and opportunism
) will therefor rule its councils French
ministers are far too fragile kind to
risk knocking against the iron pot OF
popular sentiment when floating down
the stream Of politics. and particularly
when, as in this case, the ministers, as
men, heartily sympathize with popular
prediction. Whether the alliance
with Russia can be called an interest
as regards China is highly doubtful.
Controversy lie always rife, even in
France. as to whether the alliance is OF
material benefit to that country or not
whereas 1t is pretty certain that France
is likely to get far more Of the Chinese
pickings from the powers collectively
than from Russia standing alone or in
opposition. Many people hold that the
French are simply spelling" for war,
and that once the Exposition closes
she will invite or make one. Certainly,
II she now throws In her lot with Russia,
there will be no small chance that the
longing will be gratified since exceed.
ingly delicate complications are bound
to arise.
i was on the way to the Chinese and
Japanese sections OF the Exposition the
other day when | was diverted from my
purpose by the attractions Of the
Catholic Missions building. 1t Is GER
tainly one OF the most interesting and
at the same time horrifying In the show.
Az you push back the heavy curtains at
the entrance yoa find yourself IN
dimly lighted hall with wax.work scenes
on either hand and visitors gliding
fearfully about. One Of the scenes, all
OF them by the way are marvelously
liielike; shows an old missionary, gauni
and pale, but with the fire OF religious
enthusiasm in his eyes, seated on a
chair, with Bible on his lap, at the
very mouth OF loaded cannon to
which an Arab lie about TO apply the
fuse. This is Jean de vacher who In |
1888 was blown from the cannon's
mouth in Algeria for refusing 10 for
swear Christianity and adopt the creed |
of Mahomet. Another group, even |
more horrible, is that OF which the
chief figure is Monsignor Borie, who In
1880 was decapiiated at Tonkin, but
not till after the sword Of the execu-
TONER had fallen seven timee. The
bishop is kneeling, after the first or
second blow, with his head thrust
through balk Of timber which he had
carried with him from the day Of his
captivity. third group represents a
sister Of charity dressing the sores OF O
leper at Mandalay In Upper Burma,
and is, from the loathsomo and terrible
nature OF the disease, the most horrify-
Ing OF all. One other group must be
mentioned since II relieves the horror
OF the rest that Of missionary, a
great, strong, bearded man, completely
clothed in skins, arriving at the hut Of
Christianized Eskimo. The snow is
all about, the sledge and dogs are In the
background, and the splendid figure OF
the missionary, as he greets the convert
In his simple lcelandic hut, wonderfully
impresses you.
Upstairs In the same building are
collections Of charts, and wearing
apparel, and miscellaneous articles Of
all sorts from nearly every cline and
region where the evangelist has pene-
Iiated. There is the figure OF Chinese
priest, convert, and at his feet
placard showing the state oi the
enterprise at the beginning
and at the end OF the 10Th century.
Briefly, at the beginning Of the century
there we're In the whole OF China but
/, mission stations and 10000 Catholic
converts; at its close there were 40
stations and 1000, 900 converts. Yet
what drop in the ocean OF Chinese
One Of the statistical charts
Is OF interest TO Americans az showing
broadly the state Of Catholicism In the
United States.
There are 5000 mayors In France and
all have been invited by the Paris
municipality TO the ietes Il Is giving on
HE 22nd and 23rd OF the month In
celebration Of the Exposition. One
would hardly have thought that any Of
The mayors would refuse to attend 40
purely iestal and non. political gather
M, but refuse several OF them do, and
IN no very courteous terms. The reason
- that the last Paris municipal
elections resulted In large nationalist
majority, and among the majority,
'ome Of the choicest demagogues the
Paris working classes can produce
The French provincial mayor, asa rule,
s a leyel'headed II somewhat rustic
'erson, who sees in an acceptance Of the
invitation an act Of disloyalty 10
Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity" as
BY law and Loubet established. The
wo most important towns whose mayors
ave refused are, 20 far, Lyons and
harseilles. The mayor Of the latter
'rcused himself on the ground that the
'ecent strikes left him 80 sad that lie
ias no spirit for the gaities the Paris
promises, and will no
loubt brilliantly provide.