The Washington times., 1901-08-14
FOREIGN TOPICS.

beitrami. has just completed a unique
design for memorial to the late King
Humbert, which has been accepted by the
Monument Committee. 1t will consist OF
three massive towers. connected by high
wall, built in medieval style. to much ad-
rnired by the fated ruler. The ensemble
Is In crescent shape and will cost S250. Occ
1t is the tribute of millions of mourning
subjects, who. despite the poverty that
has reigned among the masses during the
past two years. responded generously to
the call for subscriptions.
That the people loved their King was
shown on July .. the occasion of the first
anniversary Of his assassination More
than 10000 persons from all parts of Italy
and from abroad made a pilgrimage to his
tomb in the Pantheon.
Those present at the service included
representatives Of the King. the knights
OF the Annunziata. the presidents of the
senate and Chamber. with a number Of
representatives, of both houses, the Min
listers and the members of the Diplomatic
hody. The army and navy, all the pro-
Nlnclal and municipal corporations of
Italy. and many ladies in deep mourning
were also present. The Music of the mass
was executed by a choir of 100 voices
The ceremony was very impressive and
deeply affected these present
ture arrayed against those of. Germany
and France will provide the spectacular
feature of the International Geological
Congress which has opened at Berlin. The
Yankee delegation. headed by Dr. Charles
Stiles. of the Department of Agriculture,
and Leonard Steiniger, curator of the Ma
tional Museum, will fight for the adoption
of a system based on modern require
han
gance.
The Germans and French resent the
substitution of abbreviated names for the
idioms of Cicero and Plato insisting that
at least the realm of science ought to be
safe from twentieth century American
isms
Six hundred and fifty biologists. repre-
senting twenty nationalities will sit in
the congress. The Americans include
Profs. Wilson, of Columbia; MacMurrich
OF Michigan; Woodworth. of California:
Patton, of Dartmouth; Murrill, of Cor
nell. and Mark, of Harvard.
a Berlin newspaper contains Kieff
letter stating that the political prisoners
there lately decided on a hunger strike
an expedient often resorted to by thtt
class of offenders in Russia.
The reason is that the trial of $40 men
who were arrested in April and May had
been unduly delayed. and that several of
them had been punished without being
found guilty. All their complaints and
entreates being in vain, they decided
from June 10 to refuse any nourishment.
During the first three days thirty-five men
remained without food, several of them
becoming seriously ill., Those who were
arrested at the great demonstration on
March "a then Joined them, as well as
the common criminals.
The chief of the Kieff police. General
Noviecki. yielded at last and ordered that
the political prisoners. who by now were
half dead. should be tried at once. Fear
ing that many of them would die, General
Noviecki allowed twelve to leave the
prison. requesting them to return when
they should have recovered. Not until
then did the prisoners take any nourish-
ment-
Several bills of considerable Importance
have been laid before the Galician diet
One concerns workmen. 1t proposes that
every town of 1000 inhabitants and up
ward should be obliged. in course of the
next three or six years at the latest. to
open an office for those who are in want
of work 1t must be free of charge sub
ject to Government inspection. and it's
statutes are to be ratified by the Cover
nor of Galicia. Such an office, if properly
directed, would be great boon, provided
it only sought to get work for laborers
In, not out. of the country.
King Menelik goes through a curious
ceremony every Sunday of the year ex-
cept when his Majesty is absent from
his Abyssinian empire. 1t takes the form
of a weekly banquet. to which all the off,
Gals of his Government and those who
represent foreign countries are invited
That it is very unlike any function of the
sort held in Europe and is not in the least
CnraIgd n he M nf
his friends and allies, the French. is APP
parent from recent letter by a privileg-
ed guest at the fast. 1t is an unalterable
rule of court etiquette in Abyssinia that
the King must have entered the great hall
and have started on the first course of
the dinner before the first guest enters.
Ministers in white present each of the
prospective dinners to his Majesty. who
remains throughout the entire dinner
seated upon his throne. an elaborate dias,
purple-embroidered and gold-fringed,
lighted by seven torches, a gift from the
French Government to the Ethiopian
King. After the presentation to their host
the diners go through a ceremony of purt-
is. q few drops OF water are
poured from silver pitcher over their
hands into a silver bowl. This being
complete q curtain which has hidden part
of the huge chamber is raised and King
Menelik's guests take their places, sitting
on piece of carpet on the
floor. Little baskets. much decorated.
serve as Individual tables. The honored
guests sit in the shadow of the throne,
the rest dispose themselves throughout
the hall; great soup tureens are brought
in and the feast of King Menelik Is be-
gun.
With increasing prosperity Norway is
gradually receiving her share of monu-
ments. Thus, while the Ole Bull nonu-
ment was being unveiled at Bergen. on
May II. Christiania celebrated the unveil-
ing of a statue erected there in honor of the
naval hero Admiral Peter Wes-
sci TordenSkjold, who was born at Dront-
helm, in the year 1851, and who dstin-
guished himself in wars with Sweden. In
deed, in the previous history of this coun-
try, there have been many remarkable
kings and prominent men who might well
deserve the honor Of statues in its open
squares and public places.
The Arab Sheik, Ebul Huda, who holds
the office of chief interpreter OF dreams
to his Majesty the Sultan of Turkey" is
in perfect harmony with his surroundings
at Yildiz. where he is a parsonage of ex-
ceptional influence. He came to Constan-
tinople determined to make his fortune
and with a keen appreciation Of condi-
tons he made known far and wide that
he had had a dream, the true interpreted
ton of which was that as long he Ebul
Huda, lived at the Court of Abdul Hamid |
the Sultan would never be forsaken by
fortune and his life would be safe from
the assassin. The ingenious padiShah
took him at his word