New-York tribune., 1903-04-05
IRELAND 1BRO1D.
Indifference of Ill Countries, Sare
This, to E'riH's Fate.

Though no one who has lived in the United
States can be surprised by the extraordinary
display of interest with which the English Gov
ernment's new Irish Land bill has been re-
ceved in this country. il has served 20 aCceltl-
ate once more the strange Indifference Of al
other foreign nations with regard 10 the En-
eraId Isle. 1t is not merely entire lack Ot
sympathy on the part Of the people Of Cont
mental Europe fer everything that concerns
Erin. but likewise the failure OF any Of taeir
governments to utilize Ireland, either directly
or indirectly. a factor Ia their political rel1-
tions with Great Britain. Both Russia and
Germany have turned 70 sood account the Dis
affection of Norway toward Sweden in ca--r
dealings with King Oscar, and neither The Nus
cOvite authorities nor Yet the semi-Ott4cIil Pan
Slav Committee has ever neglected 70 take eX-
ceIIent advantage OF Czech and Croatian d.s-
content ia Austria and Hungary. The Polish
disturbances, especially in the Cos. ahOrla1
both TO England and France the means Of IL
ducing Russia to yield TO them in other mat
ters. while all Europe has been wrought Up TO
the boiling point By the treatment Of Finland
Prussia is forced to spend millions upon u...-
ions of dollars in buying odt the leasan;ry q
her province of Posen. because she feels con-
vinced that in the event OF a war with Rus
sia the people in question would join hands with
the Muscovite enemy, while France during
Napoleon IITs reign was never tired of inter-
veninS at Berlin on behalf Of the non-Pruss.ln
German States But no government Of Cont
mental Europe has ever given any attention one
way or another TO IreIand's aspirations and
sentiments. Her woes have touched no re-
sponsive heart abroad except in the United
States, and far as the non-British countries
of the Old World have been concerned. she has
been absolutely ignored. save for the opera
boune attempt by France 10 land a small force
on her coasts in the wars of the first Napoleon.
about a hundred years ago.
Yet Ireland is largely represented on the Con-
tinent and the aristoeracies of Austria. spain.
France and Italy are imbued with ! strongly
developed strain of the best Hibernian blood
Until the beginning of the nineteenth century
the oppression of Roman Catholics in Ireland
was such that they emigrated by tens Of thou
sands to those parts of Europe where their re-
hgiOus faith constituted no civic and social
handicap, and inasmuch as Catholics were
barred from holding commissions in the British
army. all those youths of gentle birth whose
tastes OF a military character sought ser
vice abroad. entire regiments in Austria and
France being manned and Officered by Irish
men That is why finds So many char
acteristically Irish names among the nobility of
the countries in question. Thus in Austria there
are the Counts Nusent. de la Poer and Don
mel, one of the latter having indeed. while aide
de-camp of Emperor Francis Joseph. saved the
latter from death at the hands of an assassin 4
few years after his accession to the throne. II
France We have seen duke and field marshal
with an Irish patrOnymic and proud OF his
Irish origin namely. that honest and Chiyal-
rous old soldier. MacMahOn. figuring as one %
the Presidents of the Third Republic while the
names of O'COnOr. Tiernay. Dillon. O'Shea. etc.
quite frequent in the great world az Paris
and among the old provincial aristocracy OF
France as they among the Irish gentry- IL
is the same in Italy. in Portugal and especially
in Spain, where the late Duke of Tetuan. who
was Minister of Foreign Affairs at the time Of
the war between this country and Spain. and
sion of the latter's marriage by proxy at Vienna
to Queen Christine. used often 10 recall the fast
that his patronymic Was O'DOnnen. and that