The Irish standard., 1903-05-30

LII Splle Ol lue pIeSeHI dutdSOilioI1
between Greeks and Russians, owing
to the Russian educational propagan-
da, Russia is still the protector of
Greek Christians in the East, as
France claims to be Of the Latins.
The animOsity between Greek and
Latin Christians is as active as ever,
and Turkish guards must be con-
stantly on duty in the Church of the
Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem and at
the Grotto of the Nativity in Beth
lehem; but the animosity between
warning Christians does not have, ow-
ing to the present political relations
of France and Russia, the same effect
as Of old. 1t will he remembered that
it was a quarrel between Greek and
Latin Christians about their respec-
tive rights in the Church of the Nativ-
ity which precipitated the Crimean
war, with Russia on one side and
France on the. other, says writer in
the New York Evening Post.
During my first visit to Palestine a
conflict occurred between the Latin
and the Greek Christians with regard
to the construction of wall in
the neighborhood of the Virgins
Tomb in the valley Of the Kidron.
Russia supported the Greeks, and
France, according to tradition, should
have supported the Latins; but, un-
Willing to antagonize Russia, her sup
port was merely formal. The Francis.
cans planted themselves in the breach
physically and literally, and the Greek
monks, with the assistance of Turk
ISL soldiers-for the authorities sided
with the Greeks-pushed them out Of
the way and rolled them down the
bank.
About u year ago the Greeks, who,
secure of the support Of Russia, have
become of late years very aggressive,
undertook to take possession Of some
steps on the outside Of the Church
of the Holy Sepulchre which have be-
longed to the Franciscans. The SYM
Dol Of that ownership is that the
l'ranciscans sweep the steps. The
Greeks laid claim to this privilege,
and undertook to sweep the steps and
drive the Franciscans away. The re.
suit was violent encounter between
the Franciscans and the Greek monks,
in which the latter were the assail-
ants. The Greeks had gathered stones
and other missiles in preparation for
the conflict, and these they hurled
from the windows and ledges of the
Church of the Sepulchre on the Fran
ciscans on the steps below. Several
of the Franciscans were very serious
ly, almost fatally, injured.
Before the Franco-German war Of
1s7C France would, Of course, have
permitted no such outrage, but now
the case is different. While the same
rivalry and aninlosity exist between
the Latin and Greek Christians as
formerly, and while France is still
nominally the protector of the Latin
Christians, her desire to maintain
friendly relations with Russia is car
ried to such pitch Of subserviency
that whatever the Greeks may do to
the Latins in the East, France toler-
ates. In this case the matter would
have been CLOSED over so as to pre-
vent friction with Russia, but, rather
unexpectedly to most people, other
European powers tont< the matter up.
The Italians have shown them
selves restive under the French claim
to the exclusive protectorate of Latin
Christians in the East, and French
propaganda through the religious
schools. Italian commercial interests
in the Turkish empire are large. and
the number of italian subjects resi-
dent and doing business there is con-
siderable. For business reasons it is
desirable, from the point Of view Of
the Italian government, that schools
should be established in which Ital-
ian is taught. and consequently Latin
monks of Italian origin have at
Beirut and elsewhere such schools