New-York tribune., 1905-02-03

with the Transvaal, when cable messages from
france to her great colony OF Madagascar were
censored by English officials at Alden and cipher
messages refused transmission Indeed II IS
no exaggeration to assert that until FIVE years ago
France Germany and Italy had no means
of communication with their transporting depen-
oencies by the English submarine cables
which. OF course is equivalent to saying that they
would have been cut off from all telegraphc inter
with their colonies In the event of their
happening to become involved in war with Eng
land.
Now. however thanks to Emperor William Ger
many has two independent cables of her own with
America has completed arrangement which
gives her predominating voice in the laying OF
cables intended to connect her Pacific and Far
Eastern possessions with the Dutch East Indies
and to form part of great non-Brtish telegraphic
system, while during the present year the Kaiser
proposes to lay cable between the Azores and his
West African colonies In fact, Emperor William
has almost completed the scheme whereby he has
rendered Germany entirely independent of Great
Britain in the matter Of submarine cable com
municarfon
ECONOMIES AT THE VATICAN.
Those devout Catholics in America who contribute
so generously to the support of the Papacy by
means Of the Peter Pence will be gratihed to learn
that the present Ponttf has inaugurated an alto
gether new financial regime at the Vatican where
he has been cutting down expenditures in every di-
recton, the economies effected thus far amounting
TO 100000 francs. that is to 100000, year II
n
and while, of course. there has been an immense
amount Of grumbling among those prelates and lay
dignitaries who have been deprived Of their per
qusites. little has been heard of the matter
either in the Italian foreign press. In his pro-
graITfTne of retrenchment Plus X is ably seconded
by his Secretary OF State who, being possessed Of
considerable private fortune OF his own. dlsdalns
peTquisites and sinecures.
There has always been a certain uneasiness
among Catholics In this country to the manner
in Frnio hair ions IN he
ministered at the Vasican and while ii must be
admitted that during the reign Of Leo XIII un-
fortunate investments and the malfeasance OF Of
fcials were the causes of considerable losses
the subscribers to the Peter Pence may now rest
assured that every cent subscribed will be care
fully husbanded. turned to the best account for
the good Of the Church, and that nothing VIII be
sQuandered or wasted in disastrous specuIatlons.
Incidentally. II may be mentioned that the rope
has no right TO all the back payments OF the
annuity of 100000 awarded to him by the Itahan
government the time when 1t seized Rome
thirty-flve years ago. The Papacy has never yet
accepted this money from the Italian Treasury
But at the time when 1t was granted this attitude
on the part OF the Vatican foreseen. and IL
expressly stipulated that at the end OF every
five years the accumulations Of the undraWn
annuity should TO the Italian government
and be therefore lost TO the Papacy. Should
therefore, Plus y decide during the course of the
ensuing twelve months TO accept the annuity ne
will be entitled only TO the 100000 for the cur
rent year. but also TO the accommodations OF the
last four years that is S5OOo0o0 altogether
KING EDWARDS CLOCKS.
It is doubtful whether there is any sovereign
in the world who possesses such an extraordinary
number Of clocks as King Edward. He has always
had hobby for collecting clocks, and when he
succeeded to the throne he inherited immense
number from his mother. Some of them are of
great historical value. for instance the one at
windsor given present by King Henry VII
to Queen Anne Boleyn her wedding day. 1t Is
only four inches deep and ten inches high for
| n7erlv belonged to Horace Walpoe. and was pur-
chased bv the late Queen Victoria, when his ef-
fects were sold at Strawberry Hill for about $500
This love token of England's 'Bluebeard' mon
arch remains the same after nearly four centuries
The clock still goes Strictly speaking, 1t should
have stopped forever when Queen Anne was sent
by her husband the caf,od after four years OF
marriage The weights beautifully engraved
H A. and true lovers knot on one anu
H A. alone the other
The chief curiosity in the way Of clocks at BUCK
ingham Palace is the Negress Head clock, made by
Ienne. whom voltafre befrfended. and engaged to
establish a watch manufactory near Geneva In
this clock the hour numerals are shown in one of
the negress's rwnkling eyes, and the minutes In
the other It stands feet 50 inches high the
head and bust being in ormolu enriched with
u1arnihcent decorative features.
King Edwards clocks number nearly two thou
sand At Windsor there more than five hum
dred alone They are all carefully inventoried in
number of large volumes in the possession of the
Lord Chanberlain's department. which is response
ble for the care and for the custody of the collec
ton. MARQUIsE DE FONIENOA.