The Republican journal., 1905-06-29

Some one enquired the other day as
to the situation at st. Pierre, Martl-
nioue. and wondered if any attempt
had been made to rebuild the place de-
vastated by the terrible eruption of Mt.
Pelee. which destroyed 10000 people in
a twinklng. Since then one startling
event las followed another and the
war in the East has SO absorbed public
attention that this island tragedy has
been forgotten. A recent issue of the
Brooklyn Daily Eagle contains an elab-
crate article on the situation at st.
Pierre from which we quote as follows:
Except for the grave-robbers and a
few patrolling gendarmes, to protect
the unhallowed graves from unlicensed
hooters, there is not sign of life in st.
Pierre. Rue Victor Hugo the principal
street i'll the city, which was buried
under from two to five feet of volcanic
ashes, was cleaned out by the govern
ment for nearly a mile and the stones
from the fallen buildings piled up on
each side A cross street was opened
up in the same way to give plantation
back of the town an outlet to the sea,
but the work of restoration stopped
there The government would like to
see new city rise from the ashes of
st. Pierre, and Victor Hugo street was
opened up in the hope that the people
would 90 IN and rebuild the city. But
the natives would have none of it. To
them the great graveyard is an accused
place, and none but the treasure hunt
erS and the police are brave enough to
invade its solitude. Some day, perhaps,
if Mt l'elee again goes to sleep, st.
Pierre may be rebuilt, but not by the
present generation of its children.
In his address at the New York Tn
ion League dinner lately given in his
honor, returning Minister Choate made
some remarks which had special ap-
plication and meaning just at this time.
He referred to the work of the president
in behalf of peace and what he said of
the feeling abroad concerning President
Roosevelt is particularly interesting.
OF course he praised the PRESIDENT
efforts for peace and complimented him
on his successful diplomacy, saying:
eve never gave him credit before for
being his own diplomatist, and then
he added:
Now, nobody who has not been out
side OF his own country for some time
can appreciate how thoroughly our
president, of whom we are so proud, is
appreciated by the people of other
countries. There is more curiosity
about him, there is more interest in
him, there is more admiration of him
than OF any other American, dead or
alive, in the whole of our history. / do
not think it is too much to say, there
fore, that this one man by the force of
his stronger personality, of his inherent
virtue, has actually elevated his country
in the eyes of the world. And at home
has he not done something, too, beside
raising our reputation abroad? Has he
not done something to raise our inner
ent character at home? | think he has.
| think he has set an example in his
own person, to the young men of the
country especially, that the best thing
they can do with their powers, theil
brains, their hearts and their lives is to
devote them to the service of theil
country
The foreign press is practically unani
nous in praise of President Roosevelt
for his action in asking Russia to con
slider peace proposals. The London
Post says:
mo President since Lincoln has sc
impressed himself on the imagination
and respect of Europe and Asia. His
success implies acknowledgment of the
moral position America holds in inter
national politics."