New-York tribune., 1906-08-19
WORLD AFFAIRS VIEWED BY OBSERVERS ABROAD i
TRENCH RELIGIOUS VAR
UNLIKELY.
Especial by French Cable to The Tribune
Copyrlsht. Ie0a hr Tn. I,-ih..r,r a-.o.l......


Paris. Aug. 1s.-The fervent aIlocutiors of
SONS French bishops, notably Of Cardinal Iecot
olshop OF Perpisnan. who commenting on the
ropes encyclical, said. 1T is war We will go
10 the scaffold IL necessary" find no popular re-
spOnse among the masses OF the population On
tne contrary. the watchword telegraphed by NJ
Nlemenceau from Carlsbad to one OF his col
leagues in Paris We must avoid the bunder
of making martyrs" gives a forecast OF the
pohcy adopted by the Cabinet, and when repeat
ca Oy NJ BRAND. the Minister Of Public wor-
snip who remarked Come what WILL we shall
not create any martyrs among the clergy or
laSFnen, received conmendation on all sides
The French people to-day, with practical COM
mon sense, are anxious for a quiet life OF
peace and prosperity, and with the excep-
ton or a few ultra-clerical districts in Brit
tahy and in the Cervennes 1t appears certain
that the mass Of Catholics in France will not
respond to the exhortatiOn of the encycI;cal to
oppose the establishment Of the Associations
Cultuelles. but will display the same indiffer-
ehce that was manifested by an immense ma
Jorlty Of the Catholic laity when the congrega-
Uons were suppressed. and later when the in
ventories were taken
NO one here expresses surprise at the Pope's
denunciation OF the Separation law for practi-
cal FrenchmeD say that the Vatican could not
logically do anything else The French bishops
lcal point of view, the Pope having pronounced
judgment, the case is closed
The immediate effect OF the encvclical is to
bring back all the Cabinet Ministers with the
notable exception of NJ. Clenenceau, from their
summer holidays 10 Paris On the other hand, all
tne french bishops have been summoned to meet
at the Archbishop's palace in Paris during the
first week in September. 1t may be accepted as
certain that the present Cabinet will not con-
sent to any bill modifying the Separation law
as it now stands, which at the last general
election was indorsed by the biggest majority
ever recorded during the existence OF the Third
Republic. NJ. Clemenceau is to-day the strong
est statesman in France. No new ministry could
resist his hostility, and his views supply the
keynote Of the situation.
Your correspondent is in a position to state
on the highest possible authority that the gov
ernment will take action at present but will
merely await the decision of the bishops and
that NJ Clernenceau, who remains quietly taking
his regular cure at Carlsbad. will enforce the
law in regard TO the Associations Cultuelles
that must be applied on December H. but that
he will do with the greatest moderation and
leniency. II is significant that the most inffu-
ential leaders Of the conservative Catholic in
tellectuals, including Ferdinand Bruntiere Count
d'Haussonville Deputy Denis Cochin, Marquis
de Segur Marquis de Vogue and Comte de
CaStellau, express the conviction that, nOtwith-
standing the Popes encyclical, it is still possi-
bic for French Catholics TO conform to the law
Of December 9. 1905. without detriment TO their
consciences or without infringing the Church
discipline.
With a firm yet liberal minded and level
headed man like NJ. Clemenceau at the helm. and
with the moderation and practical common
sense Of the conservative Catholic statesmen
mentioned, there is not the slightest doubt
that a modus vidend will be reached. and that
the religious war confidently predicted by
the twentieth century Torquemadas on the one
hand and by the ferocious anti-clericals on the
other will be avoided.
AMERICANS AT CARLSBAD.
The Carlsbad season Is more successful than
for many years. Among the Americans taking
the waters there Mrs. Richard Townsend.
Miss Townsend. Mrs Laurence Townsend, Mr..
and Mrs. John Drexe Mrs. and Miss Lawrence,
Mr.. and Mrs. Newhouse, Robert H Cutting
John C. McCord. Mrs. Washington Dill Miss
Moore, Mr. and Mrs. Goodkind. Creighton Webb,
Anthony Drexel. S. w. Bates and Edward Baer.
GLIB.