Omaha daily bee., 1906-02-17
OTHER LANDS THAN ouRs.

over the taking OF inventories i'm accord
snce with the new law Of separation, were
due in part to a popular misrepresentation
OF the intentions of the authorities. Ac-
cording to a Paris correspondent of a Lon
don journal there was widespread anxiety
among the faithful concerning the treat
ment of the reliquaries I'm the side chspcls
According to the Official circular the gov
eminent agents have the power to order
these to be opened. There was a general
belief that this right would be exercised,
and there much talk of a policy of
passive resistance many priests holding
that opposition to the law, even within the
sacred precincts OF the church would be
preferable to any possible Dissertation
which might arise from the exposure OF
relics to unbelevers The chief secretary
of the finance department seems to have
offered an easy way out of this difficulty
He has given the priests, in every instance.
the right of appeal to the project of the de-
partment, who alone will have the right
TO order that any reliquary shall be opened
1t is not probable that his authority will
be invoked very frequently, unless the in
ventory takers are more conscientious than
such officials are apt to be.
One OF the troublesome questions con-
fronting the French ministry is concerning
the right OF public servants to form unions.
1t came up some time ago in connection
with teachers syndicates. Then NJ. Rouvier
Insisted that government which granted
such a right would virtually commit sui
eide. But since then the Parliamentary
committee has been sitting on the matter
and its reporter, NJ. Barthou, ex-minister
has come out strongly In favor of granting
1t. Moreover, the radical minority of the
cabinet is known TO be In opposition to the
| principle formerly laid down by the prime
minister. The country school teacher in
France is an important person. He cannot
be trited with, least of all on the eve of
| elections, when his services are priceless
The Chamber therefore might be tempted
to grant all his claims. This is a point
that has been causing the cabinet much
anxiety, and which has not yet been de-
| cided. Moreover, it is very doubtful
whether it will be possible to reach any
agreement upon 1t. The friends of NJ. Rou-
vier, however, express confidence that his
| long parliamentary experience will enable
him to prevent any open split
! The Bulgarian note replying to the Turk
| ish protest against the Servo Bulgarian
convention is plainspoken document. 1t
i
government is not entitled under any pro-
vision of the Berlin treaty to interfere in
| Bulgarian affairs. In virtue of the autono-
nous rights conferred upon her Bulgaria
is free to conclude with foreign states any
| arrangement conducive to it's economic or
| political interests and, therefore, cannot
submit to Turkish intervention. 1t then re-
marks that If Turkey impartialy had en-
| amned the convention between Bulgaria
and Servia, it would have learned that its
| commercial and economic interests are in
no way affected thereby, inasmuch as Ser
Wan products will not be able to enter
| Turkey Bulgarian any more than Turk
ish products can enter Servia or Rumania
as Bulgarian. The note proceeds to observe
that, In the interests of the tranquility of
the Balkans, 1t is obviously desirable to
facilitate the policy of agreement and eco
| nomic progress. 1t is, therefore, strange to
find Turkey pursuing a policy of dscord
and trouble The appeal which Turkey
makes to the Berlin treaty on fiscal ques-
ton provokes the retort that If Turkey
would only comply with all the provisions
OF that treaty there would be a much bet
ter chance OF peace, order and prosperity IN
| the Balkans. But the Porte has long been
| proof against all argument of that sort
| The physicians of Rio de Janeiro have
made up their minds to emancipate them
| selves from the tyranny of fashion. IT is
midsummer in that part of the world just
| now. and at a recent meeting of the Club
Medico'' II was resolved that hereafter the
medical men of the Brazilian capital should
wear light white attire during the hot spell
Heretofore no doctor could, without risking
| his reputation and practice, go about with
out a "dressy" black suit, a black cravat
and silk hat. A reform movement was
inaugurated by the German ambassador,
Arco Valley, who had the audacity to
adapt his attire to the weather AT first
he laughed at and called a crank: but
gradually ii dawned on the natives that he
was not such a fool as he looked. Several
other diplomats followed his example For
time the summer attire was worn only
in the elevated residential district. Petrop-
oils; in the city proper. where it is much
more needed, as ii lies In valley shielded
! from sea breezes, few dare. even now to
appear except in winter attire; but ii is
hoped and believed that the revolutionary
resolution of the Club Medico may inaugu-
rate a new era of comfort.
|
| The twenty-first anniversary OF Gordon's
martyrdom was commemorated this year
In the opening of the railroad from the
| Nile to the Red sea, from Athara, on the
wady Halfa- Khartoum line, to Port Sou
dan. near Suakim. Ismail Pacha first
planned the road in the heyday of his
power. and an effort 10 build ii was made
in 1877. Gordon advocated it. and at about
the time Of his death the British govern
ment actually did little work on it, only
to abandon it with the rest of the soudan.
After Kitchener retook Khartoum Lord
| Cromer determined the road should be
built but work was not actually begun on
the line between AtbaTa and Port Soudan
until October, 1904. (The line from Wady
Halfa to Khartoum had. of course, been
made by Kitchener long before.) 1t was a
characteristic manifestation of British en-.
ergy and efficiency to build a railroad clear
across the Nubian desert within sixteen
months, and it was a fine achievement for
the opening and civilization of the dark
regions for which Gordon gave his life.