The Irish standard., 1907-04-20

spondent of the New York Evening
Mail, under date Of March 80, writes
to that journal as follows:
.Gallicanism is as dead in France as
African slavery in America.
Despite all misleading statements
sent to New York in the guise of news,
and despite all similar reports OF
schism and discomfort that may come
later, this is fact that is indisputable
and will be informatory and interest,"
ing to every American Catholic.
For a century it was an open ques-
ton whether declaration of inde-
pendence of Rome would not, sooner
or later, be formulated by France.
Socialism has closed that question,
once open.
Three things impress Immediately
the non.Catholic, unbiased American
observer, of conditions and events in
France The first is the blind indif
ference, not only of the Partisan pub
lie, but of the press of Europe. to
the tremendous social and economic
conflict, of Worldwide significance,
whose opening skirnishes are being:
fought in France today. /. :,:-:.-
Money alone. is watchful. A men,
Der of the bourne told me today that
French rentes would be. sold: freely
and the Pennsylvania and: other Amer
ican railroad loans would be taken
here in large quantities, merely be-
cause of the steadily growing power
of Socialism here and the belief that.
in spite of falling prices in Wall
street. there was hope, for a time.
that the pendulum would not swing
so far in the United States.
But the keynote of the. Partisan
mind. which echoes through the press
of London and Berlin, as we'll 'as
through the continental news ':asen-
cies, is one of synicisn, pessimism
and Indifference.
Second of the striking facts is the
muddle of the political situation. 1T is
worse than the customary crazy puz-
zle presented by parliamentary prob
lens in a country without a. party
system. - -.
Clemenceau. master always of
phrase and insight. has. called the
situation one of .'incoherence." In
plain American slang his government
is "buffaloed" They call it "embete'
over here.
1t has been .outgeneraled by the
Vatican and choked on one side. by
Scapitalists, and on the other by labor
unions. l shall deal with it's condition
in later letters. 1t may fall two weeks
or two months or ten months: hence.
But it began with iconoclasnl;. it has
accomplished only a tangle, and it will
leave a record of futility and COM
fusion worse confounded. -
The income tax law. will not: he
passed; the Church and State prob
lem will not be solved; not. a: single
one of the features Of its program will
i,@be concluded when: compromise
j colorless. opportunist,. stop-gap: Min
istry succeeds it in April, August or
October.
Third and most impressive to the
onlooker with open. eyes. and open
mind is the massing of the French
clergy and their parishioners. ::.:.-
They stand shoulder TO- shonlder---an
army without banners. but not In
slorious-passtve, unresistant, com.
plying with every law that does not
spell annihilation, and disobeyine
none. 1t means a tremendous force
which is using no weapons save pa.
thence. silence and inertia
There was truth in the. dispatches
sent to America that the country
priests-the cures de campagney-
had expected to comply with the sspa.
ration law in every detail. Failure. tc
=; g meant losing, their small in.
.-.5..,.,