The Washington herald., 1907-11-25
FOREIGN NOTES OF INTEREST

A workman IN Bohemia has been sent
to prison for three months with hard
labor for speaking disrespectfulIy OF the
Austrian Empress. Maria Theresa. who
died in 1880 One is curious to know what
he could have said. II must have beer
something as serious as Jeffreys imper-
tinence recorded by Sidney Smith. at the
expense Of the equator. At any rate II
is warning 20 Prof Sayce. and others.
who have been saying some very hard
things about the alleged mummy Of
Queen Teie. OF Egypt. who died much
earlier.
In regard to the Burbon-Orleans we'd
ding at Wood Norton. England. it is
stated that the marriage Of Eleanor
MOntfort and Llewelyn ap Gruffydd. in
l2IS, was not the last royal marriage in
Worcestershire. There was, IN 1899, a
marriage celebrated in Worcestershire,
between Prince Arthur. the eldest son
OF Henry VII, and Catherine of Aragon.
She was not present at this ceremony,
bat was represented by the Spanish AM
bassador as proxy This was the famous
marriage which led 10 the rupture be-
tween England and the Church of Rome,
and permitted Henry VIII 10 divorce
Katherine Of AragOn whom he had
married after the death of his brother.
Prince Arthur. According 10 the laws
Of England, katherine, though she had
never seen Arthur, was the wife Of
Henry VII, deceased brother. Acting
under the advice OF Cardinal Woolsey
and at the same time following his de-
sires. Henry was able TO divorce Kath-
crime an act 10. which he has been con-
demned by pOsterity for centuries Yet
his marriage TO Katherine would have
been considered null and void in modern
England until a few months ago be-
fore the passage OF the act legaIizing
marriage with a deceased wife's sister
Indeed. the bishops Of the Church OF
England still consider such a marriage
contrary 10 canonicaI law. and have or
dered the clergy Of their respective do
eeses not TO perform such ceremonies
Doubtless they would have sustained
Henry VII in his famous putting away
Of his deceased brothers wife had Il
occurred in the twentieth century. in
stead OF the fifteenth century.
NJ. Clsmanceau, the French prime min
lister. has been informed by Mr. Lloyd
George. OF the British Parliament. that
the tunnel across the English Channel
between England and France is a de
funct project for a generation at the
very least. the obstacles Of water tide
and ocean depths 10 be overcome count
ing as naUght when compared 10 OBJ
staClcs Of British prejudice and appre-
hension Of invasion by a foreign foe A
ferry between Dover and Calais is the
next proposition. and the success OF the
ferry-boat system OF the United States
is quoted to sustain this scheme.
Great satisfaction is felt al the Saxon
court at the solution OF the question
Of the custody Of the little princess.
Monica Pia. the youngest child OF the
King OF Sax0ny and his former wife.
now Signora ToseIli, whose present hus-
band is an Italian pianist. Princess Anna
Won H0benlohe. the sister Of the former
Crown Princess Of Saxony, is accredited
with the successful negotiations through
which the little princess was returned 10
her fathers care. Princess Hohenlohe
promised Signora Toselu that II Monica
were intrusted 70 her care by the king
she would bring her up Ike her own
child, and she also told her sister that
she should visit her daughter at Barten-
stein as often as she pleased This ar
rangement the ex-crown princess agreed
10, for. though having no legal right TO
retain the child under the German law.
the Princess Monica was with her mother
on I,aIian soil. and a different and COM
phcated condition OF affairs existed IN
ternational codes and regulations had 10
N.a
delay and annoyance. When. at last.
Signora Toseln consented, and with a
heavy heart signed the contract. she,
with her husband. the princess. and the
gOverness. accompanied by a lawyer.
drove from Fiesol, near Florence. in a
motor car 20 Modena, where the leave
taking between mother and child took
place. Count MattaroH formally took
charge Of the princess on the King OF
SaIOny's behalf In order not 10 excite
her little daughter. SignOra T0selH en-
deavOred not 20 lose her self-control. and
succeeded in saying goOd-by without a
single tear The people Of Saxony. in
Dresden particularly, have manifested the
greatest sympathy and friendliness to-
ward the eX-crOwn princess up to the
time Of her marriage TO SignOr Toseli.
an unknown FlOrentine musician. But
since that act Of madness and folly
her most ardent supporters in her former
husbands kingdom have had 10 give in
and admit that SiSnora TOselh is unfit
mentally and morally 20 have the custody
OF the princess. The erratic career Of the
eX-crOwn princess since she left her hus-
bands palace evinCes the fact that she Is.
if not downright insane. mentally unbal-
anced- The little Princess Monica is now
FIVE years old, a charming, merry little
girl. and though born after her mother
eloped with her chlldren's tutor. re-
sembles her father. King Frederick of
Saxony. most Strikingly. II seems as II
nature had put this stamp on the coUute-
or doubt as 10 her birthright.
Professor Bordas' discovery OF the Gu
rious effect Of radium on the color Of
precious stones and the transformation
Of ordinary corundum or hard stones into
ruhies or other gems has naturally ex-
cited great interest. The jewellers. espec-
tally. are greatly excited and alarmed.
But Prof Bordas comes forward to
allay these fears and states that while
it IS true that he has succeeded in trans
forming ordinary corundums by means
of radium into topaZes, rUbies. and SINH
lar gems, his discovery is only theOretic
and Of no commercial value. owing to the
scarcity and great cost Of radium. All
the radium known TO exist in the world
amounts 10 about two centigrams, and
OF these Nine. Curie owns alone one
half. If there were a-pound of the sub
gfa in 2 b., r-ray-1T 90 do -