New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-01-10
ITALY'S MONARCHS BRAVE in FACE OF DANGER

have rarely been able to deny to royalty.
II might SEEM therefore, almost superhu-
ous to say anything about the pluck dis
played by the King and Queen in hurrying to
Messina, although knowing full well that the
first of the seismic disturbances would be in
evitably followed by others. AS rule, people
seek on such occasions these TO escape from
the earthquake zone For the earthquake Is
thing to which no one ever becomes Injured and
Indifferent I speak from experience. have
lived for months together in places where earth
quakes were of weekly occurrence, and where
everything breakable the shelves had to be
kept wired. But one never becomes accustomed
thereto. The earthquake gets on the nerves, and
the more OF them you experience. the less you
Hike them. That at the moment when there was
a universal suave qui peut from the stricken
district the King and Queen should have has
tened TO the scene betokens Indifference to
peril that would excite great deal more praise
and comrnendation were not Europe accustomed
to conduct OF this kind the part of its rulers.
Italys monarchs have been particularly con-
spicuous in this respect. Thus, when four
years ago the southern portion Of the province
of Caabria was visited by an earthquake or
rather a series Of disturbances of this kind
which destroyed nearly all the trade and indus
try OF the province, reducing a quarter OF a
thousands outright Victor Emmanuel fastened
from his chateau of Racconiggi, In Northern
Italy, to the scene OF disaster, and would have
been accompanied by his consort had she not
been at the time the very eve of mother
hood. In doing this he was following in the
footsteps of his father, who some twenty years
ago, when the cholera was raging with such In
tensity at Naples, insisted. in the face OF the
opposition of his ministers, on Fastening from
his country seat at Monza, near Milan to the
scene
Meeting the Cardinal Archbishop of Naples In
the hospital by the bed of the dying and on
being lauded and thanked by the preIate for
coming. he cut short his expressions Of graf
tude by the remark that it was "the trade Of
kings" to endeavor TO succor and to bring com
fort and relief to the people conhded to their
rule In moments of danger and OF distress In
fact, the attitude of Humbert and of some OF his
brother rulers during great epidemics Of this
kind led to the remark that cholera hospitals
had become in these modern times the battlefield
Of monarchs The latter very rarely NOWADAYS
have opportunity 10 display their bravery under
fire, for the possibility Of their captivity or of
their being killed by some powerful proIectile
constitutes great a political and dynastic
handicap to the fortunes of their army that their
presence at the front is always discouraged. and
even opposed
They take opportunity. however of giving
evidence OF their courage in times of pestiIence
and OF epidemcs. such as those OF Asiatic chol-
and of the plague. when their visits TO the
hospital bring comfort to the dying cheer to the
sick. and much needed encouragement to the
doctors and nurses. Emperor Nicholas and his
father, the late Alexander ILL., as well as his sur-
viving consort. Csarna Marie; Emperor Francis
Joseph and Emperor William and his parents
have all distinguished themselves in this fash
ion; while Empress Eugene atoned for many
OF the shortcomings laid at her door bv thu
manner In which, on the occasion of the great
cholera outbreak In France. In 1866, she visited
all the hospitals at Rouen. where the disease
was raging with the greatest intensity: yhi,a
on another occasion. during particularly vlo-
lent epidemic of smallpox. she did not hesitate
to go through the hospitals In Paris to encour-
age The doctors and nurses to remain at their
post OF duty. although by so doing she risked
those good looks and that beauty which con-
sututed her principal If not indeed her only,
claim to sovereignty.
Nor would any reference to European mon