New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-01-10
Present King and Queen
Have Well Maintained
This Royal Tradition.
copyright. 1909. by the Brentwood Company

Copyright 1909. by the Brentwood Company
While Maxim Gorky who processes 20 cham
pion the cause Of suffering and downtrodoen
humanity has remained in his comfortable, not
TO saw luxurious. villa, the island of Capri
since the cataclysm in Southern Italy, and has
contented himself with announcing that he Is
willing TO receive subscriptions for the victims
of the earthquake, the King and Queen OF Italy
FASTENED to the scene Of the disaster inne-
diateIy the news thereof reached Rome. and
spent ten days at Messsna and at Reggie. d.
rectfng the work of rescue, distributing fooo'
drink and clothing among those who were per-
fishing of hunger, thirst and exposure. and with
their own hands tending the wounded and the
diving. While they were engaged in this work
Of mercy the ground was still rocking under
their feet the many shocks which occurred dur
ing their stay in the stricken regions. though IN
ferior In intensity TO the original seismic dis
turbance being nevertheless sufficient to bring
the already tottering walls and damaged build
fngs to the ground with crash, thus adding to
the destruction the loss of life and the panic.
The Queen, in fact, In endeayoring to arrest a
panic in one Of the temporary hospitals at Mes
sina. was hurt and bruised, and It was this that
caused the King and the physicians on the spot
to insist on her returning to Rome, which she
did with much reluctance and only after 1t had
been pointed out 10 her how much she could ac-
complish there in organizing arrangements lot
the welfare and future Of those who have been
crippled and rendered destitute by the earth
quake and above all for the numbers of chill
dren. many Of them badly injured, who have
been made orphans
IT is on occasions such as these that monarchs
in modern times show their mettle, and demon
strate that they are not such useless and costly
factors in European life Gorky and anarchists
Of his stripe would have the world believe.
While the recent earthquake horror In Sicily
and Southern italy has surpassed in magnitude
all similar visitations OF Providence within the
last hundred years or more, 1t is worthy OK
note that whenever they occur in a monarchicai
country. IT IS the sovereign who Is ever hrst
upon the scene. One never hears OF the presence
on such occasions Of those agftators who profess
TO champion the cause OF downtrodden human
fly making a profitable business thereof. Surely
the recent calamity in Sicily offered to Gorky an
unrivalled opportunity for putting into operation
some of his doctrines, and making good his pro-
LESSONS of sympathy for the suffering Of his fell
low creatures Capri is at the best only few
hours distant from Messina. He could have
reached Messina between nightfall and sunrise
But no; he remained, AS men Of his kidney and
of his leanings have done on analogous occa-
sions comfortably at home. leaving others, espe-
cially the much abused anointed of the Lord, to
devote themselves 10 the alienation of the dis
tress of the stricken
nv some. especially by the friends and sym
pathizers of such people Gorky. it may be
argued that the action CT the King and Queen
of Italy in Fastening 10 Messina and to Reggie
on the first news Of the catastrophe was q
clever and spectacular bid for popularity, and
that their presence on the scene of the disaster
was superfuous. In reply TO this it may be
mentioned that it needed the presence of a
possessed of supreme authority such the
King, to assume the direction OF the work OF
rescue and relief in the first days of terrible
confusion and chaos following the destruction
OF Messina and Reggie. The survivors were in
many completely bereft OF their reason
Hundreds of police and thousands of soldiers
had been killed by the collapse of their barracks