Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-27
BRITAIN, HAVEN OF ExILES.
From Pearson's Weekly.

From Pearson's Weekly.
Madame Steinheirs flight to this coun-
try to escape the persecution Of journal
lists and others emphasizes tho fact.
generally recognized on the continent OF
Europe. that whenever any one fs in
difficulties abroad he or she Immediately
thinks of flight to our shores.
We have for years past been haven
of refuge for dethroned and exiled royal
ties. The Empress Eugenie and the vari-
Gus other French royalties Immediately
came flying across the channel when
things went wrong at homo.
Louis Philippe of Franch. it may DO re-
membered escaped fgrom his revolted
kingdom and travelled to Newhaven under
the name of Mr.. Smith'-the head. as
he is said TO have put It, of the great
Smith family"
But it is not royalties alone to whom
we have given sanctuary; and of all the
political refugees who have sought our
shores. perhaps the most interesting Is
the great Russian rcvoiutfonist, Prince
Peter Kropotkin.
He had been shut up for shout two
years i'm the fortress OF st. Peter and
st. Paul. but at last his friends managed
10 engineer his escape, and he reached
Christiania In safety. From Christianis
il was arranged that he should take q
steamer for Hull, and in his memoirs he
has a rather touching reference to his
embarkation.
Under which flag does she sail?" hs
asked anxiously; Norwegian, German or
British
Then he says when saw floating
above the stern the union jack, the flag
under which so many refugees-Russian.
Italian, French. Hungarian and OF al
nations-have found an asylum. greeted
that flag from the depth OF my heart
Prof Hamburg and his brilliant Sons.
though not pursued by the law Of their
Law oil loI n
AS Mr.. Mark Hamburg said the other
day: We felt safer In being British
citizens
Persaps the most sensational flight.
Britain was that Of the famous French
writer. Emile lola He was tried for al
legged libel Of the military tribunal In con-
nection with the Dreyfus case. but he
left the court at Versailles before the
end Of the trial and allowed himself to he
sentenced to twelve months fmpffSon.
ment in default.
On the following day he had disaD-
peared absolutely, and nobody knew
where he was. Many people pretended
they knew, but they all contradicted each
other
He had left by the night express for
Lucerne: he had gone of for tour OF
Norway; he was in the suburbs of Paris.
he was in Luxembourg, In Holland. In
Antwerp; he had been hOoted out of q
cafe i'm Brussels: he had begged an
audience of the German emperor.
Finally came the news that he was at
the Grosvenor Hotel in London. This
was promptly contradicted, and the news
papers went off on the old trails. But as
a matter of fact. he was at the Grosvenor.
The odd thing about his arrival at Vic
torfa was that he insisted on a cabby
driving him to the Grosvenor, which is
just a few yards round the corner. The
cabby seems to have been a most con-
scientious man. and attempted to argue
lola out of such wanton extravaganza,
but the French writer did not understand :,
English well enough. He saw. however, !
that the cabby had meant well when he |,
trotted him around the corner and stop
ped.
Soon after the exciting times OF the
Paris commune. Mrs Frederic Harrison. .
wife of the well known author. gave a
reception to all the French refugees OF ,
her acquaintance. Mrs. Harrison says
that If one may judge by the volume OF |
the evening was success !
But. owing to the fact that the various /
parties In the days of the commune had
tried to execute each other, there was
one very awkward incident
When supper was ready Mrs Harrison
asked one of her guests to take in a GER
tain lady. The man looked startled. and
Mrs. Harrison asked IL he knew the
lady.
Madam, was the courteous reply.
for YOU ! will do anything-blIt her hus-
band condemned me to DEATH.