The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-02-06

New York. Feb. Each month the
Pope recommends some special object "a
the prayers Of the faithful The special
for last month was Catholic universe
ties" The Catholic Church was the
founder Of Padua Bologna, Paris. SaIa-
manca. oxford, Cambridge, Copenhagen,
Manila. Beyrouth, and Washington uni
versities, Catholic universities are the
fruits OF the fully developed church
/ Wherever the church has had control OF
the school, college, and university she
has produced Catholic people
Loss of Admiral Thomson.
Seattle lost one OF It's earliest and
/ Church one Of IT'S most devoted and Ell
I ergetic sons in the recent death Of Admi-
raj W. J. Thomson, retired. His death
ended a fight for life which had been pro
I longed for years and which, by his cruel
sUferinEs and wonderful patience. par
! took OF the dignity and merit Of martyr
dom.
Admiral Thomson served the first tive
/ years Of the civil war as a soldier in the
! Union army. passing thence 10 the navy
/ i'm the paymaster's department, where he
/ served under Admiral Porter until the
end OF the war. He participated in many
notable expeditions.
/ After a cruise in the interest Of the
Smithsonian Institution among the South
+ Sea islands. he qualified as an expert
. lEguist and ethnologist. This led 10 MS
assignment on a naval expedition of
three years duration among the savage
tribes OF the then unknown and darkest
Africa, in which he earned the warmest
/ appreciation Of the government for his
tact and daring On the old Kearsarge,
he assisted In the suppression Of the
China pirates. lie rendered distinguished
service during the recent war Ii Hung
Chang. vIcsroy Of China. entertained the
highest esteem for his administrative
ability, and had about completed arrange
ments TO make him financial head Of the
imperial navy when the Dowager En-
press suppressed the plan.
After his second marriage his wife be-
gan to receive instructions In the Catho-
lie faith. The admiral assisted her ia
her studies and himself became convinced
Of the authority Of the one true church
He was baptized In the late COS. Every
Catholic enterprise turned instinctively
To him for guidance, support. and encour-
agement, and never in vain. He was
eager to be Of service. The Knights Of
Columbus, the various charitable enter
pTises Of the siSterhOods, the new cathe-
draI and every possible manifestation of
the concentrating missionary movement
are lastingly indebted 20 him.
Writes Of King Leopold.
Cardinal Vincenzo VannutelH, in a re-
cent interview IN the Corriere dItalia.
gave a most interesting account Of the
late King Leopold and his country. Car
dinal VannuteIh knows Belgium better
than most Belgians. He was auditor Of
the nunciatUre there nearly forty years
ago, and since leaving that Office his re-
lations with Belgium We're maintained by
his long and frequent visits 10 it. Since
1904 he has passed some time there every
summer. The cardinal said. in part:
Leopold II has been a really great
sovereign. It is no use 10 speak here Of
his private life. but as a ruler it IS GER
tain that hardly any other monarch in
Europe possessed his intelligence and his
ability I'm conceiving great designs and
bringing them TO fruition. It was he that
first planned, then executed, and has now
assured the colossal task Of the COLOMBIA
ton Of the Congo. which has been
source Of prosperity for him. as it is des-
tined to be for his country.
of course. I am aware OF all that has
been said against his work in the Congo.
but it must be remembered that the
charges and insinuations have come from
those who have had an interest IN seeing
it decried. Certainly there must have
been abuses, but We all know how diff
cult il is TO eliminate all these in the ad-
ministration Of a great state, and It is
equally certain that they have been
grossly exaggerated, especially in Eng
land"
Bouquet dc la Grye. Of the French
Academy, whose death occurred very re-
Gently, was a famous photographer and
astronomer and the president Of a num-
Der of scientific societies, and he en-
riched the literature of science with many
valuable studies and reports
Graduated from the Polytechnic School
at a time when Christianity was hardly
the vogue of university circles, NJ. de Ia
Grye was nevertheless a genuine Catho-
lie. who practiced his religion without os-
tentation, but also without any conces-
sion TO human respect. He died as he
lived. fortified by the sacraments of the
church, whose dogmas in no way inter
fered with his scientific research or at
tainment
Eather Y Schnn Tia lonr,,oA D.,