The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-07-22
IN CATHOLIC ALBANIA.
LETTER FROM OUR SPECIAL
CORRESPONDENT.
The Austrian Situation-TriaIs of
Catholic AIbanians-Intervent
of the Archbishop Of Skutari--
English Ministers and Crema-
tion-RoyaI Visit to Ireland
and to Scotland.
London, July Sth, 1911.


Germany always ranks large in the
European survey, but Austria, though
not so much heard of, is just as i'm
portant and may be said also to hold
the scales of war and peace in GEN.
trail Europe. Consequently any weak
ening in the Catholicity of her Gov
ernment must be looked upon as a
disaster which has far wider effects
than those that will come to her in
ternally. The grand Catholic Burgo-
master of Vienna, Lueger, who died
amidst such general mourning some
time ago, had built up not only
splendid Catholic municipality but an
unassailable Catholic party in the Aus
trian Parliament, and this latter the
recent elections have largely swept
away Even in Austria the Socialists
and irreligious Radicals are gaining
ground, and the Hungarian element,
which is always antagonistic to Aus
trian rule, is joining hands with them.
There is danger looming ahead from
this direction, and the fiery and ire
sponsible element is quite prepared to
raise European confagration on the
least provocation. While the wise
and good Francis Joseph lives there
is still check, but when that life
lays down its heavy burdens the situa-
tion will be indeed critical.
In Catholic Albania.
AS yet, however, the Catholic Chris
tianity of Austria has been strong
enough to rouse the German Empire
on behalf of the unhappy Albanian
Christians who are suffering under
Turget Shevket Pasha even more than
they suffered under Abdul Hamid.
The avowed aim of the Turks is to
stamp out the Christian tribes of these
mountain regions that they may peo-
pie them with Mussulmen. The King
dom of Montenegro has already spent
some 100000 francs ON the mainten-
ance of the refugees who have poured
over it's frontier, and it now demands
an indemnity from Turkey for this
expenditure on people who are the sub
jects of the Sultan through conquest,
though they have ever fought for their
freedom against the dominion of the
Turk The Mirdites and the Mails
SORTS are fine people, strong in faith,
leading the simple patriarchal life of
old on their hills with their flocks and
herds. Their only riches are the pas
lures which they have sown with great
labor, and the sheep and cattle which
in course of years each tribe and
chieftain has collected. Now men
and women and babes in arms have
had to leave their poor abodes and
fly without supplies of any kind to
escape the most awful tortures, end
ing in death for the men, and worse
for the women and children. The vii
lagos which they have left behind
have been raZed to the ground in
every instance, the country has been
fired, the crops destroyed, and the
animals slaughtered, even those with
their young, nursing, and still un-
born. Scenes which our delicate west
ern sensitiveness will not allow us
to dwell upon, but which are hideous
living facts crying out to heaven.
have occurred amongst these, our
brothers and sisters in the Faith, at
the hands of men who deny Christ
and do not own His sway. And we,
are we even praying for the souls of
those thus hurled into eternity, per-
haps, unprepared? No, we do not
realize what is happening. Otherwise
men of leisure in whom still breathes
the spirit of Christian knighthood
would band together to send a legion
to the aid of Catholic Albania, and
women would organize an ambulance
CORPS and men and women who could
do neither of these things would col
lect money for the support of the
refugees, for all these things have
been done with enthusiasm in worse
causes in the past.
Mission of the Archbishop of Skutari
But the determined front of AL
bania, the revelations of the Austrian
press, the avowed determination o.
Germany to support Montenegro
demands, not only for its own in
demnity but for an amnesty for all in
SurSentS anu SaLeSudIuS III Inc Au
ture, and the departure of Genera
Minswovitch, ex-Premier of Monte
negro, for St Petersburg to enlist thu
sympathy and moral suasion of Rus
sia, have caused the Turks to chang,
somewhat their attitude. They hav,
approached the Archbishop of Skutari
He was visited by Turget Shevke
- 1>r
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