The Washington herald., 1913-08-17
Court Gossip of Interesting
EpentS on Tw0 Continents

(corn) bread, bowls of sour milk, yege.
tables and bits of flesh, copper pans, clay
pottery, rugs, coffee, dark and light blue
beads to tie on your horses bride and
avert the evil eyes, and shining little
amulets to tie in children's hair. Every
desire Of the heart is sold, except wine,
| and that can be obtained, though the
Moslems hardly touch it. For outside
commerce. there is nothing but olive oil
| and hides. The lower hills are covered
with olives, and there are plenty OF goats
and cattle further up the mountains.
In religion, Elbasan represents Alba
MIA fairly well. except that there are no
Catholics, as in Scutari and the north
ern highlands. The Orthodox church
| about lJo Vlach (usually identified with
| Rumanians).
The American Mission Board has a sta
ton under the direction of Mr.. Erickson.
His imprisonment by the Servians at
Durazzo, and his subsequent expulsion
| from this town under the utmost in
dignity, are but minor incidents in the
atrOcious record of Servian brutality in
| these regions. But if compensation was
wanted. AIR. Erickson must have found
it in the affectionate joy with which the
whole population, from the Beys to the
artisans of the bazaar, welcomed him
back when first he appeared among them.
The great bulk OF the population is
Moslem, but, as in all Albania, their
Islam is not of the fanatical' order. Race
with them goes before religion, and they
never have forgotten that their ances-
tors Were Christians. The Bakhtashi, the
mild-hearted Quakers of the Moham-
medan religion, are numerous as we'll as
influential in the town. But the future
OF freedom is dark and uncertain. The
Albanlans fear that the Powers may set
some prince upon the Albanian throne
who knows nothing and. perhaps, cares
nothing for the souls of these QUART,
strange highlanders, who remind one SO
strongly of the Scottish highland Clans
men. but think mostly of their own
rights and the excellent boar hunting
m The forests near Durazzo. Hence the
heart OF the patriotic Albanian, who shed
mis- blood TO free his native country from
the yoke of the crescent. is very heavy
just now.
FOR half century the population Of
ireland has dwindled at the rate OF 4O,Ocs
annually. She has been raising her chill
dren for export, and they are found Civ
ing their best to the land of their adop-
ton. But at length the tide has turned,
the official report showing that, in 1902,
the population increased by 1,l02. In the
last year Ireland also showed tn.
lowest death rate since 1871; the lowest
tuberculosis death rate on record; also
the lowest infant mortality rate These
are some of the gratifying facts which
nave been presented to the House of
Commons. The births for the last year
exceeded the deaths and emigrants COM
bined.
Several causes have contributed to
bring about this desirable change. The
Saelc League, the cooperative move
ment or SIR Horace Plunkett and kindred
organizations for a long time past have
been actively instiHing into the minds of
lrishmen a more practical creed Of pa
triotism than that of emigrating for the
good OF ones country. Irishmen have
been taught that II is a noble thing to
make two blades of grass grow where
only one grew before, and to realize that
hey can do much for themselves without
the aid of the State. A spirit of hope and |
seif-rel!ance has been created. and a more |
optimistic feeling permeates the land. |
The Irish problem is largely economic
Land purchase and other social reforms
are helping to root the people in the soil |
and to free them from the economic bur- |
dens laid Upon them by the landlords. |
Racial and religious prejudices would |
have died out long ago but for the fact |
that landlordism could hope to perpetu-
ate their hold on the people only by |
keeping the Catholic and Protestant at \
odds
1t is remarkable fact that Ulster is
The only part Of Ireland that does not /
share in the general advance now going |
on. The number of natives OF Ireland |
who left Irish ports in 1879 was 29sA OF
these s. per cent were between the ages
If fifteen and thirty five, the period OF
ife most valuable economically to the
and of their BIRTH OF the total emigrants
Who quilted ireland last year. IL ,sS2 were
rom Ulster as compared with 3.s55 from
Leinster, 7.1s7 from Munster. and $50
rom Connaught. This 10 an Illuminating
on the sUlster contentment"
While the rest Of Ireland 10 making rapid
progress in agriculture and native indus-
ries, Ulstermen are leaving their homes !.
It the rate Of 1000 q month.
FT.ANETR !