The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-28
By F. CUNLIFFE-OWEN.

of his reign, while on the following day
Emperor Yoshihito viii celebrate at the
other end of the world the date OF his
accession 10 the throEc of Japan, just
SIX years ago.
Thursday is the national holiday of
Switzerland, the anniversary of the foun-
dation Of the so-called Everlasting League,
made by the men of Uri Schwyz and Md
walden for the Liberation of their native
land from the tyranny of Austria, and
which, known as the Vow Of Gruitli, has
furnished inspiration to playwrights and
poets of each one Of the SIX centuries or
more that have passed since then. Finally,
on Sunday next the heges Of King George
IN every corner of his vast empire will
observe with prayers for victory, now at
last within sight. the anniversary of the
day on which Great Britain four years
ago threw down the gauntlet TO Germany
in the cause Of Belgium and of France
and entered into the war which has devel-
oped into a ttnntlc struggle for her own
existence as well as for that of her al
lies and for the emancipation of the world
from the blight OF Hohenzollern militar-
ism and designs for the despotic DONNA
ton Of all mankind.
Never Permitted National Rejoicing.
King Victor Emmanuel has never per
united the date of his succession to the
crown to be made an occasion for national
rejoicing. For it is also the anniversary
of the assassination at Monza of his
father, to whom he was deeply attached
and whom he still mOurns. When in Rome
he would invariably begin the day of the
twenty ninth of July by visiting the Pan
thcon, where the late King 'Humbert lies
at rest, and after prayers at his tomb he
would proceed with his wife, his widowed
mother and his children TO attend a me
mortal mass in the Chapel Of the Quirinal.
Even if the anniversary were not sad
dened for Victor Emmanuel by the menu
CRY of the murder of his father, he would
be but little disposed to approve of pop
ular festivities and rejoicings in his honor
at moment when Italy is in the throes Of
war and the greater portion of his met
ropolitan palace at the Quirinal is
crowded with wounded soldiers and sail
ors The King has converted not only the
palaces which he owns at Florence, Milan,
Turin, Venice, Naples and Palermo into
hospitals, but even his own personal resi-
dence at Rome, where every day Queen
Helen and Queen Margherita, the now
eighteen year old Princess Yolanda and
may be found engaged in active duty as
nurses.
1t may be questioned whether throne
rooms have ever been turned to bet
ter use than 10 the relief Of this particu-
lar sort Of suffering, and assuredly it is
bound to help to bridge the gulf that may
formerly have existed between the mon
archy and the people. For those who re-
cover are not likely to forget The care
with which they were nursed back to
health by these royal ladies under their
Kings own rooftrce.
Hold of Dynasty Strengthened.
But it is not alone in this manner that
the hold of the ancient dynasty of Savoy
on the people of Italy has been strength
ened to far greater degree than any one
would have considered it possible eighteen
or. twenty years ago. Victor Emmanuel,
after showing himself a sagacious, broad
minded and enlightened ruler in times of
peace, has proved himself altogether ad-
mirable in the present war.
Ever since, with the full approval of
his constitutional advisers and in accord
ance with overwhelming public sentiment,
he committed Italy TO an espousal of the
cause of the Powers of the Entente, he
has been at the front almost uninterrupt-
eddy, his visits to Rome having been very
few and far between, and then only when