The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-12-20
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC >. HAsKIN, Director.
Washington, D. G.
ROYAL ExILEs.

Charles of Hapsburg may well thank
the kindly fate that handed him q
nice semi-tropical island on which to
be exiled. Napoleon on the lonely rock
of st. Helena and the kaiser still IN
his Dutch castle might well think that
Charles has unusual luck to be dis
patched to sunny Madeira.
| Compared with NapOleon's life on
st. Helena, especially. the exile of ex-
Emperor Charles seems an easy ex-
| istence. The remarkably healthy and
! even climate of Madeira attracts -
many visitors that it is now a well
established winter resort. In The city
of Funchal, his new home, Charles
will find plenty of company and
amusement, If he cares to mingle with
his neighbors. He goes about freely,
attended by one plain clothes man. In
| fact, he is practically allowed to live
! the life of any gentleman of leisure
in Funcbal.
! Napoleon. on the other hand, was
treated at all times as military prt-
tsoner. He might not receive company
without a pass from the governor of
| st. Helena. He might not receive or
send uncensored letters.
I The men who decided on the terms
of his exile decreed that:
at must be signified to the general
! that if he make any attempt to fly,
| he will be put into close confluence 1t,
! and it must be notified to his at
that they are plotting to prepare the
| generals flight, they shall be sep
arated from him and likewise be un-
der close confinement.
IF there are strangers in the island
whose residence in the country shall
seem to be with view of becoming
instrumental in the flight of General
Bonaparte, he (the admiral) must
take measures loren I'VE them. The
admiral will adopt the most rigorous
TO faE1 Y-r-lx al
and departure of every ship and to
prevent all communication with the
coast except such as he shall allow"
Napoleon might not even take a
walk without soldiers at his heels. So
ineensed did he become at this par
ticular restriction tat he had a long
ditch dug in which he proposed e
take outdoor exercise without making
a public spectacle of himself. 1t is
said, however, that he never made use
of this device after having it con-
structed, tho he grew steadily stouter
from want of exercise.
Pains of Exile.
Napoleon was made to feel his con-
ditfon as a prisoner even by the way
in which he was addressed. 1t was
not permitted to refer to him as the
former emperor or to call him Ma
poleon. He was at all times General
Buonaparte." Charles of HapsbuUg
may style himself ex-emperor as much
as he likes. No one grudges him that
These two eXiles, of course, are en-
tirely different characters. Napoleon
influence and triumphs had been SO
great that his captors never felt abso-
lutely safe from his possible return to
power. Charles is o much less dam
gerOuS prisoner. So, even tho like
Napoleon he tries to come back. and
even tho airplanes make escape mueh
simpler for him, Charles is not heavily
guarded.
It was Napoleon's escape from Elba
that made the restrictions of st.
Helena SO rigorous. The man wh9
had ruled most of Europe was indIg1l
nant at the nlea sures eaken to prevent
any plots for escape or rescue. But
the English took no chances One
dialog is quoted in which Napoleon
said:
You do not know my character
You ought to have relied on my word
of honor"
One of those present answered.
Might 1 tell you the TRUTH"
Napoleon assented.
Il must then tell you, that since
your invasion of Spain no Englishman
could put any confidence in your most
solemn engagements"
AS long as he lived on st. Helena,
Napoleon was a great object of inter
est. The population of the island
doubled during his stay there, partly
because ships stopped there more fire.
quently. Officials came to see and re-
port on the prisoners condition, ana
dispatches came and went.
st. Helena prospered then. But
since Napoleon's time, it has become
more and more isolated. Steamers
rarely find it necessary to stop. and
in consequence residents become dis
satisfied and leave the island. Then.
too, rats and pests have laid siege to
h0 G1a CO l1a+
today than when Napoleon rallied
against its gloominess.
Charles will also undoubtedly at
tract business to his island. He VIII
probably become guidebook sight
for tourists trial Napoleon never
accessible. refuge. From reports of
Charles first days in his new home,
he will not like the gaze of the curious
any better than Napoleon did. Ma
poleon scarcely went anywhere be-
cause of the staring groups that gath
cred to see him pass. Charles is said
to be taciturn and unwilling to enter
the social life of Funchal. -
A Healthy Prison.
Tt is rather strange that both st.
Helena and Madeira should be we'll
known for their health giving eli
mates. Both have been long regarded
as excellent places for tuberculosis
patients because of the dry, balmy
air, never very hot nor very cold.
Madeira. especially, has attracted a
good many invalids, tho now it enjoys
more widespread popularity with
healthy people who are sufficiently
affluent to so in search of a con-
genial climate in midwinter.
There is an interesting story of a
proposed sanGtorium -or Madeira.
Nearly 20 years ago officials of
German syndicate appeared on the
island and set forth a plan to build
a sanatorium with a number of free
beds set aside for poor consumptives
of Madeira. Portugal agreed and the
building was erected. Arrangements
were made to bring in large quantities
of furniture duty free because of the
philanthropic character of the project.
But after the furniture was land I'd
and the building was nearly ready for
business. the sanatorium in some WY
became a hotel with an annex to De
used as a sanatorium. The project
took on a distinctly commercial aspect.
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