Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-04

4 a touches now and then of comedy
were interspersed. While re-
GREETING deeply the somber changes
which made it necessary for him to re-
nounce his crown, and while awaiting
preparations for his departure. the
have bsen far Sadder yigilS than this of
ours. for at least We tread no scaffold
in the morning." probably in allusion
to Louis XVI of France and Charles I
of England, who were beheaded when
their kingdoms fell. Though all the
family retired to rest, few. if any of
them, actually closed their eyes in
slumber.
In the morning the King and Queen,
the infanteS and infantaS, all ate for
NAL breakfast at a very early hour
observed before leaving for the Escurial.
where the final arrangements for the
departure were to be made. the servants
even asking the Queen and other men,
bers of the royal house their orders for
the day. without any thought of mock
ing them in their sorrow, so implanted
was the habit and custom of the pre-
ceding years.
France Makes Plea
To Increase Birth Rate.
lie Matin, Paris.-In the last half
century the population of France has
increased but a little over 2 per cent,
while that of Germany increased by
almost 40 per cent. At least, so say the
statisticians, and the fact that there
are no less than 62,000,000 living in
the Fatherland, whereas France and
her dependencies can enumerate hard
ly more than 100000 900. shows our
relative disadvantage, due, no doubt,
to baleful theories of birth control,
doctrines which meet with but Eleager
recognition or acceptance in Teuton
territory. Our birth rate must in
viable position among the nations.
X X
Question Right to
Leave Widow Penniless.
Irish Independent, Dublin.-Should
a man be allowed to make a will by
| which he can leave his widow and
children penniless?
At present he has that right in
| Ireland and in Great Britain, but in
! few other places If he makes proper,
will he may turn his wife and children
out of their home and give it over to
! a distant cousin or a stranger in blood;
| he may direct that his house and money
be devoted to the upkeep of home
| for stray dogs or Manx cats; ana the
! law will see that his wishes are car
| ried out to the letter.
This license TO dispose OF property
! is a comparatively modern innovation.
1t vas unknown in the days when the
| influence of the Catholic clergy was
| still powerful in these matters and
when the bishops were able to insist
/ that the widow and children should
get fair share of the property. what
! ever the dead father had directed. 1t
came when the so-called Reformation
| undermined the influence of the clergy
and when the introduction Of divorce
wrecked the sanctity of the home. 1t
was thrust upon the Irish people
/, whether they wanted it or not: and in
! their days of freedom they have learned
to hug this rusty badge of slavery.
y y \ n
! Central Government
Would Aid West Indies.
Ell Nuevo Diario Caracas.-The Brit
| ish government has the intention OF
| forming into one administrative district
all it's possessions in the West Indies.
| The crisis in the sugar industry has af-
| fected all the islands in the Caribbean
| Sea, and economies in government must
| be made II very serious industrial re-
verses are to be avoided. A central
| jurisdiction at Jamaica or In British
| Honduras would govern all the English