Current Topics

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 37, 13 September 1900, Page 1

Current Topics

AT HOME AND ABROAD.

People have grave reasons for suspecting AN ANONYMOUS the wight who prowls about by day or night .slanderer, with his features concealed by a mask. It is the method of the burglar, the highwayman, and the assassin, and in well-regulated States the man with crape or felt upon his face is promptly taken in hand by the police. Decent people have as little sympathy for the wretch who, concealing himself behind a mask ot anonymity, sets himself to blacken the character of his neighbor and to raise stn f e between friends, or to make onslaughts in the public Press against any individual oiti/en or body of citi/ens. For -omcyears past the Contemporary Review has degraded itself into becoming the mouthpiece ot anonymous anti-C.itholic v. inlets who write sour, dyspeptic, ill-tempered, and calumnious productions stinging with religious hate and smelling fouily ot assafectida. One of these— a wild no-Popety whooper — dires to sign his name ' Catholicus.' Another and still mote vuiemous wi"+it whose pen is dipped in g.ill and wormwood, signs his name •E. St. Genix.' He is the retailer of the brutal calumnies against the French Good Shepherd Nuns which were so completely refuted in our columns some time ago, and were the subject of a scathing exposure in the June number of the Month. The author of these savage tales— so completely demolished by the official investigation of antiCatholic French officials— was a fellow of bad character and low repute, whose fanatical hatred against the Catholic Church has been for some time a sort of a monomania.

His echo's article in the Contemporary was signed ' E. St. Genix.' This was taken to be a genuine name. It now turns out to be a pseudonym — the mere mask which concealed the identity of a vile calumniator who was conscious of the falsehood of his story and was anxious to secure himself against personal exposure behind the false appearance of an honest name. There is no such name as ' St. Genix' in France. And the only name of the kind that has been found in the French dominions is a geographical one — the name of a Commune in the Arrondissement of Chambery, in Savoy. The cowardly author of the attacks on the Good Shepherd nuns is probably a native of that picturesque Commune. In his famous onslaught in the Globe in 1836, Disraeli said: 'An anonymous writer should at least display power ; but we can only view with contemptuous levity the mischievous varlet who pelts us with mud as we are riding along, and then hides behind a dust-bin.' This 'E. St. Genix' displa>ed no power— except the wind-power of the fish-wife of Billingsgate. • Anonymous writing,' said Cardinal Manning, ' is a dangerous trade. Few men can resist the temptation to write under a mask things which 'they would not say with open face.' The pseudo ' St. Genix ' did not resist. But what must decent people think of a leading magazine whose fixed policy is to open its pages to irresponsible and blackguardly fanatics of the type of ' St. Genix ' ?

A Sydney newspaper bewails the fact that crosses 10R no member of the Australasian contingents valor. has up to the present secured the Victoria Cross. It says that ' probably the explanation is that V.C. deeds have to be done in the limelight, so to speak, where influential officers see the brave act accomplished and report it ; while others as courageous and noble are not performed before those in authority, and therefore pass unreported. Some sort of consolation is evidently meant in the presentatiou of two of four famous scarves to New South Wales and New Zealand soldiery. These scarves were made by the Oueen, they are given " for distinguished bravery," and the recipients are selected by their comrades. The idea is not wholly satisfactory. The scarf itself will never approach the cross in importance, and the bestowing of it by selection greatly reduces Us value, meaning, as it does, a mere triumph of popuhnty ' The Victoria Cross was instituted in January, 1856, -,t the tennin uion of the Crimean War. It is only conferred upon tho-e who display conspicuous bravery in presence of the enemy, and is open to soldiers, sailors, and marines of any rank. It is ol bronze mttil. originally made from Russian runs taken at Sehastnpol, and in the form of a Maltese Cross, beating the iMH-npl'on ' For Valor. 1 The intrinsic value of this much-coveted decoration is only about three half-pence, and it cannot be accepted .is a pledge by a pawnbroker anyvvhere in the I'mted Kingdom under penalty of a heavy fine. It has been awarded veiy sp iringlv, which no doubt accounts for the value set upon it both by officers and men. The living wearers do not exceed 200, so we can readily understand that many will not be secured by our Colonial soldiers. About ei^ht tn.les itom Can irkmacross, Monaghan, was born the first recipient of this distinction. He obtained it for an act of braxcry performed in 1554 under these circumstances :— A shell from the Russian batteries fell on board his ship, he ran forward, and, taking up the live shell, cast it overboard. Then he was a midshipman, now he is Rear-Admiral Charles Lucas. The first man recommended for the Victoria Cross in the present war is the son of a Mr. Hassell, of the Royal Irish Constabulary. A nephew of Cardinal Moran was awarded this distinction for conspicuous bravery at the battle of Omdurman It may interest New Zeal.inders to know that three members of the 57th Regiment (the • Die Hards '), two of whom were Irishmen, vow the Victoria Cross during the Maori war.

Nearly every country in Europe has at one time or another instituted crosses, medals, or badges for valor but in most cases they have been distributed with a prodigality which eventually depreciated their value. Napoleon established a Cross for' Valor in 1802, one of the eaihest winners of it being a grenadier of the Imperial Guaid, who received it from the Kinperor himself on the field of Austerlitz. It has lost much of its value of late years in consequence of its indiscriminate distribution to civilians. The United States, not to be behind European nations, has its Medal of Honor, which was instituted in 1862, when 2000 were struck 'to be awarded to noncommissioned officers and privates for gallantry in action and for soldier-like qualities. 1 The first recipient was an assistant surgeon Bernard 1. Irwin, whose name has a Celtic ring about it He got it for gallantly leading the troops against the Apaches and inflicting a severe defeat on them. The great majority of these medals have been won in fights against

Indians. Half a dozen of its wearers are negroes, all of whom performed deeds of reckless daring when fighting against Apaches or Sioux. In one case this medal was awarded to a soldier who did nothing more meritorious than to make one of a guard of honor over President Lincoln's coffin. It is alleged that every member of a regiment received it for volunteering to take part in a battle after their time of service had expired. Even one brave general was not above awarding it to himself for Borne act of bravery — at least what he considered to be such. In another instance the winner received b« 'ned->l fully a quarter of a century after he had qualified for it, which shows that the United States military aulhoiilies do iiol always perform their work with undignified haste.

The Prussian and German Iron Cross had its origin in the Napoleonic wars. It is a cross of iron, and is framed in a thin rim of silver. In the upper arm of the cross are the letters • F.W.' (in honor of its founder, Frederick William 111. of Prussia), surmounted by a crown. This was the decoration which Bismarck prized above all others. In only one rase was the simple design of iron and silver departed from, and this was in honor of Blucher, for whom a special cross edged with gold was made. There was a very lavish distribution of this badge of valor during and after the Franco-German war, when about 50,000 were awarded. In several instances it was given to every member of a regiment, which, according to the terms of its bestowal, had c distinguished itself by bravery in an important battle.' For her brave soldiers Russia has the Cross of St. Vladimir, and Italy her Medal of Merit, while many other European nations reward gallant deeds by badges or orders , but none of these can compare in distinction with the Victoria Cross, because of the rarity with which it is awarded, not more than an average of a dozen per annum having been conferred since its institution forty-four years ago.

Belgium, we presume, was included in the A notable list of countries referred to some time ago by Exception. the British Prime Minister as 'decadent

Latin nations.' Vet Belgium is one of the most progressive and prosperous countries in the world. Ever since Belgium won its independence it has prospered at home and abroad. In manufactures, in commercial enterprise, in trade, in the cultivation of the arts and sciences this little Catholic country holds a foremost place among the nations of the world. For several years under various electoral laws a Catholic Government has had, and yet holds, the confidence and support of the majority of the nation. And it is with a Catholic Government at the state helm that it is about to face the new century.

When Ireland had a population of R,000,000 the English Press and English statesmen said it was over-popuUted. They said the country was not able to produce food sufficient for such a number of people. Belgium has an area of about one-third that of Ireland and yet it keeps in comfort a population of over 6,000,000. Though it is so densely populated (remarks the Catholic Universe) there is no poverty nor is there any danger of famine, because it produces its own necessaries of life with a good deal to spare for exportation. The balance between agriculture and manufactures is well maintained. One of its colonial enterprises i-> the Congo Free State, between which and Antwerp there is a fleet of steamers second only to the Atlantic liners. Belgium's trade with the Congo is rapidly increasing. The official returns recently issued show an increase last year of 31 per cent, on the figures ot IS9B, whilst those of 1898 marked an increase of 25 per cent, on those of 1897. In exports alone the increase is over 50 per cent. The prosperity of Belgium exposes the falseness of the platitude so frequently on the lips of ignorant bigots — namely, that where Catholicity prevails there is nothing but poverty and decay. Belgium is more Catholic than Ireland, inasmuch as the Protestant minority in the latter country is proportionately greater than the Protestant minority in the former. In Ireland there is a considerable English element, and for centuries it has been the governing power. With what result? It is visible in the contrast between the wealth of Belgium and the poverty of Ireland, the latter having more fertile soil and an area almost three times greater than that of the former. In the recent Belgium elections the Catholic party retained their majority over the Liberals and the Socialists, though the latter have had some partial successes.

Unlike England, where the railways are huge monopolies worked in the interest of capitalists, nearly the whole ot the Belgian lines are owned by the State, and are worked in the interest of the people and not for the purpose of paying big dividends. Years ago before the matter was even dreamt of in New Zealand cheap train services for workers had been instituted. Tickets at reduced rates are issued to working men on production of a certificate from the Burgomaster or Police Commissioner of the place in which they reside, and another certificate from their employer. There is practically no limit

to distance, and the charges ma r le are exceedingly reasonable, as a few selected examples will show. A weekly ticket, available on the double journey for the six working days to a distance of six miles, costs is ; 12 miles, is 2d ; 18 miles, is 4|d ; J4. miles, is ~d ; 30 miles, is ()^d ; 50 miles, 2s 2d ; and so on. In a word Belgium is ahead even in 'this respect of the most progressive portion of the British Empire — New Zealand.