The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1901-08-28
FOREIGN TOPICS.

AS long ago 1866 1t was proposed to
| pull down the out-of-date fortifications
| OF Paris and build the site. The
| franco-Prussian war proved the struc-
1 lures still more obsolete. Some years
| later. when their demolition was spoken
| of. 1t was almost decided to replace
them by a beautiful public park, extend
| Ing all around the city. But the expense
OF carrying out that project would have
| been so enormous that it was abandoned.
| Negotiations have lately been entered
| into between the State and the city of
Paris. with the result that the municipal
ity has agreed to buy the ground occu-
pied by the fortitications from the State
ana undertake at its own cost the pierre
| ing CT new streets and the circular
boulevard. which Will form the new
| ctentnre" of the city. Every year the
| municipality will spend some five or six
; millions upon the work, the total outlay
| being about fifty millions. At the end of
ten years 1t is expected that Paris will
| be surrounded by the finest circular park
| IN the world.
| A party of Bedouin Arabs. with camels,
horses, and asses, which has been for
| some weeks encamped at the geological
gardens in Vienna, has left for Trieste.
\ The men appear to have made consid-
cradle impression upon the Viennese wo-
1
| less than seven brides. five girls and two
| widows. all possessing property.
| About thirty rejected admirers Of the
Bedouins. who saw them off at the sta
| ton and wept in affecting manner,
| would willingly have followed the troupe
and embraced desert life, but were re-
| jected by the Arabs on account of their
| poverty.
The women selected will be married ac-
| corning to Arab rites upon reaching
their destination AS the train moved off
| the Arabs uttered a piercing. parting cry.
responded to by cries and waving of
| handkerchiefs on the part of the deserted
| oneE. The horses asses, and camels are
| left nshind to be sold in Vienna
On the national festival day cabs are in
demand in Paris at high prices. The Paris
cabman pays Is francs so confines on
the day of the Grand Prix-the big horse
| race-for his cab; s.. 20 for his cab and an
| extra horse. in case he works long hours.
| HIS fee by law is 1.70 francs, or 81 cents
American money. for COURSE and, as
| he has to give his hostier tips for extra
attention to his cab horses and harness. he
has to make about "a a day before earning
anything for himself. On the big race day
and on the 18th of July review of the ar
my. both at Longchamps, he earns some
| times much as 40 or 60 francs. but those
ait oiiiy tWo udyS III the year, 50 ne
threatens to strike, and the big stables
| come down in their prices during the dull
| summer months when those who use cabs
are mostly on the seashore or at the
| springs. The price comes down to q
francs. or s.. 40. for the day. There are
| 1900 cabs in Paris, and they have the
competition of the omnibuses, the trans,
and now the underground railway, which
| is in operation from Vincennes on one side
| of Paris 20 the Bots on the other The
M NM Ar.
| ground are cents on the first for first
| class, cents for second; on the under
| ground, 5 cents for first class, and 3 cents
for second class.
| Two royal widows. Maria Pia, Queen
| Dowager OF Portugal, and Maria Sophia
| ex-Queen of Naples, share the distinction
of having been married by proxy to their
| respective husbands, in accordance with
| a custom which haa now become a thing
| of the past. A king or heir apparent used
| to be considered too valuable to be al
| lowed much foreign travel and too high
! and mighty to go a-wooing in person. The
brides family would also stand on their
dignity and not allow their illustrious
| princess to leave her home and country
before a ceremony of marriage had made
| II proper for her to take such an extreme
proceeding The pair thcT7e.S-.-- T-iI-T'-t ne
man and wife-sovereign and consort,
| rather-in name, while personal strangers.
| only acquainted with each other through
| the medium of portraits and reports.
There is no sovereign of Europe who
| takes his post more seriously than does
| the Emperor of Germany or who works
! harder to fulfill the duties of his posi-
| ton, yet in one respect the position he
| holds is simply an honorary one. AS
Emperor of united Germany he receives
but a small sum of money supposed to
| be expended simply for the expenses of
| the position. 1t is from the civil list as
| King of Prussia that he derives his in
come. and even that would not be suffi-
cient, if not augmented by his personal
! fortune which is considerable. Both he
and the Empress are economical to a de-
gree A certain sum is allowed for the
I table increased so much head IL guests
are present. The Empress superintends
| the mending of the children 8 clothes, and
| in regard to her own wardrobe no royal
| lady is as mod est. The Emperor in spite
of his many costumes, has economical
ideas in this respect, and cuffs and col
lars to his uniforms and even to his
shirts are many times renewed. The
stable is one of the Emperors fads. 1t
is not as large as the majority of royal
stables. but is most perfectly appointed:
The carriage horses are especially well
trained. On leaving the palace the coach
man receives no orders as to where he is
to go, but is directed at each square.
touch of the reins. The Emperor likes
SNOWY horses, and all the carriage horses
of the imperial stable are trained to
step high
So many conflicting stories were told in
the French papers regarding the feats
performed by the submarine torpedo boat
Gustave Zede at the recent French naval
maneuvres that foreign naval gazettes
discredited many Of the claims set forth
For this reason lie Matin' has published
an account of the exploits which the sub
marine boat performed in the presence
OF NJ. Waldeck-Rousseau and NJ. de La
nessan on July q at the Salins d Hyeres
The account is contributed by naval
officer of very high rank. who witnessed
the affair from beginning to end" The
writer says. in part:
THE Gustave Zede made its plunge and
| went in a straight line toward the
RouYet at a distance OF about three
metres below the surface of the water,
and without once deviatlng from its
course. On arriving within 800 metres. it
launched its torpedo, which was aimed
at the adnirals ship with absolute accu-
racy. The BCuvet was struck about three
metres below the water line. All the
persons the bridge saw the torpedo
strike the hull of the ship, and they
even heard the noise caused by the
shock and felt the slight vibration always
produced in such cases"
After describing the experience of the
Ministers on board the submarine craft
and its maneuvres with them. the writer
concludes: THE experiment demonstrate
ed irrefutably that a submarine boat can
advance On hostile squadron and strike