The Washington times., 1901-09-26
FOREIGN TOPICS.

| The apartment In which the audience
| TOOK place is one of the finest and at the
same time one of the most curious in
| Europe Entirely inlaid with polished
smells and precious stones the whole vast
| saloon shimmered like crystal, while myr-
| lads of specks of varied colored lights
Dart out from wall and ceiling. To one
| unaccustomed to and unexpecting such
| u display the effect must. have been al
most bewiidering
The whole interior of the new palace is
| emoeiiished In equally magnificent style
| 1t is new in name only the building hav-
| ing been commenced so long ago as 1853
| and finished six years later The total
cost was f45e, 600, ~ The frontage extends
| for Il distance of 400 feet and the apart
| ments number about go
Besides being decorated and furnished
| In superb fashion. the rooms are full OF
priceless art treasures, collected for the
most part by, Frederick the Great. The
paintings include examples by Rubens,
| Titan, Tintoretto, and other masters. The
Orangery, which is also mentioned in con-
| nection with Prince Chun's visit, Is
| fine building fronted by a number OF re-
| markably hfelike statues. Malachite. as
| well as other costly material, appears In
| the exquisite ornamentation of the rooms
| Another beautiful object which Prince
| Chun no doubt observed is the great
/ fountain in the park. which filings volumes
| of water to height of over 100 feet
|
An important murder trial. involving
double crime committed eight years ago.
| which arouses the utmost interest
| throughout Italy, is new in progress at
| the Bologna assizes Four out of the five
| accused are interesting types of Sicil-
/ ians, but the other one, on the contrary,
Is former member of Parliament and
manager of financial establishments. He
| is rich and has the reputation Of having
| exercised for many years past great in
| fluence in Italian Parliamentary politics
| ii Commentators Palizzio is Sicilian
and he is charged with having planned
| and ordered the murders of the land
| owner Miceli and Baron Notarbartoio,
which, it is alleged. were committed by
| the other four accused, more than one OF
| whom was his dependent.
MiceH was killed in July. 1892, near Pal
ermo, by two shots Notarbartolo, when
travelling in Sicily in February, 1888. was
thrown out of train and crushed to
death, Several persons were arrested at
the time, but were soon released on the
| ground that such poor and obscure men
| were unlikely to have had any interest
, in the tragedy. Notarbartolo was very
important gentleman, a director OF a
| Sicilian bank a scrupulously honest citi-
zen-in fine, one of the nobiest Siciliah
| figures.
Palizzfo was charged Dy pupHc opiiiioh
with being the author of the CRIME. SO iar
as instigation was concerned, ana the
magistrates at last took the bold course
of ordering his arrest 1t Is alleged that
| the accused saw in Notarbartoio an IN
surmountable obstacle to his speculation
| with money belonging to the Sicilian
bank, and 1t Is charged also that he used
his influence as a deputy to cover great
deal of dishonest work
There are 900 witnesses in the case ana
many lawyers have been retained II Is
expected that the trial will last over three
months.
The publication of the will of the Ger
man Empress Frederick, with the state
ment that her property consisted almost
wholly of her English dewry. recalls how
RAPIDLY the British royal allowances have
fallen of late. The Duke of SaSe-Coburg's
| death in July last year put an end to an
allowance of $4,000 a year: the death of
| Queen Victoria released SfSO.0tD paid TO
| to the children of the Prince of Wales and
to be paid till six months after her
Majesty's death. The death of Empress
Frederick terminates an annuity OF S4V."o
A masterpiece of the silversmith's art
| is the beautiful centrepiece epergne which
Kaiser Wilhelm has recently presented to
his uncle. King Edward VII The versa
tile Emperor. who is jack of all trades
| and master OF many designed the orna-
meilt himself and-it was executed by Herr
| Otto Rohloff. master at the Berlin
School of Arts and Crafts. The epergne
xas presented to the British ruler during
his Maiesty's- recent visit in Germany,
where he attended the funeral of his sis
ter the ex-Empress Frederick. II Is over
three feet high and its principal materials
are silver and bronze. Magnificent chased
and embossed; WORK Is evinced in all its
parts Around the middle of the centre
| piece Is the inscription in large letters:
EMPEROR Wilhelm II to King Edward
| VII"
The Russian soldiers diet is largely
vegetarian. Favcrite dinner dishes in
clude "stche"--a cabbage soup-potatoes
peas. beans macaroni and various kinds
of porridges, eaten with onions and lard.
Only half a pound of meat is allowed each
man daily, and the Russian pound is 10
per cent less than in this country. Mush-
rooms are consumed in great quantities
when in season. Three pounds of black
rye bread are included in the daily ra-
| tions, and if any is left over the men are
at liberty to sell the remains. AS the
soldiers bread is very nourishing and
purer than the ordinary bakers. the ex-
| ira rations sell well. In the way of drink,
beer is too great luxury for him. so he
uuenches his thirst with ''qvas.' cheap
substitute made from fermented black
bread. On high days the soldiers are re-
galed with yodSi, often at their officers
expense.
Their games are of the most primitive
character. Their greatest pleasures are
singing dancing and playing on the gar
monika," a musical instrument like n
concertina. or on the "ballailaika." ma
tionaI musical instrument something like
n banjo, which will keep them amused
for hours. Singing, however, is the sol
dier's greatest pleasure, and chorus sing
ing is a great feature in the Russian
songs an ordinary soldier knows is be-
yond belief. Singing is encouraged by the
officers, and the men with the best voices
are especially rewarded. Among illlterate
people the singer will always be able to
exert n great influence One has only to
see a Russian regiment on the march to
understand what moral power the singers
can give the soldiers.
According to the latest returns for 1901
the statistics of the Russian army are
battalions of foot, or $4,000 bayonets:
cavalry 50 regiments 81. 600 sabres;
tillery, 400 batteries, or LOO guns: Cos
sacks, 5000 men and Jos cannon. The
general total on peace footing, including
those not in the ranks, garrison troops
and local reserve forces. amounts to $780,
900 men, with 100000 horses. On a war
footing, including the reserves, the sol
diers of the Gar amount to $780, 900 men
and 100000 horses.
In consequence of an inspection recently
made of the trophies deposited in the
Riddarholm Church at Stockholm, Swe-
den. a conservative Christiania newspaper,
the ''Aftenposten." suggests that the his
torical origin of these trophies, as far as
possible, be verified. If. In so doing it
hot tI..,