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

! FOREIGN TOPICS.
The royal palace at Stock holm is the
largest building in the Kingdom and the
most imposing. 1t is severe in its sim
phcity and almost entirely without exts-
rior establishment except a low balus-
trade that runs around the edge of the
roof. 1t is built upon a rock in the midst
OF the waters that divide the city ana
rises above the surrounding buildings as
if conscious of its own dignity and i'm
/ portance. The style of architecture is de-
scribed in the guide book as the Italian
rena issance. but there is very little of
the Italian about it, and it was designed
| by a Frenchman after the old palace.
| which formerly stood in its place, was
destroyed by fire in 1897. but was not en-
tirely finished until 1863. 1t is almost
square, 3iS by 372 feet in size, and sur
| rounds a quadrangle. Two wings, which
| reach to the second story, extend from the
| eastern side and enclose a terrace planted
with shrubs and flowers. upon which the
| apartments of the King and Queen ana
the Crown Prince and his family open
This gives them an opportunity to breathe
the fresh air without going into the
streets. but it Is very limited. and their
| terrace is perhaps the most public place
| in all Stockholm where the noise of the
| street traffic, the music from nelghDor-
| ing cafe. the smoke from a dozen steam
| ers that are moored only 200 feet away,
| and the confusion Of iloa6ing and unload
ing cargo destroy all privacy.
Japanese tea merchants have compiled
! a statement of the conditions which they
require to have guaranteed by way OF pre-
| lminary to their joining the projected
American tea trust. Mr.. Otani kahei, the
millionaire tea buyer of Yokohama, has
| announced these conditions to n meeting
of the teamen The principal points are
| that since the main objects of the trust
are to promote and protect the japanese
] tea trade and to increase the sale Of Jap
anese tea in Canada and the United
States. 1t shall be competent for the jap
anese associates to break up the trust
should they detect any symptoms OF
| disposition to neglect or defeat those OBJ
| 1ects. Also that there shall be three not
two. Japanese members on the managing
committee, and that the present Japan
! ese officers of the Central Tea Guild, two
| in the United States and one in Canada,
shall continue to be employed for the pur-
/ poses of the trust. These conditions have
| been transmitted to America, and unless
| they are accepted in their entirety the
| Japanese viii not join the trust.
The many swords that have been
| presented by ardent admirers to
| ex-President Kruger will not be OF
| much practical use to the doughty
| burgher chief, who. according to all
reports, has not many more years
| to live. In his villa at Hilversum.
which the hospitable Dutch have placed
| at his disposal. he has a large coll
of fine jeweIed arms (which have been
| sent to him from nearly all the countries
of Europe except England. Not that
! there are not enough admirers even in
Great Britain who would honor the brave
Boer were it not that their action would
show too gross disloyalty to their country
The most recent gift of this kind to
Dom Paul is a Gallo sworG- George
Girou member of the French Chamber of
Deputies, was entrusted by his constitu-
euts who reside in the fourteenth arron-
dissement of Paris. the most democratic
part of the French capital, to present
this fine piece of workmanship to MIR.
Kruger in Holland. The hilt is of yellow
gold and the blade of platinum. The hilt
is in the shape of mistletoe the fruit be
ing made of fine pearls. II Is the design
of Jean Baffiar. the acted French sculp-
tor.
For some months past the popular press
of Berlin and Vienna have been pro-
pounding various schemes by which Eu-
rope might more or less successfully COM
bat American influence in commerce and
industry as wen as in politics. The trou-
Bile in Central America has served to aug
ment the discussion and for the first time,
it is believed in Vienna, an idea originat-
ing in the Austrian chambers of COM
merce for an effective combination has
begun to take practical shape. This in
stitutioD, representing the manufacturing
and commercial as well as the. agricuitu
raj interests of the country, Is about to
present a series of defensive measures
the Government the most important OF
tab IL 4l..
system of reciprocity treaties and the
abandonment of tiie general application of
the most-favored-zia clause.
AT a recent meeting of the Government
department entrusted with the preparation
of commercial treaties a resolution was
passed declaring that the projected Ger
man customs tariff was the first step to-
ward the union of the central European
producers and the realization of a con-
vention for their mutual protection
against the competition of transoceanic
countries, and more particularly Of the
United States, on the basis of the general
adoption OF high duties. 1t was also rec
onimended that every means be taken by
the Austro- Hungarian Government to
come to an understanding with the Ger
man Government on that point.
1t is pointed out by the promoters of a
pan-Germanic combination that as min
imum tariff was only fixed for the four
principal species of grain, it is for the
Austro-Hungarian Government to secure
a differential treatment in favor of the
many. In making such an arrangement
both countries would abandon the uni
versal application of the most-favored-
nation clause. The resolution in question
also adds that an Increase of the duties
already proposed by the Austrian agri-
cultural interests has been rendered nee
essary by the projected German tariff.
Both in Vienna and Berlin il is be-
lieved that the action of the Austrian
chambers of commerce and the Depart
ment of Commercial Treaties will do more
than anything else to bring about a Ger
manic agreement, which sooner or later
will be followed by all the Continental
States which will be driven to adopt a
high-tariff policy.
Few people know that there are actual |
ly men in the world who hate money. |
The croupiers are the most remarkable |
people in Monte Carlo. Apart from their !
wonderful powers of mental arithmetic. !
which are the result Of years of patient |
training they may safely be said to be !
the only men on the face of the earth |
who hate money.
They handle thousands of pounds in |
gold silver, and notes every day of their |
lives. They see ii hung down on the |
green cloth by gamblers and raked to |
and fro as though it were so much dirt. |
In d few years after croupier has been |
employed at Monte Carlo he loses all |
sense of the value of cash. He is abso- |
uCely Indifferent TO the sight of it. He |
performs his duties of gathering in or |
paying out with the mechanical calmness |
of an unthinkfng machine.