The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-06
CURRENT TOPICSIN PARIS Prof Mommsen Shocking Sympathy for Louis Napoleon and His Estimate of Emperor WillamThe Ladies of the Ballet
BY PIERRE RosIER.

Paris, November 2S.-Professor Momm-
 centennial fetes of the Institute, of which
 he felt proud to be a corresponding mem
 Der, resembed the convention wizard.
 His overcoat and trousers were a world
 too wide for his shrunken body and
 limbs. His long white hair grew full of
 electricity and almost stod out straight
 from his head, and the matched face took
 conquering expression. Mommsen sym
 pathised with conquerors. and only cared
 for the successful. He had however, a sneaking kindness for Louis Napoleon,
 whom, he said, thought in German-never
 in French-and, as he told him at the
 Tuileries, fostered the idea of German
 union under Prussia partly because he
 had a deep affection for Germany, where
 he spent the happiest years of his life, and partly because he wanted to bar the way
 westward against Russia, and create another rival against England. Momm-
 sen had been personally consulted by
 Napoleon IL about his Vie de Cesar" He divined much less the wish to glorify
 Caesar than to create literary fund with which he might one day enter the Academy. Had it not been for the war of 1870 Guizot and his frienos, under the pretext of strengthening rEmpire Liberal
 would have voted the author of that work
 into one of the forty armchairs.
 Mommsen kept his opinion of the Vie de Cesar" to himself until the Second
 Empire had fallen. But he is not to be blamed for then declaring aloud what he
 thought of 1t. He had not wealth to II h.. l.. af.~i.f offend in saying what he thought It was better to confine himself to throwing stones at the assassins of Caesar and at the prodigal
 Mommsen spoke as frank friend of the present German Emperor In enum- erating his virtues he said the Emperor knows himself to be devoid of military genius. As long as he lived Germany will not take any initiative in declaring or provoking war. He spoke with acerbity of the Emperors craze for cut , ting down living trees in the Tiergarten 1 to set up dead stones (statues) in their stead. In speaking of the Emperor Fred | erick, on the occasion of my first inter- I view. Mommsen said: "I want to give her | explanations which she wanted about the I antiquities of Rome. She had already | learned so much on the subject, and was | so full of it. that I had no opportunity during the audience to put in a word 1 The Emperor inherits from her his phe-
 nomenal facility of speach. So far he has been tyrant after the manner of a | threading nurse who does not intend to chastise her nurselng. But he may in time be hardened into despot in his acts as well as in his words. He keeps. how ever. fresh and young in mind and spirits. and Is at once a curious and a strongely | interesting being, with a subsoil of sterl- ing goodness and good sense." Asked
 what the Emperor thought of the eternal feminine Mommsen said that subject had
 no place in his mind He had no time for it, and he sincerely admires and esteemes
 the Empress, who has her own way when-
 ever she wants to have it. The Emperor | is severe disciplnarian with his sons, but spells his daughter. It annoys him | to think that she came too soon or too | late Into existence. He cannot hope to secure great crown for her head, no 1 heir-apparent being of a suitable age to 1 marry her.
 l This has been the worst year known to French gardners for the cultivation of chrysanthemums. M. Chauchar has been
 obliged to relinquish his annual and very original fete in honor of the Head of the state. He covered nearly half an acre of
 ground planted with chrysanthemums with peculiarly made umbrellas. so as to protect them from the constant heavy
 rain and to prevent the flowers rotting on the stems. The wetness of the ground
 however, defeated his purpose, and the roots prematurely decayed. Considering the dreadful weather, last weeks Flower
 Show was satisfactory. None the less
 exhibitors there seemed ashamed of hav-
 ing nothing better to SLOW in the way of
 chrysanthemums and dahlas The orchids in thair tol eylo
 emblems of fashionable women who go 60
 balls and send notices of their feasts to
 the papers in time of famine. So long as
 the orchid in our severe climate has the
 shelter of the greenhouse. it is all right
 But the other flowers on view at the
 Cours de la Refine needed fresh air in Au-
 gust. September and October. and this
 year they could not have 1t without per-
 ishing.
 The ladies of the corps de ballet have
 ordered at the flower show collection of
 the finest flowers for presentation to their
 comrade, Heva Sarcy. in testimony of
 their sympathy with her in her lawsuit
 to sustain the rights of their profession
 Heva Sarcy is at law with the manager
 of the Gaiete for insisting-without con
 tract right, she contends-on her dancing
 in long skirts. She claims to be released
 from her engagement at the Gaiete, and
 compensation for opportunities lost
 through signing it. She had joined the
 Gaiete company before The manager de-
 cided she must dance in long clothes He probably thought something of the Isidora Duncan style would be attractive Heva Sarcy refused to dance except ac- cording to the custom of Paris. Her limbs. if her will consented, would re- fuse their service. Under the advice of
 her counsel, Maitre Cheramy. who has