The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-25
ENTERTAINING OF
KINGS EXPENSIVE
And French Republic Does
Much of It
MR.. AND MRS. BELMONT
Have Been Very Much In Evidences
During the Fashionable Season
just Closed in Paris-Tod
Sloan on Racing

Paris July 24-fspeeial)-- Paris has long
been favorite resort for kings. whether
in exile or merely as visitors. They are,
however, rather costly guests and. Of
course our taxpayers have to foot the
bills. The recent visit of the King and
Queen of Bulgaria cost us about 500, 900
dollars. However. King Ferdinand 10
really reigning king and worth while.
Furthermore, he is half a Frenchman,
for his mother the old Princess Clemen-
tine, was a French princess.
| The expected visit of the King and
Queen of the Begians will also cost W
a round sum. The Kaiser will entertain
the new Belgian monarchs en- cute will
Paris. King Albert and his queen will
visit Berlin. Great festivities will attend
the royal visit We cannot allow our
selves to be outdone by Germany, so our
taxpayers may groan, but they will have
to pay. Kings are expensive Injuries
say what you will
| When the late King Edward died our
government had to send our minister of
foreign affairs to represent us at cost
of 5000 We have just entertained a :
Chinese mission and similar deputation
from Morocco cost rs as much again, but
as he gave us so much good advice about
babies we not complain.
| Even the eX-queen of Madagascar is a
drain on the taxpayers. On her last visit
to Paris the government presented her
with costly gown made at fashionable
dressmakers' in the Rue de La Paix.
| We have in France the Academy Con-
court, as well as The Academy. The
former was founded by the Goncourt
brothers, famous literary men of their
day. 1t is for prose writer's. One is not .
permitted to belong to the de Goncourt ,
academy and to the French academy
There is vacancy in the former and
two ladies candidates. One of them
is Madame Marcello Tinayro, who made
tremendous furore in Paris by refusing
the decoration of the Legion of Honor
The other candidate for the Goncourt
academy is Judith Gautier a woman of
great literary ability. Judith Gautier was
the first wife of Catullos Mendes and
daughter of the famous Theophile eau
tier
Mr.. and Mrs. Perry Belmont have been
really mach in evidence during the fash
ionabe season just closed. They were
seen at all the dances. dinners recep-
tons and at homes of note They were
noted at the golf links and polo grounds.
They took in all the fashionable charity
entertainments and gala nights at the
opera. They were guests of honor at the
house of the Countess de Bearn, said to
be the richest woman in Paris. In turn
the Bemonts themselves did great deal
of entertaining One of their most nota-
BILE dinner parties was given in honor
of Prince and Princess Louis d'Orleans
Prince Louis is a great grandson of Don
Pedro. Emperor of Brazil. Their enter
tainments are characterized by great ele-
gance. Mrs William Moore, on the other
hand, aims distinctly at originality in
her entertainments The invitations for
the rout which marked the closing of the
season read you are invited TO re-
union which will be held at the Bureau
of wit and Wisdom"
have just met the ex-king of. the
jockeys, Tod Sloan, in company with the 2
man who first brought him into public
notice, Mr.. Charles Frank Hanlon of San
Francisco. We in Paris have often
looked on with wonder and admiration at
Sloan's riding and we had to admit he
could get more speed out of horse than
any other jockey of his time.
Speaking of the racing troubles In Amer
lea, Sloan says that the adoption of the
French system of betting would solve the
problem. We do not allow book-betting. s.
Bookmakers would starve in France Our
system is known the Paris Mutuel and
is controlled by the state. The man wish
ing to bet, buys ticket. or as many as
he pleases, at price varying from 81 to 4
$50 The ticket is numbered and is either
for the winner or for the place. The
amount one wins depends upon the total
amount one bets and the Gnpopularity of
the horse to which the number corre-
spends. The system works with the
mathematical honesty of a machine. Five
per cent Is deducted for race-course ex- :.
penses and per cent for the poor Sloan
says If pool rooms were closed and book
making stopped ind racing controlled by
the municipal authorities, If the French
machine system of betting were adopted
and 81 charged for entrance. American
racing would be the best in the world.
Then the entire mass of American people
would take part in the sport and the
greatest horse industry in the world
would not be crippled.
could not help admirng the ever
youthful enthusiasm OF the little fellow
as he Gated away. even to expressing his
opinion on the extravaganza of .Ameri-
can racing men: why. do you know"
he said, II have heard Harry Payne
Whitney has his stables upholstered with
velvet plush.