The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-12-26

The altogether unlooked-for demands
on the part of Roumania to be gwen
slice of Bulgaria in return for her neu-
trality in the present war between the
Balkan allies and Turkey is creating
more than a passing interest In that
country and its beautiful capital.
bucharest is city OF contrasts. IL
may be said to bear some resemblance
TO Paris, Berlin, and ST. Petersburg; but
while displaying some OF the character
istics OF these three cities. II has a pro-
nounced individuality of its own. The
dominant note IS one OF beauty. that
finds expression in the architecture OF
the public buildings and in the residen-
tial sections, which, with the ample gar
dens of its villas, dot the Roumanian
capital. There, Is much OF the outdoor
cafe life, and as in Paris the eiti-
Gems sit and sip their fragrant concoc-
tons, meet their friends and discuss pol
itics, or the latest society scandal The
wide Bulevard Elizabeth and Bulevard
ColitZa, the equally fine Bulevard Carol,
and the crowded Caleas Vlctoriei-the
main arteries of the city-with their
wealth of color, suggest to the mind OF
the visitor the Champ Elysees OF Paris,
the Inter den Linden of Berlin. or the
Nevsky PrOspekt of St. Petersburg. The
fashionable thoroughfares in fine wealth
er are rarely empty between noon and
O'Clock in the evening. Here, in the
passing crowd, one meets the handsome
daughters OF Bucharest wearing gowns
which bear the unmistakeable stamp OF
the Rue de Ia PAX, military officers in
the splendOr of gold-laced. German-cut
uniforms. civilians in simple black or I'M
adorned tweeds, and. finally, peasants in
the picturesque national dress.
1t has been said of Roumanla that It
obtains its walters from Germany, its
harvesting machinery from America, its
cab drivers from Russia, and its culture
from France. French is the foreign Ian
guage most widely known in Bucharest.
German comes next, with English a poor
third. At the bookstalls marked promi-
nence Is given TO French literature and
Paris newspapers, and as for Bucharest, II
has three daily papers of its own, pub
lished in the language OF VoltAlre. The
Roumanian is fond OF the theater, and is
especially partial to French dramatic art.
Bucharest does not lack playhouses. The
recently-built Coincide Franchise is a
fine building, OF white stone. in Grecian
style, which. for architectural elegance.
beauty Of design, and interior comfort,
compares favorably with any theater in
Eastern Europe. The house rarely is with
out its company of French artists, with
a varied modern repertory.
In their appreciation OF drama and COM
edy from Paris, Bucharest audiences
evince a refined taste. Suggestive pro-
auctions would be apt to be coldly re-
ceived in the Roumanian capital. Under
the same roof as the Coincide is the Pal
ace Theater OF Varieties, where star ar
lists from the London halls find "A grail
flying welcome. There Is a National The
alter, which devotes itself almost exclu-
sively to the popularizinG of the works of
Roumanian authors: II encourages nation
al dramatic art, and fosters national SEN
timent- Occasionally II presents the plays
or the worlds great dramatists in the YER
nacular. Shakespeare is much in vogue.
The subjects OF King Carol devote them
selves to the pursuit OF knowledge and
the acquiring OF culture with something
Of the fervor and enthusiasm which Eng
land devotes to the cult of sport. The
chief ambition Of a Bucharest citizen. af-
ter being well dressed, is to be looked
upon as being we'll read. Every one,
whether young or old be HIS station in
life high or low, takes pride in displaying
a keen and intelligent interest in the az
fairs OF the world.
Bucharest receives her visitors with
open arms. 1t is very progressive city:
in some respects It has outdistanced
Western Europe. But IL still reckons its
year according to the old style, and It's
calendar. in consequence is thirteen days
behind the Western World.
The reformed Gregorian calendar Is not
to the taste OF the Orthodox Greek
Church all-DOWerfUI az u 10 ro0ar5yp ~