The Washington herald., 1912-12-03
Foreign Gossip.

King Ferdinand of Bulgaria, who COM
mands the armies OF that nation in the
present campaign, may be said to have
got his throne by being lucky enough to
go into a certain cafe in Vienna on the
day and at the hour when some strangers
from another country happened to be
refreshing themselves there. These
strangers were the agents CT Stambouloh,
the Prime Minister Of Bulgaria, seeking
q candidate to succeed to the throne OF
Prince Alexander (of Battenberg), who
had abdieated. They had been locking
around the courts of Europe to find the
right man, but without success.
They arrived at Vienna on their way
home. In the cafe they met an acGuaint-
ance, who, ascertainIng what their or.
rand was, is reported to have said That
young officer sitting at the table there is
rust the man you want. He Is Ferdinand
Of Saxe-Coburg-G otha, a grandson of
King Louis Philippe, and related to every
crowned head in Europe. He is alike
acceptable to the emperors of Russia and
Of Austria. and a man of great private
means"
Ferdinand seemed just the one the am
bassadors were in search OF. They Waited
on the Prime Minister of Austria the
next morning. wired for instructions from
SJannbouiofr, and the next day offered thu
throne of Bulgaria to the young officer of
the cafe.
Therefore, 1t may be said that had Fer
dinand Of Coburg not happened to have
gone to that particular cafe on that par
ticular day, the emissaries of Bulgaria
might never have seen or heard of him,
and instead of being Car of the BuIgars
and leader of $4,000 men against the
Turks, with the eyes of the world upon
him to-day, he might have been a simple
colonel in the army of the Emperor of
Austria.
The war in the Balkans likely is to
have unpleasant consequences for
smokers. An engineer of the French
state tobacco factory. the Reggie" de-
clares that the mere news, a few
weeks ago, of diplomatic tension be-
tween Turkey and its former satel-
lites caused rise in Baffra. Brussa,
Naxir, kevant, Vizir, and other Asia
Minor brands purchased by the
French government II the war lasts
for some time the stocks will run out.
But there is no fear of an increase of
the price of Turkish cigarettes. The
government maintains the prices ever
at the same level, irrespective of mar
ket quotations. Smokers would have
to fall back on Virginia tobacco.
There is a variety OF foreign tobac-
CO sold in the "bureauX de tabac," the
state monopoly, throughout France.
Between cigars and cigarettes the de-
scriptions amount TO more than leo
Thirty years ago they were not more
than q few dozen. The change is due
to the increased number of wealthy
foreigners who visit France, and TO
increased love of luxury among the
French themselves. Foreign tobacco
at the price il is sold at by the French
monopoly, empha tically is an article
de luxe. The foreign cigars come I'M
der the three headings, Havana, Ma
Mia, and Mexican, the latter being re-
cent favOrites. Indian cigars are un-
known. Pipe tobacco comes from
England. cigarettes from Turkey and
Egypt. Small quantities are pur-
chased from Russia. ROumania, and
even Austria.
American cigarettes are being intro
duced. and are believed TO be good.
Nothing comes from Spain Italy, and
Germany. although the latter country
makes good cigars. The objection of
the French public to German tobacco
in any shape or form appears to be in
vincible. 1t shows that the smoker is
a man of caprice and sentiment, at any
rate when enjoying his after-dinner
Whit. The success or failure of new
brand introduced by the government
seemed to be merely a matter of
chance.