The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-18
FRENCH IMRERIALIsTs
 CELEBRATE VICTOR'S 5OTH> BIRTHDAY TODAY

In these piping days of French re- uut5ifcanisrr with the glorious Four feenth's shouts of sfVive Ia republique! stiil ringing in their ears, there are vet those in France who dream or a Third Empire, and who in their dreams see Prince Victor Napoleon riding into Paris on white horse. Today these devoted few worshippers ie,f tfe Man of Destiny will celebrate the fftieth birthday of the Pretender, that .valorous son of Plon Plon who ppends his tdays, in his safe retreat nf Brussels, writing manifestos, pro- cIamations and declarations of prin- cfples. Earl from strong man is Mhfs Prince Victor, and his chances of returning to Paris are about as remote asNthcse of the other French pretehders, Prince Honfs Philippe Robert, Duc dOrieans, and Naun- dorf, who boasts of being descended from LouisE XVI. and Marie Antoin- cite. That the Bonapartist move nent is on the wane is shown by the decision of the sons of Paul de Cas- sagnac to change the imperial organ. Antorite. from d political sheet to a real newspiaper. Prince Victot's kcreeds failed to interest the French people, and sthe circulation of Auto rite fell to nothing. An elaborate news service has just been arranged rad VictorsS broadsides. when sugar coated by pews That will cost much money, but Victor's marriage to the Princess Ciemintine. daughter of that goid-Iined old reprobate, Leopold of Belgium, has given him a war chest of no small dimensions.
 Prince Napoleon Victor Jerome Frederic was born in Paris. July 1S, 1S62 and YVES but a boy when the Napoieontc dynasty lost to France a war with the hated Prussians, a bill = counted lives and treasure. Early in his career Victor began pretending and plotting for the, restoration of fhe empire. He expected to get the sinews of war from Princess Mathilde. R woman of many millions, but his espirations in that direction were un- feanzed when the aged woman died In 1908.
 Prince Victor had a morganatic wife and a small collection of chil- dren, but that did not deter him from considering marriage that would re- give his blasted hopes. His better half was only a Belgian woman of lowIy origin. and there was Napo- leonsc precedent for sacrificing love h the Interests of the 'state''-Vic- tor being the state. He began cast Ing eyes of adoration on the homely Elementine. whose royal father, Leo. pold, had anassed a tremendous for tune by his operations in the Congo Clementine was willing, even eager for the match, but it had to be de. Eerred until Leopold had passed tc his reward. My dear Clementine, Qioths the old sinner who ruled tht Belgians. this Victor is a bluff, s bag of wind. a sfour-fiusher," - oi Words to that effect='.aild not at al khe sort of man to breed up a new dynasty" So. as, remarked, the lov. ing affair had to postpone connubia bliss until such time as Leopold wal safely laid away in his coffin.
 When 1t was announced that the btork was expected at Brussels, tht hopes of the imperialists began tt rise to full tide. and Empress Eugenic she whose unwise ambitions wreck. sd the Second Empire,-promisee s15,oOO,O00 to the ''cause'' if tn, rhild should be a boy. But the stork DO respecter of wishes. brought 2 F1ri, and Victor. tearing his hair pissed through his clenched teeth Curses. Rolled again!''