The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-12-12
GOSSIP ON PERSONS AND AFFAIRS
OF INTEREST IN TWO COUNTRIES

Copyright ls12. By Court Gossip syndieats.J
1t is surprising how many statement.
are published and make the rounds OF
the international press that are absurd
on their very face. Here 1 read in the
Paris GaulOis that il was the late Queen
Victoria who was largely responsible for
the choice OF Prince Ferdinand Of SAKE
Coburg to be ruler OF Bulgaria I'VE are
prepared to overlook a good deal owing
to the impulsive temperament and easily
aroused enthusiasm OF the French. who
have sold their Creuzot cannon TO the
Bulgars and who sent instructors to Bull
garia to create an up-tO-date army out
| OF undisciplined, only half civilized SOL
diers. But why falsify history?
| Queen Victoria, so far from cham
pioning the Coburg prince. never showed
him the least favor and It must be ad-
mitted that she had good cause to re-
sent his intrusion into what she cOnsid-
cred her family affairs. For Alexander
OF Battenberg. who was dethroned as
ruler OF the Bulgars TO make place for
| the Coburger. was a brother OF Prince
Henry of Battenberg. who was the hus-
band of Queen ViCtoria's youngest and
favorIte daughter. Beatrice. He died on
board ship in South Africa during the
Boer war and. his widow is Princess
Henry OF Battenberg. the mother OF the
present queen VI CpdlI
Besides, the Battenbergs are related
! Through the morganatic marriage OF
Prince Alexander of Hesse to Countess
Hauke in 1S5D TO the British royal house,
through the marriage OF the late Prin-
cess Alice. another daughter of Queen
Victoria, in 1862, to Grand Duke Ernst
Ludwig Of Hesse-Darmstadt
Tba OuaaD In showed her
disfavor toward the Coburger to so
marked a degree that she refused to dec
crate him with the Order OF the Garter,
which, as a rule, is bestowed upon reign
ing monarchs.
AS l had occasion to narrate before,
Prince Ferdinand owes his success al
most entirely TO the clever diplomacy OF
his mother, who is a princess OF the
House of Orleans and a daughter Of
Louis Philippe. a woman OF bOundless
energy and perseverance, and OF re-
markable ability Car" Ferdinand be-
longs to the wealthy Hungarian branch
Of the house of SaXc-Coburg-G otha, and
is not related to the reigning dynasty
which. by inheritance. has devOlved to
the British royal family, the present
ruler Of -Gotha being Leo
pOld. Duke of Albany, and a grandson
of Queen Victoria.
Uskub, or Skopelje. as it has been re-
named by the Servians since, four weeks
ago, they entered the ancient Serb capt.
tai. after driving out the Turks, is
hospitable, fine old town that receives an
excellent lager beer. not from Munich,
but from SalOniki @ The confectionery
shop contain "petits deserts garnis," as
excellent as those Of Brussels or Paris.
Here also the Turk serves up the best
cigarettes and coffee in the world and
Turkish Delight. These are his three
contributions to modern comfort which
is reared on the pillars OF small things.
The place swarm with shoe-blacks who,
though they may wear the dirtiest boots
in town know how to make those of
their customers shine with the polish of
ebony. And the local BARRIERS have a
touch when plying their razors lighter
than any TO be found in Europe. So the
Turk has made existence not only bear
able. but, to a certain point. almost en-
joyable. But where the Turk goes wrong
is that he neglects the big things.
Skopelje is a town OF 5000 people: it is
spread out wide, yet the Turkish author
tiles never thought OF an omnibus sys-
tenn. They erected lamp-posts, laid cleo
tricity, but the streets were never light
ed at night 1t was the Servian who
turned on the current. In Uskub one
was never quite safe when out in the
street by night. In Skopelje one is.
In a few weeks OF Servian rule much
has been done to reform the awful past
of five Turkish centuries. The new
regime has been accepted by the Ottoman
inhabitants with Oriental calm. The
Serb was greeted by Servian flags float
Ing from nearly every house. Here and
there in the crowd that cheered King
Peter, as he drove through the ancient
capital of the Servian Empire. tears start
"a 20 Of seldom
had conquering monarch such fine
welcome.
The fact is that the whole Balkans, |
and not only this part of the peninsula,
is a bewildering weller of race and creed
The lines of demarcation in both are
hazy and indistinct, and are often cross
ed and recrossed for no more urgent
reason than the desire to be polite. So
in Skopelie to-day all have become Serb |
in their welcome Of King Peter. |
Skopelie stands on that broad misty |
belt which is the frontier Of the Orient. |
In this region one first feels that he is
in the East People, when about to !
travel to countries in the West, talk OF
going to Europe" In Servia one has
become accustomed to seeing bullocks |
drawing carts: here the buffalo appears |
as a beast of burden. This, too, is a lit |
tie city of mosque and minaret; still the |
calls the faithful to prayer. And I
time and money, as everywhere IN the !
East. are treated with a marked disre- |
spect There is only one fixed point in |
Turkish time, and that Is sunset so that
time. according to the Turk. huctuates |
every day with the sun. It worries and !
puzzles. this ever changing time. Think /
Of a train you may have to catch
Skopeije stands on the r1pidIy-Fushfng |
varSisr. Rfver On the right bank stands 4
he more modern part of the town. and
1gr that It's enrhRnkment. and the for-I