Las Vegas optic., 1913-03-01

brings to a close what is proDapiy One
dullest carnival season Vienna mas
ever seen. There has not been a
single court festivity Of any kind tne
usual nublie balls have without excep-
non been dismal failures, and there
has been practically no private enter
tanning The Balkan war and the un-
certainty Of the international situation
have paralyzed trade and industry
throughout the dual monarchy, and
the complete failure Of the carnival
season has brought bankruptcy to
many yiennese storekeepers.
At the beginning Of the season it
was hoped that there might be some
one court function, if not a court ball,
then at least a soiree. But everything
was against it. At 80 years of age
tbe emperor finds it impossible to-
stand the strain of tedious court cere-
monia1 and his doctors peremptorily
forbade his taking any risks. His
,onbew and heir, Archduke Francis
Ferdinand, could easily represent
him but being dissatisfied with the
nosition that court etiquette requires
his morganatic wife, Princess Hohen-
berg to assume, the archduke steadi-
lv refuses to take part in any eere-
monials at the Hofburg in which wo-
men join. The leading archduchess
at court. Zita, wife of the next heir
to the throne, Archduke Francis JOS
eph, is only 20; too young to preside
at imposing state ceremonies, and,
furthermore, she recently became a
mother. presenting her husband with
a son who stands third in the success
sion to the imperial crown. And in
other households of members of the
imperial family there were various
reasons against joining in court fes-
tiyities this year, so that in the end
it was, found impossible to arrange
even so much as a concert.
The mobilization ruined the public |
balls. Apart from the enormous ex-
pense it entailed and the loss of busi-
ness, 1t has taken thousands Of men
away from the capital, especially a
large number Of officers who are the
life and soul of dances in Vienna. Re
cognizing the necessity of doing some
thing to help the storekeepers, who
had no Christmas trade at all, un-
usual efforts were made to ensure the
success of these public gatherings.
Put it was useless. The male guests
we're lacking, and the balls fell flat.
At one of the most important of the
whole season there were not enough
persons present to form the lines
through which distinguished visitors
are led from the entrance to the dais
at the top of the ball room
The death of the aged Archduke
Rainer, just ten days before the end
of the carnival season, caused gen
eral abandonment of public festivities.
secretly the committees of the balls
thus given up rejoiced, for it saved
them from very embarrassing situa-
ton, since there was not the slight
est hope of any of any of the func-
tions attaining even a passable mea-
sure Of success.
And now that the social season is
finally ended and with it all hopes of
the trading classes recouping them
selves for the worst Christmas trade
in many years. it is feared that many
bankruptcies will be recorded. The
January figures of insolvencies are
the highest since the panic of 1878,
especially in the dry goods branches.
Wholesale houses Of many years
standing are hard pressed to meet
their engagements, and retail firms
are in an equally bad plight. Every
body is complaining that there is
no money to be got, and collectors are
going round begging customers to
pay debts so trifling that in ordinary
times the firms would have waited
months before applying for payment
News has come here from ST. Peters.
burg and Russian towns along the
Austrian border, showing that Rus
sian newspaper readers are daily per
turbed by war alarms, due to the crit
ical situation in the Balkans and the
difficulties in Austro-Russian rela-
tions. Many Russian papers are
serving the people daily with alarm
ist reports from towns along the Aus |
trian frontier Mysterious areoplanes
and airships always equipped with a
high power searchlight, have habit i
.e til !