The Washington herald., 1913-05-27
Court Gossip of Interesting .
Events on THO Continents

The court was originally rounded IN the
reign Of Ivan ". in the sixteenth CEN
fury. When Catherine the Great ascend
ed the throne she intended to receive
all appeals personally, but the task soon
passed beyond her powers. Car Paul,
as young man, tried to Initiate Cath
crimes example. He had a large yellow
iron box attached TO one OF the ground
floor windows OF the Winter Palace at
ST. Petersburg. into which petitions were
dropped. The box was periodically
opened ana the contents submitted 10
the Car. This method of receiving De-
titions was also found to be unwork-
able
The extent to which the subjects OF the
Car avail themselves OF the privilege
may be gathered from the fact that g.
600 petitions have been presented in a
year OF this number in the year 1893,
d14 received the imperial order for i'm
mediate attention.
It would seem that their mutual efforts
TO bring about peace among the Balkan
belligerents has resulted in a closer re-
lationship among the great European
powers and that in consequence the con-
trast between the Triple Entente and the
Triple Alliance has visibly lost its raw
edge. sAnother fact which will still more
further an afilation. is the number of
crowned heads that will attend the we'd
ding of the Kaiser's daughter and Prince
Ernest August, of Brunswick. Under
the circumstances President Poincare of
the French republic. could do no better
than 10 take the hint and send a special
embassy to Berlin To represent France
at the nuptial festivities This would be
no extraordinary procedure and IL Is a
proof Of a bad memory when Partisan
papers declare that this would be without
a precedent.
Not so! For 1t was only eight years
ago that France sent a special delega-
ton to Berlin, headed by Gen de La
croix. commander OF the Fourth French
Army Corps and Military Governor of
Lyon, to represent the President of
France on the occasion of the marriage
of the German Crown Prince and Duchess
Cecilie. of Mecklenburg. -.
Should the King and Queen also attend
the approaching wedding and meet the
Austrian heir. there may be enacted
curious contretemps. Through Italy and
Austria both are signatories to the Triple
Alliance, the stand taken by Emperor
Franz Josef against King Nikita of
gender a certain embarrassment between
the Franz Ferdinand and Victor EN-
manuel III. as the latter's wife is a
daughter OF the stubborn King of little
Montenegro. the beautiful shepherdess,"
as their Queen is known among the ultra
feudal aristocracy of the External City.
Sovereigns have visited Berlin often
enough, but the galaxy of them who
journeyed thither for Saturdays cere-
monials and festivities reminds one of
the glorious days of the Three-Emperors
Convention in the German capital IN
September, 1872. Prince Bismarck. in his
Thoughts and Recollections' tells US
distinctly that the meeting of those IL
lustrious personages was held for the
purpose OF Strengthening the principles
of monarchical rule Its first result was
the three Emperors' alliance between
William /. Alexander II of Russia, and
Franz Josef OF Austria, for which Bis
marck predicted a permanent success
but which came to an untimely end only
three years later owing TO the tntrigues
of the Russian Premier, Prince Gorts-
chakof, the Cars jealous and incapable
minister. Those or the older generation
who were privileged TO witness the grand
review of the Prussian guards by the
venerable Emperor William, with the
Gar at his right ana the Hapsourg ruler
at his left. on the famous Tempelhoper
Parade Grounds, are not ukeIy to forget
the brilliant spectacle that unfolded it.
self before their eyes, FLANEUR.