Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-01
Business and Social Seasons
OuIIeSt in Years.
WAR A DISTURBING FACTOR
Mobilization Of Troops Took Thou
sands of Men Away From
Austrian Capital.

VIENNA. Austria. February 20, 1913.
Lent brings to a close what is probably
the dullest carnival season Vienna has
ever seen. There has not been single
court festivities of any kind, the usua
public balls have without exception beer
dismal failures. and there has been prac'
ucally no private entertaining.
The Balkan war and the uncertainty
OF the interna tonal situation have para
lyzed trade and industry throughout the
dual monarchy, and the complete failure
of the carnival season has brought bank
ruptcy to many Viennese storekeepers.
AT the beginning of the season it was
hoped that theremight be some one court
function, if not a court ball. then at
least soiree. But everything was
against 1t.
At eighty-two years of age the emperor
finds it impossible to stand the strain OF
tedious court ceremonial, and his doctors
peremptorily forbade his taking any
risks. His nephew and heir. Archduke
Francis Ferdinand, could easily represent
him. but being dissatisfied with the po-
sition that court etiquette requires his
morganatic wife. Princess Hohenberg, to
assume. the archduke steadily refuses to
take part in any ceremonials at the Hof-
burg in which women join.
No Court Festivities.
The leading archduchess at court. .Zita
wife of the next heir to the throne. Arch.
duke Francis Joseph, is only twenty, toe
young to preside at imposing state cere-
monies. and furthermore, she recently be.
came q mother presenting her husband
with son who stands third in the sue
cession to the imperial crown. And in
other households of members Of the i'm
perial family there were various reasons
against joining In court festivities this
year. SO that in the end it was found i'm
posSlble to arrange even SO much as a
concert.
The mObiliza ton ruined the public balls
Apart from the enormous expense 1t en-
tailed and the loss of business, it has
taken thousands Of men away from the
capital, especially a large number Of Of
ficers who are the life and soul of dances
in Vienna. Recognizing the necessity OF
doing something to help the storekeepers
who had no Christmas trade at all, I'M
usual efforts were made to insure the
success of these public gatherings. But il
was useless.
Male Guests Lacking.
The male guests were lacking, and the
balls fell fiat. At one Of the most i'm
portant 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 a,
the top of the ball room.
The death Of the aged Archduke Rainier
just ten days before the end of the car
nival season. caused a general abandon
ment of public festivities. Secretly the
committees of the balls thus given UP
rejoiced. for it saved them from a very
embarrassing situation, since there was
not the slightest hope OF any Of the func-
tons attaining even passable measure
of success
And now that the social season is finally
ended and with 1t all hopes OF the trading
classes recouping themselves for the
worst Christmas trade in many years. i,
is feared that many bankruptcies will be
recorded. The January figures of insol.
vencies are the highest since the panic
Of 1873. 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 Everybody is com
planning that there is no money to be got
and collectors are going round begging
customers to pay debts so trifiing that ir
ordinary times the firms would have
waited months before applying for pay
ment.