The Washington herald., 1913-03-26
GOSSIP ON INTERNA TIONAL
SUBJECTS OF GREAT INTEREST

would have a chance to have a voice in
any serious European controversy. be /,
| diplomatic or belligerent. They are, al
! best. only second-class powers; they are
OF small area. and, above all. they are
I separated from the rest Of Europe by
the North Sea and the Baltic. and. hence.
| are severely left to themselves.
! This does not mean that any OF these
! nations would not be gratifed to be
| linked with either the triple alliance
| 'dreibundJ or its counter-combine, the
! triple entente; but what reason can
| there be for one or the other Of these
! great treaty signatOries TO burden them
selves with an ally from which no mate
rial aid can be expected In case of an
! emergency? The Kaiser. and the Car
as leader OF the opposing combination.
both have done we'll 10 persuade the
rules OF the little ''meerumschlungen"
tsea-surrounded) countries to leave we'll
enough alone. And. as TO their remain
ing neutral, they better had-for their
own sakes.
The accident that recently befell the
Queen Mother OF Italy, when the string
OF her magnificent pearl necklace broke
and the priceless little gems were scat
tered in every direction. recalls a SINH
lar mishap to the magnificent fve-fold
rope which adorned the throat of Queen
Alexandra on state occasions. While
stepping into the gala coach on her
way to witness the opening of Parlia-
ment during her late husbands reign.
the necklace caught in the ornate door
handle and the pearls. falling in a
shower. rolled from the crimson carpet
onto the ground. Equerries and ser
wants endeavored to pick up the scat
tered white little spheres, which. after
n thorough search. were all recovered.
although some of them were deeply
imbedded in the mud.
A historic accident to royal gems oc-
CURED the first time Queen Victoria
opened Parliament at the beginning of
her reign. The Office of carrying the
crown before the girl Queen was in
trusted 20 the then Duke of Argyle.
who stumbled on entering the gilded
amber. and the symbol of sover-
eighty fell to the floor with such vio-
lence that some of the gems Were dis
lodged. The Duke of Wellington. with
military promptitude. placed guard
around the spot. a somewhat uncompli-
mentary action. considering the time
and place.
To Reader at Cincinnati: As near as
I can get It. the use OF an umbrella first
is recorded about the middle of the
eighteenth century. when one day. there
appeared on the streets OF London, a
man carrying strengthening appar-
atus. At times he would cnrry it by
his side and again he would spread II
out, holding It aloft. He was a traveller
and had brought the curious device from
far-oH Persia The like OF 1t never
before had been seen in Englsnd and 1t
excited n great deal OF curiosity and
brought ridicule and abuse upon the
mans head. Crowds would follow him.
hootlng and jeering and even pelting
him with stones. But he was not dis
mayed and persisted IN his practice day
after day.
Finally others took It up and he lived
to see his example followed by almost
the whole of London's populace. That
mans mare was Jonas Hanway He
was the first European to carry an UNI
brella. FLANEUR.
(Copyright 1873 By Court Gossip Syndicate)