The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-21


l. cities OF Europe are WILDLY de-
picted in a volume just issued
under the title OF Europe After S:lj."
II Is written by three authors, II. L.
Mencken. George Jean Nathan and Will
lard Huntington Wright. The John
Lane Company publishes 1t. The first
city dealt with is Vienna.
The author says that the casual sun
day school superintendent, bursting with
visions OF luxurious gayetics. his brain
melted by references to wiener blut, his
corpuscles tripping to the strains Of
some Viennese schlagermu-ik, will suf-
fer only disappointment as he sallles
forth on his first night in Vienna. He
Is gorgeously SaparlsOncd with clean
linen, talcumed. eXudng Jockey Club
prepared for surgical and psychic shock,
his legs drilled hollow L admit OF pre-
cious fluids. his pockets bullying with
kronen. He Is "A lovely. mellow crea-
ture. q virtuOsO of the domestic virtues
when home, but now, at large in Eu-
rope, he Graves excitement. His timd
soul Is bent on participating in the dew
ntries for which Vienna is famous
But as he walks down the Karntner-
strasse. encirclcs the Ring and stands
with bulging, nquisitive eyes on the
corner of the W!edner Haupstrassc and
Karlsplatz. he wonders what can be the
matter. Where, indeed. is that prodi-
gality of flowers and spangled satin he
has heard 20 much about? Where are
those super sweating over
the scores Of seductive waltzes? Where
the silken ankles and the glttering eyes,
the kisses and the flutes, the bcery
laughter and the dclirious leg shaking?
The excuses Of mcrrymaking are no.
where discovcrablc. Dies MOincs Ia,
or Camden. y. j., would present quite
as festive spectacle. he thinks, as he
gazes up at the sepulchral shadows on
the gigantic Dpernhaus before him. He
cannot understand the nocturnal soli-
tude of the streets. There Is actual
desolatlon about him.
Vienna Is perhaps the one city in the
world which maintains "A consistent at
titude OF genuine Indifference toward
the outsider. which rcscnts the intru-
sion of shoppers from these pallid
States, which deliberately makes it diff
fcuit for foreign Florizcls To find d.
version. The livelcst places in Vienna
present the gloOmicst cXterOrs. The
official guides maintain a Cloistered
silence regarding those addresses at
when the ledgers are closed and the
courts have adjourned. The Niennese
resenting the intrusion of outsiders
upon his midnight romanC-s. holds out
no encouragement for globe trOttinG
Don Juans He refuses to be inspected
and criticised by the inquisitire sensa
ton hunters OF other nations. Money vii
not tempt him to commcrcalize his
gayety and regulate II to meet the NOR
bid demands Of the nterlOpcr. Henc,
the external aspect of sObriety Hence
the veneer Of piety. Hence the scpul'
chral silence OF The midnight thorough
fares.
In order to come into intimate touch
with the night life of Vienna one mus
live there and become a part OF 1t. Il
is not for spectators and it h not pub
Sic. 1t involves every family in tn,
city. Ii Is ineXtrcably woven into tn,
home life. 1t Is elaborate because 1t /,
genuine, because 1t Is not looked upor
as a mere outlet for the represslons q
puritansm. From an Anglo SaXor
point OF view Vienna Is perhaps IN,
most degenerate city In the world. Blu
degeneracy Is geographical; moral
are temperamental. This is why III,
Viennese resents intrusion and spying
spirit. His gayety Is not "A prerogatlv
Of the demi-monde, but the usufruct o
all classes. JOY is not exclusive or soil
tary with the Vicnncse, He is no
ashamed of his frolIcs and hlarltIcs. III
does not take his pleasures hypocriti
cally after the manner of the Occi
dental moralist. He IL "A gay bird,
sybarite, modern LuCullus, a BarOi
Cheyrial-and admits II.
To be sure, there Is in Vienna n min
iature night life not unlike that of tn
other European capitals, but 1t require
constant attention and asslduous cod
ding to keep 1t alive. The better elias
Viennese will have none Of 1t. 1t 1
a by-product OF the underworld and /
no more characteristic of Vienna thar
the gilded cafes chantants which clus
ter round the Place Plgale on Mont
martre are Characteristic of Paris.
The theatre in Vienna Is n part Of tn
life. 1t IL not INDUCED in as mer
amusement or diversion, like shootin
the chutes or going to church. 1t
an evenings obligation. This account
for the large number of Vienna theatre
and for their architectural beauty. Blu
do not think that when YOU have at
tended n dozen such places as tn
Hofoperntheatre, the iIOfburgtheatr,
the Deutsches Nolkstheatre and tn
Carltheatre you have sensed the entir
theatrical appeal Of Vienna. Far fror
Il. No city in the world is punctuate
with so large a number Of semi privat
intimate theatres and cabarets a
Vienna-theatres with seating capac
fly OF forty or fifty. You may kno'
the Kleine Buehne and the Max un
Moritz and the Hoelle. hut there m
fifty others, and every night finds ther
crowded.
The Viennese dinner hour Is H. an
this Is why the tourist, lingering h