The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-05-31
THE BLACK WORLD
into ITS own
Society Of Rome is Talking Of the
Change Which Has Come
to the PapaI
Families.
AFTER FORTY YEARS
Next Fall, Rome VIII be Shown
Something Worth While in
the Way Of Func-
tons.
AFTER FORTY YEARS
by Henry Wood Rome correspondent
of the United Press]

4 ROME, May 3O.-The BLACK World"
of Rome is once more 20 come into
its own-'.an own" that at one time
made it the most famous and the
most brilliant society to be found in
any court in Europe. The steps just
taken to this end constitute the latest
of the long series of reforms mark
ing the pontifcate of Pope Plus which
have had for their common end the
breaking away OF the vatican from
the traditions of the past and the
placing 1t in relation with the actual
conditions of today. More especially,
the present dfspensation belongs to
those which his holiness has enacted
in an effort, If not at least to heal
the breach between the vatican and
The quirinal, at least to relieve the fol-
lowers of the church from the burden
Of keeping up a quarrel which it is
now recognized on all sides can serve
no practical end.
When the italians in 1871 wrested
Rome from the popes and made it the
capital of their new united kingdom
of Italy, Pope Plus TX inauguratsd
policy Of perpetual protest. This
his followers have ever faithfully adj
hered 20. AS far as the pope himself
was concerned. he locked himself up
in the vatican and has ever since re-
NAMED there, voluntary prisoner.
AS regards the long list of historic
noble families residing at Rome and
for centuries previous dependent on
the church for their grandeur and
greatness, they too, at the request of
the pope, went into mourning and pro-
test. Their brilliant salons we're
closed. their Jewels and magnificent
dresses packed away, their social fun
cticns curtailed. until now. for nearly
forty years, that once brilliant phase
of Roman life has been slowly but
surely becoming all but extinct.
In contrast 20 this "black world
Of the old noble, papal families, TIN
followers and supporters of the new
king of Italy established for them
selves white world Of society. AS
the former more and more sunk into
Oblivion of it's self-imposed protest
the latter grew more and mere bril-
Liant. A few of the old papal fam
lilies, unable to exist without some
thing of the social brilliance in which
their ancestors had participated for
centuries past came over and joined
the white world The majority,
however, remained faithful to- the
mandate of The pope.
Now, just when the old BLACK So
ciety" seemed all but to have ceased
to exist, Pope Plus has lifted every
restriction and at one bound the
black world" has been rejuvenated if
net actually recreated. The new order
Of things was inaugurated a. the first
official reception given by Count de la
the new Spanish ambassador
70 the papal court. and his wife. 1t
ook place in the magnificent Spanish
palace, the permanent seat Of the
in the Piazza di Spagna, and
which. during the centuries Of sac
I'D order of things was the scene of
ome of the most brilliant social gath
,rings in the world.
For the first time in forty years,
he high dignitaries of the papal court,
IS we'll as the officers of the various
,ontiical military corps. appeared at
his function in official dress and
decorations. Until the occasion of
his function, no members of the vati-
an corps or vatican court lad for
orty years, ever worn the uniform or
tficial dress outside the vatican walls. /,
he guests also included the largest j
list Of cardinals that has attended any |
Err in Eei~ /.
hey appeared in all the magnificence Il
f the full dress robes of princes of 4
he church, wearing the heavily jew il
led rings and crosses of their posi-
ion. Among them were Cardinal 4
Jerry del Val, who represented the {
ope himself: Cardinals Falconio. Vim 4
EMO. vannutelli, Rinaldini, vico and ,
'isletti.
Besides these we're .ne grand mas /
1alta and the order of the Holy L
epulchre, also in full regalia The 6
uest list besides included the heads {
t practically all the old Roman noble I
antilles who have remained faithful il
. the church such as Princes Ros. (,
igliosi. Massimo. Aldbrandini. Altieri. 6
Bandini. Iancellotti and i
n equally long list of dukes and 6
uchesses, marcheses. counts and {.
ountesses, barons and harnesses
nd lesser lights of the vatican world
Although the reception under the
ew order of things marked the close
T the Rome social season for this
ear. no secret is made of the fact !,
hat the black world" is preparing !
,r showing next fall that is intend I
d to eclipse entirely the Roadway II