The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-13
bUCHAREST, THE
 PARIS OF EAST"
 INTEUT0N HANDS
Beautiful Community Was Gayest, Most Depraved,
 City in all of Europe.

In one of the broad avenues of Bu- charest, the Rumanian capital now in the hands of the Teutonic invaders, is an unique statue of two babies be- ing suckled by wolf.
 1 The statue is one of the most ap- preciated of the many beautiful things in the city, for 1t is re- hinder to the Rumanians that they are descended from the ancient Ro- mans, a fact of which they are in- tensely proud.
 It depicts the twin brothers, Ro- mulus and Remus-the legendary founders of Rome-who, according to tradition, were sent adrift on the River Fiber, cast up on the present site of Rome, cared for by a she-wolf and a woodpecker, and finally adopt ed by a shepherd.
 l Later, when Rome had emerged from legend and was an established fact, we find Roman Emperor Tra1an extending his power northward ana thence to the east. He conquered all Dacla, including the fiat plains De- tween the Danube, the Carpathians and the Black Sea, where now IS Ru- mania.
 l Trajan not only cooquered, but he colonized. Leaving his own legion as an initial safeguard against the viola ton of his new frontier by the outer nations, he contiued the work by sys- tematically populating the Danubian plains.
 l And it is from these people tha the present day Humans are descended, with many admixtures of blood, 1t Is true, but nevertheless, with distinct maintenance of the physical, mental and linquistic characteristics of TO- nance peoples. But above all Is the 1 strong consciousness of their race and origin, which has been tre- mendous factor in the upbuilding or modern Rumania.
 l This influence of origin and 1n- tense pride of race is undoubtedly 1 the force which in 50 years raised the capital city of Bucharest from dirty, unhealthy collection of squaIid build Iings to a modern city, with broad strets. avenues of beautiful homes and a social life so brilliant that 1t has won for this Rumanian town the l twin titles of 'the city of pleasure and "the Paris of the East" 1 Bucharest has been called many other things-''the most depraved city in Europe" ''the divorce market 1 of the world" and the hke-which those who know say are very fitting. 1 Like Paris and Vienna, it was, be- fore the war, sort of gathering place for all sorts of adventurers and even in greater array, of adventures ses. These gay folk contributed as lib erally to Bucharest's shady life as to 1 it's innocent frivolities.
 l Viewed from the hills which lie to the west and southwest, Bucharest l presents most striking appearance. l It is spraw1ed out on both banks of 1 the 2, River Dimbovitza, occupying more than 20 square miles of terri tory in the slight depression through which the stream makes it's way. Most of it's houses are low, not more than two stories. with flat roofs I that shimmar in the sun. High above l them rise almost innumerable towers, cupolas and minarets of churches, in which the city abounds. It is one of l the worlds most bechurched places
 Great spots and stretches of green cry mark the spacious parks and gar- dens and the great boulevards, some of which extend along the river bank, 1 others out to the distant sections of the city.
 Three of these thoroughfares skirt l the river on the left. where the great 1 CT part of the city lies. They are the Plevna, Lipscani and Vacaresci, in or der. From the Lipscani extend the Elizabeth Boulevard and Ca1ea Vic l torie; the avenue of Victory, which connect with another broad highway 1 extending nearly around the city on its outskirts.
 Parks and drives are frequent. Then there are the botanical and zoo l logical gardens and race-course, ], where meets are held at least twice a year.
 In these streets the East meets the 1 West. Women gowned in the latest Paris creations and men in perfect European dress are in contrast with the wandering bands of gypsies, the brilliant-lad Roumanian country folk come in to market, the fez-topped Turk, and the distinctly dressed Rus sian cabmen.
 There are or were before the war-about 34O,000 persons in Bu- charest, among them 43,000 Jews 35,00O Hungarians and about 5000 Germans.
 Save for the native boyars or land ed prOpr1etOrS, men Of immense wealth, it is mainly to the foreign e1e- ment and transients that Bucharest looked for its gay life. The bbyars supported immense establishments in the city, to which they came in from their country estates for months o1 dissipation.
 They patronized the gambling dens freely, squandered their money with
 out thought of tomorrow or of the yesterday when they wrested it from the unfortunate peasantry, whose
 condition is little better than that o1 slavery.
 The several good hotels were al ways fourishing. They had the repu-
 tation of charging the highest prices
 known in all Europe, running fully
 25 per cent. above rates at Monte
 Carlo. There are many clubs. all beautiful housed and a wealth o1
 cafes.
 T The out-of-door cafe, after the
 French fashion, was the favorite. Ir
 fact, it was the French rather than
 the German or Russian that inf1uenc.
 ed the social life of Bucharest
 French was perhaps the commences,