The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-01-14
Contrasts Between Gay Vienna and
Sober Paris.

TIE congress OF vienna ana tine con-
ference at Versailles are not more
striking than the sharp contrasts of
the social backgrounds Of these two
gatherings. We see In Paris the rep
resentatives OF the Powers gathering
In the most modest and democratic
way, and II Is to be assumed that
when the prellmlnaries are over and
the formal work Of the arbiters goes
on, there will be no more pomp and
social gayety than there has been
which is practically none.
Vienna century ago was another
story. The Congress Dances" said
the Prince DE LIGNE, but accom-
plishes nothing" It danced, flirted.
hunted, sang and drank; and very
likely the more 1t went In for festivity
the better the real men of the Con-
gress liked it, for 1t gave opportuni-
ties to them to practise their wilcs
most fully.
Some pictures Of the lighter side of
the Congress of Vienna are shown In
"A Peace Congress Of Intrigue"
recently published volume based on
the memoirs Of participants in the
great gathering and compiled by
FREDERICK FREKsA. ELISE, Countess
BERSsToRFF, wife of the Danish AM
bassador at Vienna at the time. csti-
mated that the hospitality extended
by the Austrian Emperor to his
guests cost the Hapsburg purse. al
ways slim, about $4,000 a day:
Coffee was cooked in nothing less
than enormous brewing kettles. Innum-
cradle cooks were IN action; above all.
the royal stable used up enormous sums.
as a carriage was kept ready for use for
every one OF the big and little lords. Il
Is probable that hospitality has never
been practised on n greater scale than
that at that time by the Emperor OF
Austria. Every sovereign found him
self placed so that he could not miss
any OF the comforts OF. his own court
The Congress is said to have cost
the court OF Vienna nearly 10000, 900
gulden."
Emperors and kings approached the
Burg for the opening session on horse
back. On one side of the Emperor
Francis was the Gar ALEXANDER, on
the other King FREDERICK WILLIAM of
Prussia. At the head Of the military
procession was the noble guard Of the
Hungarians, led by Prince EsTERHAzY,
"attired in the uniform OF n magnate,
the value of which was said to be sew
eral million gulden." He had pearl
pendants on his boots. The Countess
BERNsIoRrF was blinded, almost
dizzy" hy the dazzling procession In
the ballroom. At the masked ball were
floats on which were posed TWEEN
ty.sour attractive V!ennese women
dressed in the filmiest Yelling" Ad-
miral SIDNEY SMITH was part Of the
scenery. He had so many medals that
he could not wear them all at once,
so he put on different sashful every
hour until all the decorations had
been exhibited.
The Russian Car had quick
change contest with the beautiful
Countess FLORA WRRNA;
Tho Gar and FLORA arrived at
ZIcHY's at the stroke of 0 and showed
themselves to the assembled guests IN
ordinary attire. Then both we're led
aside by witnesses who had been chosen
with great solemnlty, The Car APP
peared In five minutes In full uniform,
with silk hose. &c, and found FLORA also
ready. attlred In a complete French
court costume OF the anc!en regime.
which appeared most com!ca!."
So It went, a pageant for women.
who made the most of the round Of
parties; everybody In the spirit OF tho
thing, except the English visitors and
few other serious minded Euro
peans, who saw other ways OF going
about important business. Wilhelm
Won HUMBOLDT was one of the dis
| tressed. Even the prospect of some
honest graft hurt him, as he wrote
10 his wife:
III the Congress comes to a peaceful
end. the Ambassadors will naturally re-
ceIve SNUFF boxes, They are most hate
full TO me. I abhor nothing so much,
deep in my soul, as private advantage
for things which are done for the good
Of the whole. Yet. II there is no rup-
ture. this will be the practice. Our
large conferences Include eight Powers
counting only these shall ostensibly
receive seven boxea What shall ] do
with them2 The stones would presum-
ably he enough for one TO make some
thing beautiful out OF and at the same
time provide you with Jewels; as for
money. eight boxes would bring from
20. 900 to $4,000 thaler. Adjournment does
not mean much to you, yet I would also