Evening star., 1924-10-04
GEORGIA REMAINS
COMIC OPERA LAND
Insurgents Seek to Doff Rus
sian Control-CIing to Re-
splendent Trappings.

With nearly all Of the Republic of
Georgia in the hands of insurgents
seeking to throw off Soviet Russian
control, that country, save in the
capital, Tifiis, and the Black Sea port,
Batum, is in much the condition that
IT was in it's independent days fol-
lowing the World War What the
country was like before it succumb-
ed to Soviet influence is told in a bull
letin from the Washington headquar-
ters of the National Geographic So
ciety, quoting a communication from
Melville Chatter
Though one has penetrated fairly
far into the East at Tihis," says the
bulletin, IF one expects yistas of
caravans, camels and Rebekahs- at
the-wen, he will suffer disilluson-
ment in his first Impressions. The
Golovinsky prospekt, which runs
through the heart of the Georgian
capital, is as handsome a bit of mod
ern metropolitanism as can be found
anywhere. With it's restaurants and
cafes, it's jewellers, art shops and
opera. its vice-regal palace, the pros
pekt, especially when seen in the
lounging hour, is undeniably chic.
Wasp -Waisted Males.
Here stroll Russians Georgians.
Armenians and the representatives of
a score of mountain tribes who have
business in the new capitak There
is a splendor of uniforms and of
sidearmS, the Caucasian national cos
tune dominating the picture. A very
long, swagger overgarment of brown
or gray. padded square at the shoul-
ders, with wasp-like waist, and de-
scending as smartly f1ared skirt
this, together with high, heelless
boots, square astrakhan cap, a
clanklng sword, two magnificently
chased daggers, a brace of pistols
and sixteen fountain pens strung
across his chest represents what /
would term the picturesque scenery
worn by your typical Georgian in
war in peace and in the bosom of his
countrymen.
What l have called fountain pens
turned out to be more weapons
hollow tubes. anciently designed to
contain powder and shot.
"One looks at these magnificently
accoutered swaggerers, with their
stiff mustaches and close -shaven
skulls, and thinks of comic opera and
of the dear old kingdom of Zenda
also one trembles for the League of
Nations, fearing that the Georgian
Will never consent to a reduction of
his armament.
Lounging Hour Important Jnstitution
Mere militarism has no mortgage
on uniforms at Tifis. Everybody
wears one, including school children
and their teachers. according to Rus
sian custom, and hundreds upon hun
dreds of civilians are thus attired be-
pl pl hni,
pensive, they prefer buying some Of
ficer'S caSt-off outfit.
The lounging hour is important
in Georgia In fact, there are some
sixteen of these to the Georgian s
day. and perhaps it would be simpler
to speak of the working hour Be
tween and o'clock in the after
noon down go the steel lattices
which guard the shop windows-then
Tifiis resumes its national pastime of
joie de vivre until O'Clock of the
following morning: for that it the
hour when the Georgians' alI-Dight
parties break up-break up. ! mean.
with shots exchanged across the
table.
THE Georgian is renowned for his
hospitality. His customary greet
ing it, While in Tifiis you will con-
slider my home yours'-an offers which
was rendered us so regularly that
we suffered. | may almost say from
an embarraSSm ent of home.
Dinner Parties All Night Affairs.
The Georgian dinner party. a
mighty matter of courses and wines
begins at 2:30 in the afternoon and
lasts until 5. Then there will be a
dance in the evening. refreshments
commencing at . o'clock and continu-
ing between dance numbers until the
company reels homeward in the
dawn.
Occasionally the floor is cleared
for a dagger dance, picturesque
and barbaric business performed to a
rhythmic accompaniment of hand
clapping by some tall. beskirted ma
tive. who prances murderously about
with from five to seven daggers held
between his teeth.
The Georgian public function is
superb affair of uniforms, healths
drunk. huzzahsa celebrities carried
shoulder high about the room and a
chorus of liveried trumpeters who
sound fanfares at the close of every
toast. Once again one realizes that,
though the Georgians have gone red
republican. Zenda's dear old comic
opera kingdom still lies deep in their