Newspaper Page Text
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The First Thing in the Morn
ing Will Be the Royal
Rat Hunt.
And by Noon the King Must
Have Kissed One Hundred
of His Bearded Retainers.
Shooting la the Prime Sport
Albania, and There Is Every
Indication the King Will
Be a Frequent Target.
W HEN (he new Kina of Albania
reached hie palace the other
day he found that (be bed
steads had not been put np. The rate
began to scamper about (he room as
the King and Queen threaded their
way among the ramshackle fural-
turo of their new home.
The Queen then went downstair*
and found the kitchen decorated In
black, a result of the kind oi fire that
waa Used there and the grease that
had accumulated on the wells.
Everything about the house waa
In a similar state of din and uupre-
paredneaa. Even if the plaoe had
bean In spick-and-span order It would
not have been very Inviting.
These and other circumstances
connected with the new King's rule
have led an American observer to
, describe It as tbe 'toughest king Job
In the world.'
Disagreeable as the King's ex-
parlance seems likely to be. that of
the Queen, bis wife, will bo even
worse. A re lined American house
wife would surely rebel at tbe
(bought of living In a country where
there are no bathtubs end similar
convenienses, and where the average
dtisen eats at table with his battle
Jmlfe.
Albania la the country that was
the greatest bone ot contention in
the recent war of the Balkan States
against Turkey. Before that war It
formed part of tbe Turkish Emphe
la Europe. It contains about 1A00,-
004 inhabitants. Of these the greeter
■umber are Mohammedans. They
live in the mountains end are very
nearly savages. Along the coast
there la a sprinkling of more civil
ised people, some of them Catholics
and of Italian origin.
At the end of the war Montenegro
oocupled Albania and nearly split
Europe into two Warring factions by
the action. All the Powers combined
and put Montenegro out Then It
was agreed to settle the question by
tusking Albania an Independent
kingdom.
Then .began tbe hunt for a king.
To atari with, the great Pbwers ob
jected to a Prince from any one ot
their reigning families taking tho
position. Of the remaining Princes
outside that group nearly every one
refused the crown.
In thewnd Prince William of Wled
waa found to be-the only suitable
Prince who would accept tbe new
throne. In the eyes of the Albanians
bis chief recommendation waa his
great height He stands six feet
K ven Inchef high, and Is probably
e tallest man in his new country.
He belongs to SB ancient Oermao
{airily, which, though possessing no
territories, is recognised as having
right! of social equality with reign-
Embarrassing Situa
tion of the Cultured
New Rulers of Alba
nia, Who Have to
Kiss 100 of Their
Bearded Subjects
Every Day, Whose
Guests Eat with
Their Battle Knives
and Whose “Royal
Palace” Is an
Insanitary Hovel
The Prlnco Is very rich, and his palace of
Neuwled is a magnificent place. This must
make the change to the rough and barbarous
conditions of life In Albania all the more dis
agreeable. Evidently the glamor of a crown and
the romance of the position have led him to face
all Its dangers.
Prince William Is the nephew ot Queen Eliza-
bath of Rumania, the celebrated "Carmen
Sylva" of literature. She was born a Princess
of Wled. It -was Queen Elizabeth who suggested
to her nephew the possibility of bocomlng King
of Albania, and coached him In the ways of get
ting around the many difficulties of the situation.
The Prince's nationality made him acceptable
to Germany and Austria. Ho made a good lm-
presslon by his tact on . ussla, England and the
other Powers Interested In settling Albania.
One obstacle to be overcome con
stated of Esaad Pasha, the leading
Mohammedan of Albania and a
fighter of the most savage character.
Essad Pasha could probably fcavo
been selected king by his rifle-car
rying friends In tho mountains, but
the principal Powrcrs would not per
mit hi* selection.
Essad Pasha wae persuaded that It
would be better to elect an unobjeo-
tlonable gentleman as king, and to
exercise hla own power as the king’s
right-hand man. Essad headed the
deputation that formally Invited
Prince WllUam of Wled to accept
the throne.
The King designed a special uni
form for himself to be worn in his
new kingdom, .it Is of the hussar
style, but unlike any other European
uniform In color. It la of gray cloth
with green trimmings. The green Is
designed to plaetito Turkish sym
pathies, and (he neutral gray la sup
posed to ba acceptable to all ele
ments.
The King's formal entrance Into
bis dominions was made by embark
ing on a yacht at the Austrian port
of Trieste, on the Adriatic, and then
proceeding to the Albanian port of
Duratto, half a day's journey away.
Aa escort of foreign warships accom
panied the yacht.
Durasso waa chosen as the capital
of the new kingdom because it Is on
tbe seacoaet and has a comparatively
civilised population. In case of dla-
treaa the King could make a quick
escape from here to Austrian terri
tory. Scutari la the largest town, but
It la In close proximity to the moun
tains and their dangerous Inhab
itants.
The house selected as the King’s
palace had belonged to a well-to-do
merchant. There was not sufficient
time to put It la repair or furnish It
suitably for a king, and betides there
was no money for the purpoee.
The King must depend on customs duties tor
any revenue* he hopes to obtain In Albania. It
la Impossible to collect the taxes from the Al
banians, who live In the mountains and have al
ways a rifle ready tor an unwelcome visitor.
The correspondents observed that Queen
Sophia, the wife of the new King, lookdd ex
tremely pale aa aba made her entrance into her
new dominions She la a delicate, graceful
woman, and, to addition to other attractions,
dresses charmingly. She la well fitted to be a
Interesting Dinner Scene in the Albanian Palace,
Based Upon a Sketch from Life by Caton Wood*
ville, the Famous English Illustrator.
The Beautiful
and Delicate
New Queen
of Albania,
Who Will
Have to
get E v e r v.
Civilized
Custom.
leader of refined and artistic society.
In order to maintain hla position In Albania,
the King will have to receive the leading moun
taineers freely In hla palace, and to entertain
them hospitably. The mountaineers always go
visiting with their guns and their knives. It la
supposed that tho King's servants will invite
the visitors to leave their guns outside the
palace door before entering the reception room
or tho dining room..
It is said that when an Albanian haa ones
eaten salt with you. he will not shoot you wlu
out warning, but up to that point he feels free
to act as he pleases. Hence It will be to the In
terest of the King to dine with as many of hta
subjects as possible.
It la customs./ among Albanians to kiss a
visitor heartily on both cheeks when welcoming
him to the house, and the King will have to
observe this custom with the leading chiefs.
Before noon of his lint day’s rule he kissed
more than a hundred of his force of retainers
to order to make himself popular.
The homes of the mountaineers are regular
fortreasea. They are built of stone and situated
to the most unassailable spots In the mountains.
They have no glass windows, but narrow open
ings In the walls give ventilation and are
useful as loopholes for rifle shooting. Wit-m
these walls the Albanians live In a barbarous
and picturesque manner. The women of their
harems make ail their clothes and moat of their
article* of dally use.
King William will make visits among these
picturesque people, and here hts perils and hard- Th.
ships will be numerous. There are no roads In <c
the country and only two bridges, although tho
rivers are many and deep. Rifle shooting Is the
principal sport of the mountaineers, and the
King will he expected to witness exhibitions of
their eklll without showing any nervousness,
and to make present# to the most expart.
The King baa been diligently studying the Al-
uanlan language, and at list accounts had mas
tered two words meaning "Albania forever!”
These he repeated three times on every possible
occasion, as folowa:
"Rnoft Shkypnya! Rnoft 8hkypnya! Rnott.
Shkypnya!”
Queen Sophie has learned to squat on the
floor to the Mohammedan fashion and to wear
the veil and trousers ot the Mohammedan women.
She will endeavor to win th* friendship of
the wives of the leading Mohammedans by
showing a familiarity with their cuatomi.
There Is no gas, no electricity, no railroads
to th* whole ot Albania. It la not necessary
to say that minor luxuries, which are now
considered necessary to the happiness of civil
ized people, are also missing An automobile
would be useless there because there are no
roads. The horse la the only efficient means of
travelling there, and one needs be a well hard
ened horseman to make use of that
There la one luxury, however, that King Will
iam end Queen Sophie can enjoy as long as they
are to resldenco at Durazzo. They can slip on • .. _ ■ .. . . . . ,.
board their yaoht and Immediately eacape from A Photograph Showing the Great Height of the New King—
their rather terrible dominion*. The Main Reason He Was Chosen.
Science Explodes the Old-Fashioned Belief That We Are “Marked” by Pre-natal Impressions
By Prof. EDWARD K. STRONG, Ph.D.
Fellow In Psychology at Columbia University.
A CONSCIENTIOUS acquaintance of mine waa ex
pecting her first baby. Naturally ah* wanted
that baby to have and be the very best of every
thing. Bo ahe spent a good deal of th* time she could
■pare from cowing to reading deep scientific work*. She
did not always understand them and they made her head
ache, hut what matters that* The little ion might turn
out a great scientist!
A* It happened he tamed out to be a little daughter,
tint even If be hadn't, would hi* chances of bring a
irientlst have been improved by hla mother’s eelf-sacri-
flclng reading? I doubt IL
The question of tbe limits and nature of prenatal In
fluence Is an Interesting one. But I feel sure that much
of tbe popular literature on the subject lays Its empha
sis to quite the wrong direction.
One article to pertlcular has been rankling to my mem-
ory for some time, and I am glad to have a chance to
free my mind concerning It It appeared over a year
ago to one of the leading periodicals for women. In It
were recapitulated the old theories that an expectant
mother muat see no unpleasant rights, think no un
pleasant thoughts, hear no unpleasant news. But In
stead of giving tha real reason for these beliefs—name
ly, that an emottonal disturbance might upset the health
having evor been printed. It was criminal in its senti
mental exaggeration and Ignorance of (act.
The only v, ay th* mother can affect the child, once it
haa begun to develop. twin the giving of nattlkmpt and
the removal of waste. A healthy mother can give the
right quality and quantity of nourishment and absorb
the waste products of the expected little one. But If
the mother's physical condition Is Impaired, then the
child Is Insufficiently fed end *o cannot develop strength.
Or. perhaps, the mother is unable to remove the waste
and the child is poisoned.
Consequently desirable prenatal Influence means good
health on the part of the mother. Everything conducive
to good health should be an object to her. She (jiould
keep calm and cheerful because the state of her nerve*
will affect her digestion. She should have good air, good
sleep and good food for the same reason. If she likes
music. listening to It will be a good Influence for the
child, because It will tend to keep up her general well
bring, not because It will make the child a Caruso or
an Eames or a musician of any kind.
Now, bearing these facts to mind, we can see bow ab
surd are such Ideas as that held by my conscientious
acquaintance and that of the woman’s article. There Is
no connection whatever between the nervous systems
of mother and child. So how can sdentiflo reading on
the part of one affect the brain ot the other? And aa tor
the sight of a club-foot producing a club-foot. It seems
almost too ridiculous to argue against It .
"What -man by taking thought can add one cubit to
his stature?” ask the Scripture* And snrely It Is far
of the sort,” some one' will say. “We know a woman
who aaw a club-footed man and bad a club-footed son.”
Perfectly poaelble. Coincidences will happen.
Tbe point la, however, that cotoddences are always
noticed, tha lack of coincidence seldom. It la extremely
probable that every expectant mother has looked upon
some deformity or otber. But wbat a email per cent of
deformed beings tbere are. And every time a perfect
child waa born the mother forgot tbe blind or lame or
distressed persons eb* bad seen, while on tbe contrary.
passed a hunch-backed woman, or that a legless pcddln
tried to sell her shoe strings. 8uch episodes are coa-
mon—most of u* hardly notice them. But th.j vomzn
would notice the occurrence, lf>he bad heller™ •»
article. And she would worry about It. She would
afraid for her child. Her mind would dwell on the *u
Ject and always with fear and trembling. Anil nnsur
her digestion would be affected. And then the c“>
would be Injured, not became hla mother had «een •
unpleasant sight, but because «he had been led to
uiauuwvu yvimvuo iuo *#•»* owmaa, **as«s« vu UUytCallUll IlgUl, DUl DUCaUBO IBO I1UU j
wh€n«v«r a detective child eras bom the parent* too much of that light. He would In all likelihood nw
searched their memories for some past Incident which bo bom with a hunched back or without leg-*, but n*
would be undernourished snd underdeveloped And a
because of an unscientific hysterical article in
woman’s paper. m
No, tbe time to exert prenatal Influence is before on
iffa tnarHaH A wita iihniM Af Kllihand OT Wilt? 1
would explain It
For example, a Mend of mine tells me that be was
bora with flvs little red spots on tbe back of hla bead.
And hi* mother claimed It was because she had once
aat with har hands behind her head wishing tor currants
She would certainly have forgotten that wish if he had
gets married. A wise choice of husband or
beat any amount of atudy later on. For the woman
waew wwteasa vvi»maj aeee v w iviauituu w sms* aa ***** UUdt UllJ MUUUUt BkUU J WU. rvs - a a
not been so marked. But ahe will now add her tost!- marries a men with natural eclautlflo taste; » tann .“
mony to favor of “mother's marks.” While all the good chance of having a child with scientific
women who wished for automobiles to take an airing to aa a woman who marries a man with criminal ten;
dee runs the risk of having a criminally disposed^
And tho acquired habits of those mothers Just
the little on# Is born enn do nothing to alter the
while their babies were coming and then bore babies
unbranded by license number* will attach no Importance
to such lack.
Th* government has recently lsaued a very sensible
bulletin (“Prenatal Care,” by Mrs. Max West, Children's
Bureau. Department of Labor), on tho subject of pre
natal Influence, and to it the matter of mother's marks
la disposed of as quite without foundation to fact.
of their offspring. .. . _ia
I would make two commandment* for those wh° p ^
to exercise desirable prenatal Influence on^
spring. ‘
1. first.
-“haSrfTi “bleSton u “ " ,,lure: a ** SCT >P‘“™ a Ana surely it is mr
.Lsan.M? 0 !t °» n .r 0 ™? °* mother** more impossible to suppose thst s woman by taking
mother ahJ^S^etowStod ££. .b.“oJlT£H JEff* “ or *“ l “ n from
ch , ud ;,„ . Now right her* I win answer sn objection whieh mny
Owv, to my opinion, there is no Jus till cation tor this be made to my statement. "We know an actual cane
Copyright. IMS. by toe Star Company. Great Britain Right* Reserved,
iibu uminiin* vioiwuh a***#.**—-- ,
And I think they are scientifically »°>‘ nd - .
Jt, marry one who show# evidence of y d M
Thus the absurdity ot such articles as the one I have nata tendencies snd capacities. Such a one » .
described <s apparent when we realise that it to contra- most Ukely to giro his child a good phystoai.
dieted by physiological tact. On tbe same grounds must and moral equipment! „ . ,, ~
Its read harmfutness be also evident. 1. During the period of expectant
For conceive of an easily impressed. Imaginative, ex- deavor u^k-op well and happy. If anything unp-
pedant mother reading that article and believing it. happen* (b you just remember that It can t■ J
And then imagine that one day upon tho street she child unless It affect your health, and then force V