The Omaha Sunday Bee Magazine Page
tet Kintf Jo b iif Al I The Wor Id
The First Thing in the Morn
Ing Will Bo the Royal
Rat Hunt
GB1
And by Noon tho King Must
Have Kissed One Hundred
of His Bearded Retainers.
Shooting Is tho Prime Sport in
Albania, and There la Every
Indication the King Will
Be a Frequent Target.
"TOTTKEN tho now King of Albania
A reached his palace the other
v day he found that the bed
toads had not been put up. Tho rata
hesan to scamper about tho room as
the King end Queen throadod tholr
'way among the ramshackle furni
ture of tholr new home.
The Queen then went downstairs
and found tho kitchen decorated In
black, a result of the kind of Are that
was used there and tho grease that
had accumulated on tho walls.
Everything about tho house- was
In a similar state of dirt and unpro
parednoss. Even If tho place had
boon in spick-and-span order It would
not have boon very Inviting.
These and other circumstances
connected with the now King's rule
faave led an American obsorvor to
describe it as tho "toughost king Job
In the world."
Disagreeable as the King's ex
perience eeems likely to bo, that of
Che Queen, his wife, will bo even
worse. A refined American, house
wife -would surely rebel nt the
thought of living in a country where
there are no bathtubs and similar
conveniences, and where the average
citizen eats at table with his battlo
knife.
Albania is the country that was
tho greatest bone of contention in
the recant war of the Balkan States
against Turkey, Before that war it
formed part of the Turkish Emplro
In Europe. It contains about 1,600,
000 inhabitants. Of these tho greator
number arav Mohammedans. They
live in tho mountains and are very
nearly savages. Along tho coast
there 1b a sprinkling of more civil
ized pepplo, some of them Catholics
and of Italian origin. .
At tho end of the war Montenegro
occupied Albania and nearly split
Europe Into two warring factions by
tho action. All the Powers combined
and put Monteuegro out Then' it
was agreed to settle the question by
making Albania an. Independent
kingdom.
Then -began the hunt for a king.
To .start with, the great Powers ob
Jected to a Prince from any one of
their reigning families taking the
.position. Of the remaining Princes
outside that group nearly every ono
refused the crown.
In the lend Prince William of "Wled
was found to be the only suitable
Prince who would accept the new
throne. In tho eyes of the Albanians
his chief recommendation was his
great height He stands six feet
seven Inches high, and Is probably
tho tallest man In his new country.
Ho belongs to an ancient German
family, which, though possessing no
territories, is recognized as having
rights of social equality with reign
ng families.
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
Tho Prince Is vory rich, and his palace of
Nouwled is a magnificent place. This must
mako tho chango to the rough and barbarous
conditions of Ufa In Albania all tho moro dis
agreeable. Evidently tho glamor of a crown and
tho romance of tho position havo led him to face
all Its dangers.
Prlnco William is tho nephow of Queon Eliza
beth of Rumania, tho celebrated "Carmen
Sylva" of literature. She was born a Princess
of Wled. It was Queon Elizabeth who suggested
to hor nephow the possibility of bocomlng King
of Albania, and coached him in the ways of got
ting around tho many difficulties of the situation.
Tho Prince's nationality mado him acceptable
to Qormony and Austria. Ho mado a good im
pression iby his tact on Russia, England and tho
other Powers interested in settling Albania.
Ono obstaclo to bo overcomo con
sisted of Essad Pasha, tho leading
Mohammndnn nt Alhnnlo nnrf n
fighter of tho most savago character.
Essad Pasha could probably have
boon selected king by his rifle-carrying
friends in the mountains, hut
the principal Powers would not per
mit his soleotlon. ,
Essad Pasha was persuaded that It
would bo bettor to elect an unobjec
tionable gontloman as king, and to
oxerclso his own power as tho king's
right-hand man. Essad headed tho
deputation that formally invited
Prlnco William of Wled to accept
tho throne,
Tho King deslgnod a special uni
form for himself to bo worn in his
new kingdom. It is of tho hussar
style, but unlike any other European
uniform In color. It is of gray cloth
with green trimmings. Tho groon is
designed to placate Turkish sym
pathies, and tho poutral gray is sup
posed to bo acceptable to all ele
ments. Tho King's formal entranco into
his 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
Durazzo, halt a day's Journey away.
An escort of foreign warships accom
panied tho yacht
Durazzo was chosen as the capital
of tho now kingdom because It is on
tho soacoast and has a comparatively
clvlllrod population. In caso of dis
tress tho King could make a quick
escape from hero to Austrian terri
tory. Scutari Is tho largest town, but
it 1b in cloao proximity to tho moun
tains and their dangerouB inhab
itants. The house selected as the King's
palaco had belonged to a well-to-do
merchant Thoro was not sufficient
tlmo to put it in ropair or furnish i,t
suitably for a king, and bosldes there
WAR nn mnnnv fnr then niimnio
Tho JClng must depend on customs duties for
any revenues ho hopes to obtain in Albania. It
ia impossible to collect the taxes from tho Al
banians, who live in the mountains and havo al
ways a rifle ready for an unwelcome visitor.
Tho correspondents observed that Queen
Sophie, the wife of the new King, looked ox
tremoly pale as Bhe mado her entranco into her
new dominions. Sho is a delicate, graceful
woman, and, in addition to other attractions,
dresses charmingly. Sho is well fitted to bo a
R "
The Beautiful
and Delicate
New Queen
of Albania,
Who Will
Have to For-v
get Every
Civilized
Custom.
In order to maintain bis position in Albania,
the King will have to receive the leading moun
taineers freely in his palace, and to entertain
them hospitably. The mountaineers always go
visiting with tholr guns and their knives. It is
supposed that tho King's servants will invite
the visitors to leave their guns outside the
palaco door before entering tho reception room
or the dining room..
It is said that when an Albanian has ones
Interesting Dinner Scene in the Albanian Palace,
T J TT 31.-1.-1. T If 1 ITT 1
juascu upun u oiteivu iruiu ljiia uy iuion vvoou
villc, the Famous English Illustrator.
eaten salt with you, he will not shoot you wit
out warning, but up to that point ho feels froe
to act as he pleases. Hence It will be to the In
terest of tho King to dine with as many of his
subjoots as possible.
It is customary 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 tho leading chiefs.
Before noon of his first day's rulo ho kissed
moro than a hundred of his force of retainers
in order to make himself popular.
Tho homes of tho mountaineers aro regular
fortresses. They aro built of stone and situated
in tho most unassailable spots in the mountains.
They havo no glass windows, hut narrow open
ings in tho walls give ventilation and aro
useful as loopholes for rifle shooting. WlUm
these walls the Albanians llvo in a barbarous
and picturesque manner. Tho women of their
harems mako all their clothes and most of their
articles of dally use..
King William will mako visits among these
picturesque people, and hero his perils and hard
ships will be numerous. There are no roads in
the country and only two bridges, although tho
rivers are many and deep. Rifle shooting is the
principal sport of the mountaineers, and the
IClng will be expected to witness exhibitions of
their skill without showing any nervousness,
and to mako presents to tho most expert
The King has been diligently studying the Al
uanlan language, and at last accounts had mas
tered two words meaning "Albania forever!"
These he repeated three times on every possible
occasion, as folows:
"Rnoft Shkypnyal Rnoft Shkypnya! Rnoft
Shkypnyal"
Queon Sophie has learned to squat on the
floor in tho Mohammedan fashion and to wear
the veil and trousers of the Mohammedan women.
She will endeavor to win tho friendship of
the wives of tho leading Mohammedans by
nlimulnr' n f nmll h rltv with 1 n I T- .natnme
Thero is no gao, no electricity, no railroads
In thn wholn of Altannln.. Tt ia nnf nrw-nnani-v
to say that minor luxuries, which are now
considered necossary to the happiness of civil
ized people, are oIbo missing. An automobile
would be useless there because there are no
roads. The horso is the only efficient modus of
travelling there, and ono needs ho a well hard
ened horseman to make use of that.
J J JH VUU lUAMAJf UlinulUt) Wlttb UIU5 I V 111'
iam and Queen Sophie can enjoy as long as they
The Astonishinglv Unroyal "Royal" Bedroom of the New
King and Queen of Albania.
are In residence at Durazzo. They can sttp on
board their yacht and immediately escape from A Photograph Showing the Great Height of the New Kinsr
thelr rather terrible dominions. The Main Reason He Wns Phnn
Science Explodes the Old-Fashioned Belief That We Are "Marked" by Pre-natal Impressions
By Prof. EDWARD K. STRONG, Ph.D., having over" been printed. It was criminal in Ita sent!- of the eort," some one will say. "We know a woman nassed a hunch-baeked woman nrtw i.i.
t-eiiow in psychology at Columbia University.
A CONSCIENTIOUS acquaintance of mine was ex
pecting her first baby. Naturally she wanted
that baby to have and be the very best of every
thing, fio she spent a good deal of the time she could
sparo from sewing in reading deep scientific works. Sho
did not always understand them and they mado hor head
ache, hut what matters that? Tho little eon might turn
out a great scientist!
Aa It happened he turned out to he a little daughter,
riut oven it he hadn't, would his chances of being a
scientist havo been improved hy his mother's self-sacrificing
reading? I doubt it
Tho question of the limits and nature of prenatal in
fluence is an interesting one. But I feel sure that much
of the popular literature on tho subject lays its empha
sis in quite the wrong direction.
One article in particular has been rankling in 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 in one of the leading periodicals for women. In it
were recapitulated the old theories that an expectant
mother must see no unpleasant sights, think no un
pleasant thought, hear no unpleasant news. But in
stead or giving the real reason for tnese beliefs name-
.moUtmaI dMurbance might upset the health
n 5m ibf.r ?,otrcct tho nutriment of tho child
it Based its objection on the ground of "mother's"
S5fi v lt,jlctuar doclared that if an expectant
fho.uLd e.ee a luWooted man. sl-o would run a
good risk of having a club-footed child,
wow, la my opinion, thero is no Justification for this
having over' been printed. It was criminal In ita sentl-
m.ntnl v a n rv , I .1 I - .
The only way tho mother can affect the child, once it
has begun to dovelop, is in tho giving of nutriment and
the removal of waste, A healthy mother can give the
right quality and quantity of nourishment and absorb
the waste products, of tho expected little one. But if
the mother's physical condlUon is Impaired, then the
child is insufficiently fed and so cannot develop strength.
Or, perhaps, tho mother is unable to remove the waste
and the child is poisoned.
Consequently desirable prenatal influence means good
health on tho part of the mother. Everything conducive
to good health should be an object to her. She should
keep calm and cheerful because the state of her nerves
will affect hor digestion. She should have good air, good
sleep and good food for tho same reason. It she likes
music, listening to it will bo a good influence for the
child, because it will tend to keep up her general well
being, not because It will mako the child a Caruso or
an Eames or a musician of any kind.
Now, bearing these facta in mind, we can see how 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 scientific reading on
tho part of one affect the brain of tho other? And as for
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 Htature?" ask the Scriptures, And surely it Is far
moro Impossible to suppose that a woman by taking
thought can modify an organism qulto dlBtlnct from her
own I
NOW rlcht horn T will m.i,.. - -l. lt
bo made to my statement "Wo know an actual case
Copyright, lt14. by the BUr ComDany. Great Brlttdn JttjrMs Reserved.
iud Duiii ouuiu uuo nui oujr. nuuw a vruiUHii
who saw a club-footed man and had a club-footed son."
n 11 i l ) .j ...
r-eriecuy poasiuie. uomciaences wu nappen.
Tho point is, however, that coincidences aro always
noticed, the lack of coincidence seldom. It Is extremely
probable that every expectant mother has looked upon
some deformity or other. But what a small per cent of
deformed beings there are. And every time a perfect
child was born the mother forgot the blind or lame or
distressed persons eho had seen, whllo on the contrary,
whenever a defective child was born tho parents
searched their memories for some past incident which
would explain it
For example, a friend of mine tells me that he was
born with five llttlo red spots on tho back of his head.
And hts mother claimed it was because she had once
sat with her hands behind her head wishing for currants.
She would certainly have forgotten that wish If he had
not been so marked. But she will now add her testi
mony in favor of "mother's marks." While all the
women who wished for automobiles to take an airing in
while their babies were coming and then bore babies
unbranded by license numbers will attach no importance
to such lack.
The government has recently issued a very sensible
bulletin ("Prenatal Care," by Mrs. Max West, Children's
Bureau, Department of Labor), on the subject of pre
natal Influence, and in It the matter of mother's marks
is disposed of as quite without foundation in fact
Thus tho absurdity of such articles as the one I havo
deicrlbed Is appsrent when we realize that it is contra
dicted by physiological fact On the same grounds must
its real harmfulness be also evident
For conceive of an easily impressed, imaginative, ex-
nertant rnnthpr vonrilm ..41.1. t,-iiA.ri.n i .
And then Imagine that one day upon the etreet Bhe
tried to sell her shoe strings. Such episodes are com
monmost of us hardly notice them. But this woman
would noUco tho occurrence, if she had believed the
article. And she would worry about It. She would ha
afraid for her child. Her mind would dwell on tho sub
ject and always with fear and trembling. And flnallv
her digestion would be affected. And then the ch tS
would be injured, not because his mother had Been an
unpleasant sight, but because she had been led to think
too much of that sight. He would in all likelihood not
be bora with a hunched back or without legs, but ha
would be undernourished and under developed. And all
womanp0afper? Un9clent,flo herlcal article in a
No. the time to exert prenatal influence 18 before on
gets married. A. wise choice of husband or wife in
beat any amount of study later on. For the woman who
fLZ avit "twal scientific tastesTtandl a
. f S llrtr,a ohUd w,th ntinc tastes. Jus
ri?S w!1!18". a man with rlmlnal tende"
cles runs tho risk pf having a criminally disposed son
Ldim, aCQU,re,d hablt8t tho" mothers Jus? before
the little one is born can Mo nothing to alter the nature
or tnelr offspring.
I would make two commandments for those who wish
to exercise desirable prenatal influence on their off
spring. And I think they are scientifically sound-
1. First, marry one who showe evidence of R'oo& In.
nate tendencies and capacities. Such a ono will i
most likely to give his child a good physical mental
and moral equipment. "cai, mental
2. During the period of expectant motherhood
deavor to keep well and happy, if anvthinT,, cn
happens to you Just rememboV tha it S2?ant
child unless it affect your health, ana then fS?iUr