TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Evening Star, Issue 14053, 7 May 1909, Page 2

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

[From Our Spepiu. Correspondent.] k LONDON, March 26. A PRINCE’S “ PRANKS.” If one-half of the scandalous (stories told of the Crown Prince of Servia are true, there can be small wonder vat his compulsory, renunciation of his right to succeed hie father to the blood-stained’ throne of Servia; indeed, if a tithe of the tales have foundation in fact Prince George ought to have been placed years ago in a criminal lunatic asylum. Only in his twenty-second year, and' with his status as Crown Prince going back no further than the middle of 1903—prior to which he was a person of no importance— Prince George of Servia has for the past six years been constantly before the public eye, usually in the character of a young man of vicious land violent temperament, whose chief claims to notoriety were his, absolute disregard of social and political etiquette, and a total lack of those qualities which mark a man out as being fit to hold any high office of state. In fine, Prince George has been exhibited to the /public as an “unlicked cub” of the worst possible kind, prone to anger, swift to violence, a cowardly bully towards those upon whom he dared let [cose the vials of his wrath, uterly wanting in filial affection and in respect to the responsible Ministers of State. The worst scandals related of Prince George concerned his private life. It has been reported that in fits of crazy anger he had insulted, and even offered physical violence to, officials, soldiers, and servants of the Palace, that he had thrashed his tutors, and had openly insulted his father in the presence of others. The Belgrade journals have more than once insinuated doubts as to his sanity, and a correspondent of a Vienna journal actua!y reported that the Prince had become insane, and was likely to be interned in an asylum abroad.

One of the bost-aeoredited eccentricities of the Prince is his domestic practice with the revolver. He is an excellent shot, and the wails and ceilings of his apartments are covered with bullet marks. It is said that governors and aides-de-camn have resigned because they did not care to approach His Highness by a door riddled with revolver bullets.

It was reported not long ago that a mouse had been caught in Brine George's room. AA’ith the living animal in his hand, he went to the two sentinels at the entrance to the Royal Palace, and lifting it near the mouth of one of them commanded him to bite off the head of the mouse. _ The soldier refused, whereupon the Prince—so the story goes—threatened him with violence, and did actually draw his sword on the man. In the Skupshtina recently a deputy asked a question about a. Prince who was reported to have murderously attacked two footmen with a hammer, and there was no doubt in anybody s mind that Prince George was the person the deputy referred to. The “ last straw ” which broke the back of the Servian Afinistry’s endurance of the Princes “pranks.” is said to have been a murderous attack on a. groom of the chambers. AI. Kolakovitch had been for some time in the service of the Prince. On the night of March 17, it is alleged that when the Prince returned to the palace a fearful scene occurred. The Prince knocked AJ. Kolakovitch down and kicked him with his spurred riding boots about the head and body. He then ordered two soldiers to carry the insensible mar. to the guardhouse, whence be was transferred to the hospital, where he died three days later, leaving a wife and six cnildron. Almost all the Belgrade papers addressed nuestions to the Government and the police as to why no inquiry was made, into the affair, and two days later Dio journalc openly accused the Prince of murder.

The Prince is not without friends. In some quarters it is alleged that he is the victim of foul intrigue on the part cf certain Servian politicians who have the ear of the local Press. In February a representative of. the ‘ Pall, Ate.ll Gazette ’ had an interview with the Trinco, who declared _ that what the Press said of him was lies, and that the reason for this was his hhmtness, his frank outspokenness. The interviewer described him as “a youth, frank and honest, full of vivacity and superfluous energy, chafing under restraint perhaps, and mourning tho absence of activity and the presence of forethought, in his nation; tall, athletically knit, healthy looking, with deep-set, serious eyes, which may he. kindled instantly into merriment, and with all the evidence of courage writ upon his face.” It mav be so, but usually where there is smoke there is fire, and round the Crown Prince's name there has been thick, black clouds of smoko for the past five years. INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONS.

The High Commissioners and AgentsGeneral of tiie .self-governing colonies have been appointed members of the new Royal Commission who are to assist tiie Board'of Trade in the organisation of exhibits illustrative of British arts, industry, and agriculture at the forthcoming International Exhibitions at Brussels in 1910 and at Rome and Turin in 1911. The Prince "of Wales will be president of the Commission, the Earl of Lathan chairman.

The Exhibition at Brussels in 1910 will mark the inauguration of a new policy on the part of His Majesty's Government with regard to official participation in foreign international exhibitions. It, has been felt for some time past that British exhibitors have _ been at a disadvantage as compared with those of other countries, owing to the absence of any permanent organisation for preparing the British section at important international exhibitions. A committee were subsequently appointed by the President of the Board of Trade in 1905 to make inquiries and report as to the nature and extent of the benefit accruing to British arts, industries, and trade from the participation of this country in great international exhibitions, and to advise as to the steps which should be taken to secure the maximum advantage from any public money which might be expended on this object.

As a result of the recommendations contained in the Committee’s report, a special branch of the Commercial Labor and Statistical Department of the Board of Trade was recently established to deal with all matters relating to the participation of Great Britain in foreign international exhibitions, and active prep?,rations are now being made for the organisational a comprehensive display of British arts and manufactures at the three exhibitions in question. The Brussels Exhibition, which will include sections devoted to art, science, industry, and agriculture, is to open in April. 1910, and will continue for a period of about six months. The Exhibitions at Rome and Turin will open in April, 1911. and continue for a period of about six months. They are being hold to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, and are under the patronage of the King of Italy and the honorary presidency of the Duke of Aosta, The Exhibition at Turin will be devoted to industry and labor, and that at Rome to art and archaeology. MEAT TRUST MENACE. Strong comments on the increasing imports of foreign meat are made in the superintendent’s report to the Central Markets Committee, issued yesterday. " At present nearly 40 per cent, of the beef arriving at the market is derived from the United States, and the fact that meat-producing companies of that country have acquired productive works in South America, is important. The continued stoppage of live cattle importations from South America may yet become a matter of ominous import. “ Should the various overseas sources of supply become, controlled by a group of powerful firms, then the price of meat on the market can be dominated, and easily because the proportion of British predictions arriving here—one'ton in five— could not be increased under existing conditions. "In effect, the opportunities of productive employment, the greater circulation of wages in this country, together with the standing of the British producer, have been diminished. He has now to face greatly-increased importations of ah article bred, produced, preserved, and conveyed tader such favorable conditions that its

competition, and intense cheapness is making his position untenable.”

Of 409,732 tons of meat and provisions dealt with in tho markets last year, 88,262 were bred and slaughtered in'the United Kingdom, 54,691 tons fattened in Canada or the United States and slaughtered here, and 266,779 tons, or 65 per cent., were colonial, American, or foreign productions.