WICKED MONTE CARLO

Te Aroha News, Volume XLI, Issue 6410, 3 November 1923, Page 2

WICKED MONTE CARLO

CROWN PRINCESS’ REFORMS GOOD-BYE TO VAMPIRES The young’ Crown Princess Charlotte of Monica, a beautiful and charming' young woman, was taking a very early morning walk through her miniature dominions the other day, Her father is the ruler of the tiny principality which, by harbouring the biggest gambling den on earth, is able to keep him and his family in as great luxury as any kind of millionaire in Europe.

She came to the palm bordered driveway that leads up to the Casino, —the gambling den. On the eauisi-tely-kept grass by pathway a strange sight met her eyes.

It was a young woman, in rich evening costume, stretched upon the turf. The Princess went up to the woman and touched her. She was dead. In her hand was the little empty vial of poison she had drained. ,

The frightened little Princess looked closer at the dead woman’s pale face. Then her terror grew greater. She recognised the face as that of the young Countess de B , whom she had known socially, and who had recently been happily married to an attractive young nobleman. She was a suicide, a victim of the gambling den, who, by rare chance, had been overlooked by the many vigilant guardians who are always on the watch to gather up dead bodies for delivery to their relatives or for burial in Monte Carlo’s secret cemetery of poor and nameless suicides.

The little Crown Princess did not realise all that suicide implied at once. She had been too much occupied with her first baby and with all the enjoyments of her newly-acquired rank to think of the miseries and tragedies that supported her. THE BEAUTIFUL VAMPIRES

By diligent inquiry, however, she learned many unpleasant things about Monte Carlo. She learned that beautiful women were always in waiting at the Casino to pursuade wealthy men to prolong their st,Uy at Monte Carlo and to spend their money at its gambling tables and other pleasures; that suave and polished young men made it a business to lure foolish women to the gambling tables.

The little Princess ascertained that amazing parties were being held in the 50 hotels and the. many fine restaurants that Monte Carlo possesses. Sounds of wild laughter and song filled the night air. She learned that, as in Deauville, Aix-les-Bains, and Biarritz, there was a sort of competition to show the largest and finest collection of fashionable actresses, notorious demi-mondaines, professional beauties, and alluring women of all types. „ ' The unsophisticated little lady did not know that other places were about as bad as Monte Carlo, and perhaps it would have made no difference to her. What horrified her was the thought that she was living inluxury on the wiles of notorious women, sin,. ruin, misery and suicide.

Her investigation of the suicides cemetery shocked her more than anything else. Far away.from the gambling, Casino .it lies, on a steep hillside. A high wall surrounds it and hides it. No sign above the gloomy iron gateway shows it character. The police drive away persons who try to photograph or inspect the cemetery. Only once in many years has anybody succeeded in photographing it. It is estimated that the number of suicides at Monte Carlo averages at least one a day. The thousands of uncared-for mounds in the cemetery represent more than the mere resting-place of madmen or fools who have pitted themselves against the immutable laws of mathematics. They are in themselves an everlasting monument to the genius of a man who, with the eye of faith, beheld a goldmine in a rubbish, heap; a monument to the creator of Monte Carlo, Francois Blanc.

DEMANDED REFORM

When the little Princess learnt enough of the horrors on which she was living, she went to her father, Prince Louis, and demanded that they be stopped. “But, my dear, we are dependent on them for our revenues,,” said the Prince. “Better starve than live on tne fruits of crime and wickedness,” replied his daughter. “Nobody can have the right to maintain such a state of affiairs.”

The Prince agreed that some things ought to be changed. It was quite impossible to close the gambling establishment, but a great reform has been brought about. Old Camille Blanc, son of the founder of the gambling den, was removed from the position of director. With

him went his favorite female companion. Blanc’s relatives of the Imperial Bonaparte family and the princely Radzivill family were deprived of their power in the management of the place. A CHARMING YOUNG WOMAN

All the notorious women who had made Monte Carlo their huntingground were ordered to leave, and orders were given that no more women should be allowed to serve as a lure for the establishment. The Crown Princess is a sweet, beautiful and charming young woman who was married only a few years ago. Shortly before her marriage she was formally adopted as heir to the principality by her grandfather, old Prince Albert.

The Crown Princess was the daughter of a peasant girl, Mile. Louvet, whom her father, Crown Prince Louis married by a religious union while he was estranged from his father, Prince Albert, the scientist and student of deep-sea fish. When she was still a little girl, the old Prince, feeling that his anger should not fall on a child, had her educated in a manner suitable to a descendant of an ancient princely family. As she grew into womanhood the old Prince became more and more attached to her, and when she was 18 formally named her as the eventual successor to his throne. Soon after that she was married to Count Pierre de Polignac, a young man of ancient French family. Upon their marriage the Prince conferred upon them the title of Duke and Duchess de Valentinois.