CURSE AT MONTE CARLO.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3776, 5 October 1907, Page 4

CURSE AT MONTE CARLO.

Haur.t of the World’s Rogues and Fools. The suggestion Unit the gambling looms at Monte Carlo should be snppre; se-1 by the Powers <f Europe- is attracting widespread attention. Mr Max I’embei ton. the novelist, who is an authority on Monte Carlo, toll an Express representative at Cambridge that the cleplomatie situation would make any such action difficult. “ I cannot pronounce an opinion on a crime that is still untried,” he said, “but one thing is clear— Monte Carlo is the haunt of every adventurer and adventuress in the world. It is astounding how many big swindles and thefts have been planned at Monte Carlo. ” The obvious curse of the place is that fools go there to make money out of the tables, and rogues go there to make money out of the fools. The atmosphere is most demoralising to young people, who lose their heads, and also all sense of the value of money.

‘‘ Another great evil is that of pure English girls succumbing to the atmosphere. They are often brought in contact at the tables with undesirable persons, with whom they actually converse.

‘‘The Government of every country is perfectly aware that Monte Carlo should he suppressed, but the diplomatic situation makes action impossible, and France, under whose protection Monte Carlo exists, is placed in a most difficult position.

“The authorities at Idonte Carlo do their best to jweserve order in the rooms, but is is perfectly impossible to keep out rogues of both sexes. Wherever you have unrestricted gambling you will have attendant crime.

“ The suicides at Monte Carlo I regard as only a minor part of the evil. There must be thousands of tragedies in all parts of Europe, which could he traced hack tc the gambling rooms at Monte Carlo.

“ I am convinced that the suppression of Monte Carlo would prove a more practical and nobler work for humanity than the advancement of impossible propositions at the Hague Peace Confere nee. ’ ’