BUSINESS AS USUAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 October 1939, Page 9

BUSINESS AS USUAL

MONTE CARLO IN CRISIS

t WHAT FRANCE EXPECTED. VISITS OF SOCIAL CELEBRITIES. ’ The following news bulletin from ’ Monte Carlo was posted on August 27, before the international crisis, and shows how the French viewed the pos- • sible developments. The doubt expres- , sed in the final paragraph was only too • well founded. : In our last bulletin we commented on the social brilliance oj the summer season at Monte Carlo. At the last gala dinner, held on Friday, August 18, the 1 Sporting Club was invaded by a crowd of celebrities which recalled to the mind of old stagers visions of the golden era of 1925-1926. Ambaassadors, including Mr Joseph Kennedy and Dr Wellington Koo, exchanged small talk with the film stars Norma Shearer, Douglas Fairbanks, Senr, George Raft and Charles Boyer. Socialites of the calibre of the Ame-rican-born Comtessa di Frasso, Mrs Charles Sweeny, Miss Pauline Winn, Prince and Princess of Bavaria, “Boomps a Daisy-ed” on the illuminated glass dance floor under a canopy of stars. The strains of Strauss’s most famous waltzes floated out on the murmuring Mediterranean as three flying figures carrying flaming torches detached themselves from the coast and, riding the waves behind a powerful speed craft, like modern messengers of Mercury, gave a thrilling display of night water ski-ing. No ordinary performers were these, but people whose names are household words in society. Lorna, daughter of Esmond Harmsworth; Pauline, daughter of Admiral the Hon Arthur Stopford; and Whitney Bourne, just married to Paramount Pictures’ president, Stanton Griffis. Gambling was on a high scale in the club after dinner and ' big money changed hands with dazzling rapidity. Not all played, however, and there were those like Max Aitken and his fiancee, Cynthia Monteith, who pre.ferred to sit aside. Yet others like Sacha Guitry with his wife took in the gay crowd. Plans were being made for the weekend and invitations given for the forthcoming events. Monaco was staging the ’Varsity games in the new 150,000 stadium; there were cruiser and motor boat races held along the coast, and Monte Carlo was organising the August International Tennis Tournament. Such was the situation barely a week ago. Today the glittering crowds are gone, vanished practically overnight, which is understandable because many held responsible positions at home. The mobilisation of French forces has depleted the Casino staff to such an extent as to cause the immediate closing of the Summer Sporting Club. The main Casino is struggling along as best it can with a skeleton staff and hourly croupiers are being called from the roulette table to rejoin at once their unit. At the beach, the bathing pool and restaurant are carrying on and there are quite a number of people bathing and water-skiing. Twenty-four hours ago the Monaco Government and the French ConsulGeneral issued proclamations advising the people who were not compelled to stay, to leave as soon as possible, and a few hours ago a U.S.A, destroyer put in at Monaco to remove the archives of the International Hydrographic Bureau. There is no panic, however. Indeed there is no cause. Those who are called up go with quiet determina-

tion, those who are left endeavour to justify the slogan “Business as usual.” The finals of the University'games took place today and Prince Rainer, grandson of the Prince of Monaco, came on purpose to witness them. A short while ago there was a line of cars, three bearing G.B. plates, drawn up in front of the Hotel de Paris, where a number of people were lunching at flower bedecked tables. In the Casino eight roulette and two trente et quarante tables were still operating. An old British resident’s opinion was that all would end well. He was, however, more concerned with the operation of an elusive system, the intricacy of which he has never completely mastered. On .the Place du Casino several dozens of tourists were being deposited by excursion cars, through the open doors of the Casino came floating the call of a croupier “Les Jeux sont faits, rien ne va plus.” From the Terraces one can see the coastline extend for miles. It is a sight of incredible loveliness. Drinking in its beauty, watching the, little children playing above the deep blue Mediterranean it seems impossible that war threatens to close down upon the world and that a way to arbitration will not be found. If it should not be found, then this will be our last bulletin. So we take this opportunity to thank you for the patience you have shown in perusing this and to wish you all the very best of luck.