THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Harris & Ewing. RALPH J. TOTTEN (See page 259) Vol. VII JULY, 1930 BANKING AND INVESTMENT SERVICE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD The National City Bank of New York and Affiliated Institutions THE NATIONAL CITY BANK OF NEW YORK CAPITAL, SURPLUS AND UNDIVIDED PROFITS $242,409,425.19 (AS OF MARCH 27, 1930) HEAD OFFICE FORTY ONE BRANCHES IN 55 WALL STREET. NEW YORK GREATER NEW YORK Foreign Branches in ARGENTINA . BELGIUM . BRAZIL . CHILE . CHINA . COLOMBIA . CUBA DOMINICAN REPUBLIC . ENGLAND . INDIA . ITALY . JAPAN . MEXICO . PERU . PHILIPPINE ISLANDS PORTO RICO . REPUBLIC OF PANAMA . STRAITS SETTLEMENTS . URUGUAY . VENEZUELA. THE NATIONAL CITY BANK OF NEW YORK (FRANCE) S. A. Paris 41 BOULEVARD HAUSSMANN 44 AVENUE DES CHAMPS ELYSEES Nice: 6 JARDIN du Roi ALBERT ler INTERNATIONAL BANKING CORPORATION (OWNED BY THE NATIONAL CITY BANK OF NEW YORK) Head Office: 55 WALL STREET, NEW YORK Foreign and Domestic Branches in UNITED STATES . SPAIN . ENGLAND and Representatives in The National City Bank Chinese Branches BANQUE NATIONALE DE LA REPUBLIQUE D’HAITI (AFFILIATED WITH THE NATIONAL CITY BANK OF NEW YORK) Head Office: PORT AU-PRINCE, HAITI CITY BANK FARMERS TRUST COMPANY (AFFILIATED WITH THE NATIONAL CITY BANK OF NEW YORK) Head Office: 22 WILLIAM STREET, NEW YORK Temporary Headquarters: 43 EXCHANGE PLACE THE NATIONAL CITY COMPANY (AFFILIATED WITH THE NATIONAL CITY BANK OF NEW YORK) HEAD OFFICE OFFICES IN 50 LEADING 65 WALL STREET, NEW YORK AMERICAN CITIES Foreign Offices: LONDON . AMSTERDAM . GENEVA . TOKIO . SHANGHAI Canadian Offices: MONTREAL . TORONTO The National City Company, through its offices and affiliations in the United States and abroad, offers a world-wide investment service to those interested in Dollar Securities. LONDON OFFICE: 34 BISHOPSGATE, E.C. 2. FOREIGN S JOURNAL PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION VOL. VII, No. 7 WASHINGTON, D. C. JULY, 19.10 The Paris of the Balkans By J. RIVES CHILDS, Consul, Bucharest, Rumania I concrete results of trade promotion work), Mr. F THIS were a conventional tale of adventure Compton sought again counsel of the Consulate. I Sloughed off now was his business-like man¬ in a European capital, there would be, of course, the dashing diplomatic secretary with ner, the confident speech, and gone even was the waxed mustachios, an English accent and a high little gold pencil which had followed upon paper powered car; a nobleman of the country, who the words of the Consul in previous interviews. proves a cad; and a princess incognito. “I am leaving tomorrow for Constantinople,” But as life is made up of reality as well as he began as he took a seat and gazed nervously romance, this plain tale has to do with such un¬ about him as if he were observing the interior prepossessing characters as an American Consul of the room for the first time. with a lean income and the accent of the prairies; “Very successful trip, thanks to the excellent an unpretentious American business man. and a contacts given me by you. Mr. Popescu should cabaret queen having her origin from simple prove a first rate agent. Knows something of people. American methods of doing business and has The fame of Bucharest as the Paris of the some really keen ideas on promoting our line. Balkans has spread up and down the earth and I’ve done far better than I anticipated.” those Americans, who pray that they may go to He lit the cigarette proffered him. Paris when they die. no doubt conclude their “I get a kick out of a tough job like I used to devotions with the wish that, if purgatory must get in the old trench raiding parties in the Ar- prepare the way, it be vouchsafed them in the gonne. You think and have a feeling for nothing Balkan Paris. else but the job at hand; in France, it was a Business men, travelers and wayfarers, whoever darned sure thing you would or you were bumped they may be, find that in the Balkans all roads off then and there. I suppose the old idea has lead to Bucharest and, once there, are not content persisted with the men who came out of the to leave it to others to judge whether or not the Army. You were in the Army, weren’t you ?” proverbial comparison of Bucharest with Paris is “Eightieth Division, 359th Infantry.” apposite or not. “In Paris much?” “Paris! Heavens, yes ! Four months there after II the Armistice. Know it better than any city in Rob Compton, European sales manager of an the world. What I might say of Paris would be American firm and sometime officer in the A. E. platitudinous. The doughboy summed up the in¬ F., came into Bucharest with a portfolio of con¬ capacity of anyone to put a proper estimation of tracts under the arm and a guide to the Paris of the city into words when he said, ‘Some city.’ ” the Balkans in his pocket. Having added to his A growing light of sympathy appeared in the stock of contracts and concluded his business in¬ sensitive grey eyes of Compton. He settled him¬ vestigations (with the help of the Consulate, of self a little deeper in his chair. course, as will appear in time in a report of the The reminiscent silence was broken by Comp- 237 ton. His hand shook slightly as he crumpled his less the time to cut figures in the gay social life cigarette in an ash tray. of a European capital. As for the American bus¬ “Paris, yes, what a city. Was there myself iness man, he takes his cue and awaits the moment with the military police at old Rue St. Anne after until his fortune is made before stepping out be¬ the Armistice. 1 know parts of that city the fore the footlights of romance to sign the only boulevardier never dreamed existed. In fact I disadvantageous contract of which he was ever saw too much.” guilty, embodying the terms of the dowry de¬ He hesitated, ceased speaking and after an em¬ manded by his titled son-in-law. barrassing interval, resumed the conversation If hope is entertained that color may be found abruptly. “They say this little burg is the Paris in the Alcazar cabaret of Bucharest, Paris of the of the Balkans, anything to it?” Balkans, that hope must end in disillusionment. “There are a couple of cabarets in town; the A dancing palace where a liquid denominated women follow the Paris styles; and some of the champagne brings the price of bootleg whiskey in waiters in the restaurant speak French.” the United States, rows upon rows of dazzling- “1 haven’t been in a cabaret—well, for seven lights, and tables of unhappy looking people, the years, not since 1 left Paris. Whaddya say we Alcazar is but a mirror of the night life of Paris, look them over.” Berlin, Uondon, and New York. The language The regulations of the Consular Service are overhead is the only difference and, for a novelty, silent as to cabarets, and the accounts and re¬ there is a gypsy orchestra which alternates with turns of consuls take no account of expenditures the inevitable jazz band. The waiters bear the on behalf of the entertainment of visiting Ameri¬ same bored expressions as in U’Abbe Theleme, cans. The regulations do speak, however, of the the Faun, or the Embassy Club, and there is the necessity on the part of foreign service officers same smell of stale cigarette smoke, and the same to familiarize themselves with the customs of the strenuous effort displayed on the part of visitors country. to escape from an ever-depressing sense of reality. The Consul glanced at the clock and took a The formal program began on the evening of survey of his desk. the visit of Compton and the Consul with an “Seven o’clock and nothing of pressing im¬ Apache dance done after the brutal realism of the portance that can’t be done as well tomorrow. Grand Guignol tradition. It was well done, a bit We’ll go to the Alcazar, it’s the best.” too well done. He shuffled up the manuscript pages of a re¬ Compton rapped a cigarette impatiently upon port on the market in Rumania for American cus¬ the table. “That girl knows what she is doing. pidors, of which there had been composed only I’ve been in dives in Paris where the real thing the introductory sentence, “Despite an economic was not so well performed. Looking for A. W. backwardness in comparison with the United O. L. men who had gone bad and run amuck.” States, spitting has not become widespread in The girl was a slender lithesome thing of public in Rumania,” and took an apologetic fare¬ extraordinary grace and the Consul fell to won¬ well of his day’s labor. dering whether that part of her features, which He straightened up his shoulders as he followed were concealed by a mask, were as indicative as Compton from his office and gave his straw hat the unconcealed mouth and chin of the delicate the least bit of a tilt as he emerged out of doors. character of the artist as manifested in her dance. Whatever the regulations may say, consuls have “She is a clever thing,” Compton was observ¬ but rare occasion to familiarize themselves with ing. “I wonder she isn’t on the stage. Where do the customs characteristic of the country, so far these girls come from anyway?” as they may be found displayed in cabarets. “They are on a regular circuit which they travel.