The Emperor Comes

If there is one thing that sentimental Austrians like even better than coffee topped with whipped cream, it is an emperor. Last week, for the first time in years, a real emperor dropped in on Vienna, and the city was plunged into a swivet of what local newspapers called Kaiser-fieber (emperor fever). The real emperor: His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie, King of Kings, Conquering Lion of Judah.

Protocol officers soon were deep in the matter of an honor guard to greet the visitor, since occupied Austria has no soldiers. First they thought of using cops, but switched to postmen after reflecting that cops might look like an arresting party. Finally, they went back to cops.

It was perhaps unfortunate that the 1951 Packard assigned to meet Haile Selassie broke down, that the cops completely forgot their rigid eyes-front attitude and gazed instead with open curiosity as Haile Selassie strolled past. But then, it had been a long time between emperors, and Viennese could be forgiven if for a single nostalgic moment last week they forgot themselves in a past sung in three-quarter time.