After Coronation, Ping-Pong

The Governor-General of French Indo-China, M. Rene Robin, reported last week that his undercover agents heard grumblings in the Annamite Valley villages against the wedding last fortnight of their young Buddhist Emperor, pouting Bao Dai (TIME, April 2). It was just as well that the new Empress, pretty little Mariette Nguyen Huu Hao, who was a Catholic and a commoner, remained all week behind the walls of the Red City in Hue. Bao Dai gave his bride what entertainment there was within the walls. A house guest was her sister, wife of a Baron Didelot who is head of an Asiatic news service in Ton-king, north of Annam. The two young women gloated over the store of wedding presents, precious silks and stones, including the Empress' favorites, pearls and emeralds. Bao Dai played over all his phonograph records, showed his bride his library of detective stories and trounced her soundly at ping-pong, at which he was once one of the best players in France.

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