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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (March 8, 1908)
TJTOURNAU" PORTLAND.,-. SUNDAY " jlORNING. MARQj- ::l-y : - ( THE - OREGON SUNDAY Kaiser Says Mrs. Tower is the "Von Moltke of the Social Set of the NLY one American woman, so far as known, has ever been decorated with ' the hithest praise that the German emperor can bestow. Of Mrs. Tower, wife of the VnUcd States" ambassador, Charlemagne' Wowcr he said not long ago : "She is the Ton Moltke of Berlin so- lilt 5 rwy,"- . 4?A?rrty poorrr. of rfrc Torres fcxrjrc In addition, the enthusiastic kaiser de clared that Mrs. Tower had done more to make social life in the German capital brilliant and interesting than any one who has been in 'Berlin during his reign. : : All of which is high praise, especially the comparison to Yon Moltke, one of the ideals of the military kaiser. The fact is, the social career of the Towers in Berlin has been far more brilliant than the majority of their coun trymen are aware, and this does not detract" from the value of the diplomatic service ren dered by the American ambassador. fTT0 BE regarded by auch high authority aa the Von I - Moltke of Berlin society is a diatlnction that jl ' would crown a German hostess with proud honors for life. Notable features of the winter sdclal season for several years In the German capital have been the fancy dresa balls given by Ambassador and Mrs. Tower at the American embassy. . Of the first one It waa aald; In the splendor vt the appointments and the brilliancy nt th guMMt' rostumea. ih contume ball given at tbe ' American embassy outdid even the court functions. Ail th notables of tha imperial court were present, find tbe most exclusive and wealthy circle of Beninese ' Bnciety w fepiewmed. Ttieseniiatnm -f-th vgt was the costume worn by the crown prince, who appeared in the Uniform worn by his regiment at the time of . Frederick the fireHt It consisted of a cost with full t anque and Tons; waistcoat very much be-buttoned. With tlieie a powdered wig and white gaiters were worn. . . - The prince was accompanied by a group of otlicers of bit reglinont. all arrayed in the same fashion. When it was announced, some months ago, that Ambaaaador Tower had made up" his mind to leave the ; diplomatic service thla year., the crown prince, J'rlnce Eltel Frederick, and other begged Mrs. Tower to cap th climax of their winter's social whirl with another of her Incomparably brilliant entertainments. lTbla was arranged, but was delayed beyond the original date by the period of court mourning for tbe king and crown prince of Portugal. , , With, every Qualification for social leadership, and wit!) great wealth at their command, Mr. and Mrs. Tower have aet a pace for entertaining such as was never known before of Americans in Berlin. Not in frequently an item like this Is seen in the news. apers: . ; Emperor William and three officers of his suite dined with IJnited States Ambassador and Mrs. Tower at the American embassy last evening. ' Ever mindful of his station, and averse to dining nt embassies, tbe kaiser has made no secret of his pleasure at accepting the hospitality of the Towers. Mr, and Mr. Tower give dinners several times a year to t i emperor and empress, and air the princes, of the German confederacy accept invitations to the Ameri can embassy. - ' KAISER'S FAVORITE DIPLOMAT "At n expense far more lavish than any other representative of the United State ever dreamed of." state one account; "entertaining on a scale of great splendor, upending 300,000 yearly in excess of his salary, Mr. Tower has gradually built himself up as the favorite diplomat of tbe kaiser. ."It la generally known that the emperor has a high re&ara for Mr. Tower's diplomatic -ability, which would, no doubt, be fully recognized even did the Americans fall to maintain the social splendor which Wllhelre so greatly admires." Soon after the beginning of Mr. Tower's term as ambassaddt . to Germany, the following news -item wont the rounds: , , T M3L''0?'er Popular as her husband, and haw sev not m?oTmaTity,nVUd t0 V,Bt th ,npref" wlth tne ut .t'if.' A"? H4 iewels are already famous at court 5 . iJ 'mo her linguistic abilities, her personal eliarm. rare tact and unfeigned cordiality to all she meets. Time, has Increased her prestige of popularity. Mrs. iS "' .Vf.'VS! f f most successful bostesse which the United States has ever sent across the At- -It is ald of herthat she accepts tha customs and rourt regulations of Germany with unfailing good humor, if nd conscientiously endeavors to fulfil her duties as the There was general regret in diplomatic circle when Inst fall. Ambassador Tower asked permission to retire jitiM ih totelRn ervlce of the country this' year jt waa recalled that he had been continuously mints-1-r unl ambassador longer than any other prominent ',iJonixt In the American servfee, having been abroad la Vich tMiHirltia nearly eleven years. lower private fortune has enabled him and Mrs. u :1 IMKT. :i Mr 1 !; iphi: r . r- ii f i i i.ii I -v " . ., f v IIP pqilfyF JP Tower t carve out a social career at Berlin that waa be yond the reach of moat previous representatives of this country. And few on thla aide of the Atlantto reallae how much Influence the aoclal aide of diplomacy haa upon Ua bualncaa or political aide. Show counts for a treat deal at every European court. The aoclal aide of diplomacy la as necessary, al--tnoat aa' ability to handle great international questione. While Mr. Tower haa made careful study of Quea tlona constantly arising In diplomatic circles, both he and hla wife have been fully alive to the Importance of aoclal prestige. , ' When America mlnlater at the court of Vienna, Mr. Tower occupied ihe palace of a grand duke and gave many handaomc entertainment. At one of hla famoua dinners there covera were laid for 200 gueata. Later he waa transferred aa ambassador to Russia, and at St. jpeteraburg the brilliancy of hla aoclal func tlona daled the.Russlanxourt. . . . -- - When the Towers arrived at Berlin they saw the neceialty for engaging In a brilliant aoclal campaign. The former American ambaaaador, A. D. White, being only modestly aupplled with thla world'a gooda, had lived throughout hla term in a Berlin family hotel. Neither the emperor nor the big lights of the court ever visit hotels. One of the first acts of Mr. and Mrs. Tower upon reaching Berlin was to lease for a residence one of the finest pektw 4n 4he city; - . - It Is a pplendid marble building In the Koenlgsplatz, almost opposite the grrat Branderburgh gate and in the Immediate vicinity of the stately houses of tpe Keiehstag and the grand avenue of filter den Linden. From the front the building shows little architectural effect, but in the rear Is an attractive garden surrounded by a high stone wall. Rare white marble Is used extensively throughout the interior of the building; It was carved by the best mas ters after the decorations of the famous palace of the Slguorla, in Florence. It in said that few private houses, oven in Ixindon, Taris or Rome, are provided with such a magnificent Stairway ns that which, in this splendid home, winds From Sl&gie. to WHEN the report became current in Paris 1 recentlyand was not met with denial that the prime minister of France, Georges Clemenccau, was to marry . Mme. Rose Caron, one of the most popular and gifted of French actresses, there was a sew. and i -l.i I - i'l i. .; I k v ' t ft i I linn 1 ViOLVj. . II. .f- Xlinill. 7:ki JJJI1 III llm i., I I kl I li 111 1 i j i ri i w j t. iim w m & M i m mi 1 w i m m li . w n i in i i m "eaav triMwm 171111 jjj-a ' 11 r, .it it t 1 . ah tir rriaa I 1" " from I 1 1 1 roon mi '-J'yi'-- ' cv- vrliv) l fo-.-' . -' : ,1 Wn Wm M Mill ; V the main entrance to the drawing is 011 tne second noor. rugs obscure any part of the black. and white marble floors, and the paneled marble walla are considered sufficient in themselves for decorative purposes. Five drawing rooms open Into each other, and; each Is distinguished by its Individual furnishings. Early French decorations are used In the main draw ing room, while the Empire and Dlrectolre styles, blend ed with old English and Colonial, are to be observed In the fmaller ones. Flemish tapestries, costly paintings, mahogany and rosewood furniture, some of It centuries old, combine to make the stately dining room a thing of beauty. Withal, the American visitor Is pleased to catch everywhere glimpses of homo scenes. There are upon the walla portraits of .Washington, of President and Mrs. Roosevelt, of William Peftn; and there are numerous pretty bits of water color, showing scenes along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, in Penn sylvaniafrom which state Mr. Tower hails together with picturesque stretches of beach along the New Jer sey shore. T Second Ladf tremendous sensation at the Frenph capital. Strange to say, there were few expressions of disapproval in Paris, Mma. Caron has been highly regarded for many years by the French people; why should she not fill worthily the high position of second lady in France f MUCH Is known lnthls country of Georges Cle menceau, the brilliant, if somewhat erratic. Journalist-statesman of France. If any one ever won high position and power entirely because of ability and energy, Clemenceau is the man. But of Mme. Rose Caron not so much is known on this side of the Atlantic, Her recent nomination as a pro feieof of fh Conservatory was the crowning honor of a long and distinguished career on the stage. Whatever the character she has appeared in, Mme. Curon has left an Ineffaceable impression of art upon all who have had the nleasureof seeing her performancea. This holds good of her wonderful Impersonation of Elsa, In some respects the Tower home in Berlin Is morw pretentious than the celebrated Dorchester House, la London, which is occupied b Ambassador Whltelaw Reld. Dorchester House Is rented furnished by the Relds, while the magnificent furnishings of the Berlin house are the property of the American tenanta. It is said that Mr. and Mrs. Tower spent nearly SI, 000,000 in fitting up the Koenlgsplats Palace, which Is the property f a banker. - There-are moro than Brty rooms in the dwelling, and the task of getting them in order, decorating and furnishing them occupied nearly a year. For rent of this palace alone the Towers are said to expend S18.000 a year. The salary of the ambassador is $17,500 a year. Such a splendid home, of course, affords ample oppor tunity for the most brilliant social functions., and Mrs. Tower's experience enables her to got the very best re sults from the wealth at her command. Her favor with the imperial family Is fixed. Only the other day It was announced In cablegrams from Berlin, the American ambassador and Mrs. Tower were the only foreign guests asked by the crown prince and princess to a theatrical party in their palace. of France the dreamy sweetness of Marguerite, the martial vest ments of Brunhilde or the solemn garmentura of Salammbo. Twenty years of uninterrupted success at Brussels and Paris have constituted an exceptional claim to publlo favor on the part of Mme. Caron, who has been declared a worthy successor of Damoreau-Salnty and Pauline Vlardot. , Recently the actress took charge of her class In the Conservatory, In the Institution where she was herself for four years a pupil, and from which she was graduated In 1882, with the small honor of second prise in singing and an "accesslt," or near approach to a prise. In opera. This scanty recognition of her ability at the beginning of her career did not affect her subsequent success. After having perfected her musical education with Marie Basse she was engaged by the direction of h Theater de la Monnale at Versailles. There, on September 1, 1883. she made her debut as Alice In Robert 1e Dlable.' Later she was warmly welcomed -by the Brussels public. In her performance of Marguerite in "Faust" sh made a specially favorable impression with her pure. Clear voice and her, perfect diction,' ' - v While she was thus engaged the composer Reyer, as yet cnmparatlvelv unknown, brought to themanagement an opera, "Slg-trd." which had cost him twenty years of labor and had been refused at Paris. . - In this case It secured a more: favorabW reception. The directors saw In Mme. Carott i the ideal Brunhilde which the work called for. It was ; put on with her In that role January 7, 1884. Its reception was enthusiastic, and Brussels took to Its heart what Paris had disdained. Since thn Mme. Caron has known ?nlr success. En gaged at the Paris Opera, she created Sigurd 'there in .Tune. 1885. Next she successively and sucssfuUysanc Rachel in 'TThe Jewess." Chlmene hi "Tbe Cid" and Cath arine of Arragon in "Henry VHI. ' '.,.,, Difficulties with the manajrement of th OpJM caused her withdrawal from that house. She "tuf Bru" sels. where she was again welcomed wlth tPort Beeominr awar of their mistake In allowing her w deparTthe directors of the Paris Oner, made .overture, for her return. On October 13. 1890. she araln sang before the public of Paris. This was as Elsa In L&hengrln. a creation -so exqulslt. that all voices .e pronounced in her praise. Afterward sh sang Salammbo, and her . ' .V X ' ' 'r ' , " ' N i " fee It is not only with members of th royal family anal nobility, with officials of high rank and diplomat that Mrs. Tower Is popular. 8b possesses to a narked d gree the bappy faculty of doing just th right thins; at the right moment, and of saying tha proper thins prompt' ly. Leading Americans In Berlin there are something like 2500 in th American colony are mad to feel thai they are always welcome at the home of their country! official representative. As an Instance of Mrs. Tower's thoughtfulnesa, tt Is) recalled that, early, during her stay In Berlin, she ha4 engaged passage for a trip to America. Learning, how ever, that the International Woman' Council was to meet In that city In a short time, she canceled tha pasag find remained over In order to extend a courteous wU come and the hospitality of "her bom to her country women attending the gathering. Three sons of Mr. and Mrs. Tower are now being; ed urated In this country, and the fond mother occasionally) takes a trip across to visit them. This accomplished and gracious woman was formerly Miss Helen Smith, daughter of O. Frank Smith, of Oak) land, CaL In 1888 she was married to Mr. Towar, a ...wealthy representative of an old Philadelphia family. Their narrled life has been Ideal, It Is said; certainly) the wife has proved of vast assistance In making tha publlo career of the husband a conspicuous success. A Happy Royal Wife VERT llttl Is heard nowadays of Princess Louis, the daughter, of Queen Victoria, who astonished the world some thirty-six years ago by declining: proffered alliances among the royalty of Kuropa and! bestowing her hand In marriage upon a subject, th) Marqul of Lome. Sine then Lord Lorn haa bcom th Duke of Argyll, and ha attained some prominence as an author. During most of th tlm sine his marrlag h and hla' royal wife have lived quietly in the country, wher th duke has devoted himself to literature and th peaceful pursuits of the country gentleman. From the time he was 23 years old until his accession! to the peerage, the duke was a member of th House of Commons, breaking his long term for a tlm to becoma governor general of Canada. HI marriage with Princess Louise created fr- mendous excitement at th tlm. It waa a roost unusual thing for th daughter of living and reigning sovereign to bestow her hand upon a subject. Such a thing had not happened for five cntu rles not sine the days of the Black Prince. It was something In the nature of a revolution. But the general feeling was In favor of It. In a cartoon in Punch Princess Louise was seen leaping over a ring fence, , supposed to represent the barrier of royal rank. The policy of the queen in allowing this fence to ba crossed waa commented upon all over th country la appreciative terms. A marriage portion of 150,000 waa conferred upon th princess and an annuity of $30,000 settled upon her to? Parliament without a dissenting voice. But the feeling In Scotland or. perhaps. It would ba more correct to say in th "Campbell country," the part where the duke Is lord of the land and the chief of tha clan-while equally In favor of the match, waa different in Its point of view. It waa expressed amusingly by aa ancient Highlander at Inverary. "D'ye ken. Tonal." said some on to him, "that tha queen's daughter is a gaen to marry the chief's son today?" "? ,ut. Bne',n be a P"1 woman the noo," waa the dignified reply, accompanied by a sage wag of th head. To the old man's mind the son of th chief of tha Campbells was without an equal In rank. triumph was no less overwhelming. One of th greatest successes of her entire career has been in "Iphlgeni,"1 which sh rendered with such feeling as to conquer over) audience. M. Georges Clemenceau has been called tha busiest man In France, and on of the least obtrusive. He care little for show, but haa an immense capacity for work. Instead of living In th magnificent palace provided for the one occupying hi position, M. Clemenceau prefer to dwell in a modest apartment on th Ru Franklin, which he has occupied for many years. He Uvea quit alone, except for a cook and a manservant, and nts talns only his most Intimate friends, which means very few people. The apartment Is on the ground floor and opens on a garden overlooking the Seine and a beautiful panorama of the city. His pets are a handsome white bull terrier and many large birds, such as storks, peacocks and barnyard fowl. Each morning at 5 o'clock M. Clemenceau gets up and goes through gymnastio exercises, which ar followed by a cold plunge. At 7 he haa- his breakfast, which Is hi heaviest meal, and consists of about a dosen eggs and some cold meat. He never drinks anything but water, ex cept when obliged to do otherwise at a banquet. BEGINS WORK EARLY At 8 o'clock he goea to th ministry and begins work. After reading his letters and dictating the answers, ha scans the newspaper clippings which are brought to hlm, and selects these dealing with matters In which inspection and reform are needed. .j , At 10 o'clock he receives the persons to whom ap pointments have been given, and at U o'clock goes home to the Rue Franklin and has luncheon, 'which consists of a soft boiled egg and a glass of spring water. Then he goes to his library or out into the garden. If th weather Is fine, and spends an hour reading, preferably old Greek text. At 2 o'clock he goes back to work, visits th Senaf and the Chamber of Deputies and the President, and 'call upon any Important personages with whom he may hava business or courtesies to exchange. . - . Rv E o'clock he Is back at the ministry, signs th out going mall, etc., receives visitors, attends to the business of his office, etc.. till or B o'clock. M. Clemenoeau makes . j it a point or Clning in town as nine as possioie, ana bo cepts oaty those official Invitations which he cannot refuse. ; , ' At 10 o'clock ha Is baek at his offle again, and works i with his secretaries and members of his - ministry until i midnight, often later. He gets along with very lilt! sleep, but sleeps soundly. ' .' ' demenoeau's first wire was a New England girl, and he has always been quite friendly to th United States.; -".:V'..
