The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-06-20
SOCIETY IN BRITAIN
Circles That Are Not Open to Mere
Men OF Money.
H-istocratic Mobiles Who Are Above Ases-
chatting with Wealthy Americans
Because of Their Financial
E1oineuce.

There is marked difference be
tween the main body of the Americans
who annually invade London nowadays
and those who used to be seen years
ego. Time was when the travelling
Americans did not care for society, pre-
ferring to do the sights as speedily as
possible and hurry off to other show
places. Now visitors from the land Of
the free consider themselves quite as
much in the social swim as any lord or
lady IN the peerage, are ''up" in all the
ways and customs of society, and are
regarded by London swelldom as rep
tebentative Americans. In general
these are the sight-seers OF the pasl
grown anglicized and their sons and
daughters. I regard Mr.. Astor as
lair sample of the new American In
England, says correspondent Of the
Argenaut. His money, of course, en-
tbles him to do anything he likes. He
might stand on his head on the top of
the duke of York's column or play leap
frog down Pail Mall with Mr. Wander
bilt. It is doubtful, by the bye, if
either of these performers would make
him cause Of more plying smiles and
compassionate shoulder-shrugs than
MS forced intrusion into London jour
nalism or his ostentatious purchase of
the duke of Westminster Thames bank
villa. He has too much money to let
the people who find it pleasant to know
him show what they really think Of his
desertion of his own country. And
rather suspect that he knows very few
who are great enough in themselves to
be Indifferent to the money power he
Yields
There is a class of noblemen among
the English aristocracy who are above
any and all outside influences al
together-men whom gold does not
dazzle I regard them as the highest
type of nobility in every sense, and I
consider the duke of Northumberland
ss a striking instance of the sort of
man / mean. The duke of Rutland is
another. The poorest, kumblest Amer
lean, were he a gentleman, might en-
ter the society of these noblemen and
be cordially received by them. But
all the wealth OF the Astors and Van
derbilts combined could not get recog-
milton for its possessors from the same
men, were there no other recommends
ton. And / am morally certain of one
thing: Buying and hiring grand houses
In England by foreigners for no rhyme
or reason but the exhibition of bit of
vulgar swagger, would not be in any
sense a eredential of responsibility to
them. Much the reverse, / should
imagine. As for the duke of West
minister, he is a shrewd man of bust
ness, and, like all the Grosvenors, has
as keen an eye to the main chance as
householder or a patent medicine
drummer. Yet cannot somehow
think that any very lasting friendship
has sprung up between his grace and
the American purchaser of Clieveden.
Indeed, the reported controversy con-
corning the right of property in the
visitors book would seem to negative
the presumption of the existence of
very amicable relations. l often won
der how men like Mr.. Astor can wish
to fill fourth or ffth-rate position in
England instead of the first place in
America. He cannot at one moment
rely or the fact that he is an Amer
lean, and therefore the equal of any
man, and at the next set up as an Eng
ish country squire, or a London ed
itor, and therefore several pegs below
the dukes and other nobility. He must
make his choice.