New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-13
TOPICS IN PARIS.
ANRAssApREssEs OF AMERICAN BIRTH.
FRENCH DIPLOMATS MUST NOT MARRY FUN
ErGNERs-M. BARRERE's ROMANTIC CA
REER-A CURIOUS CASE.
Brooklyn, y. Y.

FRENCH DIPLOMATS MUST NOT MARRY FOR
rrcNrRs-M. BARREREs ROMANTIC CA
REER-A CURIOUS CASE.
Paris May g.
60 large Is the number of French ENJOYS OF
cverv rank who are welded to foreigners, ana
osncc,allv TO women OF American birth, that
something very much akin TO CONSERVATION
has been caused by the publication OF
decree bearing the signature OF PRESIDENT
carnot. prohibiting any member Of the dip
Iomatic service from contracting matrimonial
alliances without having previously obtained the
sanction Of the Minister OF Foreign Affairs. While
the first paragraph OF the decree is manifestly
destined 10 prevent Frances representatives.
abroad from bestowlng their names upon ad-
vcnturesses and persons Of questionable repu-
tation. as for instance. did the late Comte de
ChabrilIan who while accredited TO the court
~ Vienna married no less a parsonage than
the notorious "Mogador." Of Mabille and can
can fame the second paragraph shows that the
ukare is mainly directed against marriages with
foreigners For while m6salliances have been
comparativclv rare in the French diplomatic
service marriages with aliens Of frequent
occurrence. the reason for this being the aversion
~ the Frenchwoman IN general. and the Paris
ienne in particular to making her home abroad
her absence Of adaptabi!ity and. as general
rule her lack Of fortune Dowries In this coun-
try are very small. and large allowances, such
an those accorded to their daughters by iona
American fathers. are practically unknown The
third article Of the decree states that any diplo-
mat guilty Of infraction Of this ordinance VIII
render himself liable to immediate dismissal. or
else to discipline in the form Of being placed on
the retired list.
1t I. no secret here that the three principal
causes which have led to the issue of this enact
rrfnt have been tho unfortunate mbrogho at
the court OF Copenhagen. where the wife OF the
French military attache was a Levantne. and
the Ambassadors an American. the daughter OF
General Berdan. OF rife fame. The conflict be-
tween the two husbands was rightly or wrongly
attributed to the ladies. Then there is the re-
cent marriage Of the French Ambassador at
Washington 10 a Philadelphia lady. That NJ
Patenotre Is aimed at Is evident from the pre-
amble OF the decree which states that mar
rlage with n foreigner may become an obstacle
to the maintenance OF the diplomat as Envoy
to the country to which the family OF
his wife belongs" The third reason for the
ordinance is to be found in the announce
ment OF the impending marriage between
the Comte de Montholon the French Min
rs dOstiani. who Is the italian Envoy accred-
tied TO the same court. The young Contessina
has for several years acted the mistress OF her
fathers household, and filed. to all inten,s and
purposes the role OF Italian Ambassadors AT
Athens It is therefore obviously inconvenient
that she should suddenly become French Am
bassa dress there. all the more so as the policy
represented by her father and that by her hus-
band arc almost Invariably In conflict with one
another since the Count Fe dOstisnl represents
one Of the parties to that Triple Alliance which
IS mainly directed against France. II would take
too long to enumerate here the names OF all the
French ENJOYS and diplomats who have mar
ried American women. beginning with the Comte
de Sartiees Ambassador to tho Vatican. and
ending with the Comte de Laugler-Nillars, French
Minister to Hayti. No one here denies that
the daughters OF Uncle Sam are charming in the
role OF Ambassadresses. the only complaint SEEM
ing to be that they are too much So and that
they WELD an influence upon their husbands
which IS too potent to please Minister of For
eipn Affairs such as that of the DUAL dOrsay.
which expects and demands blind obedience on
tho mart Of its employees. II Is feared that the
decree may prove retroactive. In the sense at any
rato that It will impair the prospects of advance
ment and promotion on the part OF those men,
bers NJ the French diplomatic service who have
already united themselves matrimonially to
aliens. and by many here the preamble OF the
decree Ia considered as indicating the impending
removal of NJ. Patenotre from Washington to |
some other Amba ssadorial post. Indeed 1t is
regarded as quite probable that he might ex-
change with NJ Camille Barrere. the newly APP |
ro,rted French Ambassador to Switzerland.
NJ Barrere, by the bye. is likewise married to |
foreigner a woman of Levantine birth, the daugh- |
,ar NJ a Turkish banker who. believe, came to |
yr,ef There are few more romantic careers than |
that Of NJ Barrere. whose father and grandfather |
were both famous revolutionary leaders, the |
ora IN 1893 and the other in 1SiS Under the cir
cumstances 1t was only natural that young Bar |
rere should have thrown himself heart and soul |
into the Communist movement of 1871, quickly |
attaining the rank of insurgent colonel and TAX |
Ing n prominent part In the dramatic events Of |
those sanguinary days. His prominence therein |
brought about his sentence TO death. but he |
capped to England. where he Joined the stan OF |
The Manchester Guardian" and spent eight |
years In newspaper work In Great Britain. 1t |
was as special correspondent for THE Manches-
Ter Guardian" that he visited Berlin at the time |
of the Conference Of 1878. and there managed to
win the good will and the esteem of the chief
French Plenipotsntary, the late n. Wadding-