Waterbury Democrat., 1903-02-14

H A s that a picture of Baroness vOn M Sternburg wife of the new Ger @ man charge d'affaires? But she looks like an American" said the woman who does not keep track of things in the newspapers.
 "She is an American. She was bred in old Kentucky" said the man who l does keep track of the news. even l news of women. Then he went on, to 1 the edification of the woman who ought to read the news, but does not:
 We are told that Baron von Stern l burg was educated with the view to ] his occupying a diplomatic post in the United States. He has equipped him. [ self for it evidently with great care { even to getting beautiful American wife. One of the unwritten qualifica- tions of European gentleman for a ! very fligh office diplomatic or other- wise, appears to be that he shall pro- vide himself with an American wife millionaire if possible; if not. American anyhow.
 { They say there never can be any very i long or disastrous war for England in Europe again because Queen Victoria intermarried her descendants with av- cry ruling family of the continent and so was eng nled to hold them all down and keep the peace. Just so our Amer ican royal girls appear to be marrying into high official life in every foreign country. It's their dollars that do it, of course, partly; but, then, it's the girls too. When every European am- bassador to the United States gets an American wife then we shall have guarantee of peace all round.
 Take, now, this charming Baroness
  born and bred. Her father was an Englishman who owned extensive min- ing and ranching interests in Idaho and Colorado, and her mother was Californian. In her early girlhood the future baroness, Miss Lillian May Langham, was sent to Louisville to be educated. There Lillian May Langham breathed the air and the spirit of the south while she studied school branch es. That made her still more cosrno- politan, fitted her still better for the high social diplomatic role which, all unknown to herself, she was to fill. Her beautiful, high spirited face is full of gentleness Why, she is the per- sonffication of American state policy it. self. She is entirely frank, straightfor- ward and sincere, without concealment. That is our American diplomacy out and out. She likes to make everybody around her happy, like the true south ern girl, whose charming manner she naturally fell into in old Kentucky.
 There is much out of the common in Lillian May Langham's fate. She was injured by a fall from a horse some wears ago and never recovered from it altogether, so she is slightly lame, but that does not make her less attractive. She met her husband in romantic way. While she was in Louisville her mother and sisters went to Paris. She made the journey over the water to join them. On shipboard she met Bar on yon Sternburg, then secretary of the German embassy at Washington. The grave. dignifed young German diplo- mat. so capable that already he had been intrusted by his government with irnnortant and delicate negotiations, was immediately attracted by the frank. unprudish, winsome American girl. and she liked him perhaps be- cause he was so different from herself The pleasant acquaintance intensified in a way that all those like to hear of who still believe in true love between man and woman, appearances to the contrary notwithstanding
 Tn the autumn of 1900 Baron Speck von Sternburg applied to the American ambassador in London, MT. Choate, to procure for him special license whereby he might marry the American, Lillian May Langham. Ambassador Choate procured it and delivered it with his i blessing, and Dec. 5, 1900 the pair were welded in London. The baron had been promoted to be German con- sul general at Calcutta, and the bride and groom journeyed there to live till the recent call came for the baron to become charge d d'affaires at Washing ton. The residence at Calcutta, of course, fitted our American girl still more thoroughly to take the high so- ciaI diplomatic place that will be hers
 at the national capital. Too much stress cannot be laid on the social side
 of diplomacy, for it is what cements friendship between nations"
 What an interesting story you have
 told mei'' said the woman who does not read newspapers.