New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-09-09
EDWARD INVITES ALFONSO
Young King of Spain to Visit the
Court of st. James This Fall.


King Edward has within the last fortnight ad-
dressed autograph letter 10 the young King OF
Spain, inviting him 20 visit England this fall. and
/ the British Ambassador at Madrid travelled from
the Spanish capital TO San Sebastian the other day
for the purpose OF delivering his sovereisn's mis-
sive to the young monarch. whose stay in England
will probably follow that of King Victor Emanuel
4 Don Alfonso has until now never left Spain, and
the question is being discussed as TO whether. when
he goes to England. and visit the courts OF VI
emma. Berlin. St Petersburg and Paris. 1t will De
/ necessary to appoint regent 10 1ulhi the ouues
| of Chief Executive during his absence
| OF course. the person best qualified for the post
! by past experience would be the Queen mother
who. during the nearly seventeen years that In
tervened between her husbands death and her boys
majority. administered the government with so
much judgment and sagacIty. But according 20 the
| terms Of the Spanish Constitution she could no
! longer be invested with the necessary powers
which now. in the event OF a regency becoming
necessary. would fall to the share Of her eldest
daughter the Kings sister and heir apparent. the
Princess Of the Asturias. who, little girl
reigned over Spain under the name Of Queen
Mercedes during the six months that interviewed
between the death of Don Alfonso XII and the
posthumous birth Of his son. the present King.
| The princess is devoted to her husband. one Of
the Neapolitan BourbOns. and who, rightly or
wrongly. is credited with most reactionary political
opinions. So 1t is possible it may be decided to
! dispense with regency and that when Don Alfonso
| leaves HIS donlinions he may follow the example
| of King Edward. of Emperor William. and Of the
| Car, and continue to administer the government
Of his kingdom from wherever he may happen to
| be. no matter whether It is Paris. London or ST.
Petersburg.
The young King has developed a very marked
taste for the sea. and during the last summer
has spent good deal of his time at San Sebastian
either on his fast steam yacht Grada. or else on
the sailing yacht of his brother-in-law the Prince
| of the Asturias, while his favorite costume seems
| to be the undress uniform of admiral. which
suits him we'll He is the first OF the Ions
list Of Spanish kings manifest any pronounced
fondness for things maritime and it seems to be
a sort OF irony of fate that he should have come
10 the throne at q very time when Spain had
ceased to be either naval a colonial power.
The cordial terms Of King Edwards letter 10
| the young King have given much qualification at
the Court Of Spain. and have gone far to smooth
| away the irritation which had been caused by
the English monarch's visit last spring. not only to
Lisbon. but what was more difficult to bear. to
Gibraltar. that is say. English fortress
the Spanish Peninsula. without calling at Madrid
Old King Christian has just dispatched letter
| to President Roosevelt. an official communication
notifying him of the birth of his newest grand
child-namely the little boy of Prince and Princess
Charles OF Denmark The latter spend so much Of
their time in England and to such an extent
regarded there as members of the English reign
ing family. rather than soreign royalties, that
| It surprising at first that the notification
should come from the King OF Denmark rather
| than from King Edward Princess Charles being
the latter's favorte child.
No little discussion has been excited In Germany
by the action of the Grand Duke of Hesse in con-
ferring the title OF prince upon that Count Gus
tave Erbach Schoenberg who Is married to Prin-
cess Marie Battenberg sister Of that Prince Henry
of Batteuberg who married the youngest sister Of
King Edward, and of Prince Alexander of Batten-
berg, who was the first sovereign of Bulgaria
Like them. she was a child of the late Prince Alex
ander OF Hesse brother OF the late Czar1na by MS
| morganatic marriage with Mile. Hauke who was
| created Princess Of BatteEberg in her OWN right
The controversy which is raging is as to whether
the Grand Duke Of Hesse, one of the petty SOW
ereigns of Germany has the right TO create princes
and there seems to be an impression among some
people that this is prerosative which should be
restricted TO s0vereigns of the rank of Emperors
William and Francis Joseph, and at the utmost 10
the Kings of Bavaria. Wurtemberg and Saxony.
But this is an altogether wrong contention Tbs
last FIector OF Hesse created several princes, the
patents of Princes and Prineesses OF Hanau, con-
ferred upon his morganatic children, being among
the number. In fact there is no reason whatsoever
why even the Count Ernest Of Lippe. who Is Re-
gent of the principally Of Lippe should not confer
the titles of prince and Of duke. since Lippe
and Hesse are Just much sovereign States as
Bavaria Prussia. Indeed, when 1t Is borne IN
mind that even the tiny Italian republic of San
Marine openly sells patents of duke. prince and
count at a fixed tariff rate, devoting the money
thus obtained TO pbilanthropic objects, ana tnat
these titles are duly recognized abroad. there Is
really no reason why the Grand Duke or Hesse
should not grant the rank OF prince 10 his kinsan
Count Erbach SchOenberg-
The only strange thing is that the count should
have been willing to accept the dignity In ques-
| ton For as head Of one of the most ancient and
uustrious families in Europe, which exercised petty
sovereign sway in Germany from the year 1900 until
the beginning Of the nineteenth century, when it
was ''nedatzed' by the Congress Of Vienna, one
would have thought that no brand new title Of
prince conferred by one of the least important SOW
| ereigns of Germany, could possibly add to his
prestige dignity.
Let me add that the Prince of Monaco being
independent sovereign, has likewise the right TO
| create dukes princes and counts, and that when
| the gambling tables at Monte Carlo abolished
and he deprived thereby Of his principal source of
revenue. he may be able to turn more honest
| penny by selling patents Of Monaco nobility.
Foreign residents at Constantinope. whose lives
are asserted be in such danger that the foreign
fleets are fastening to the entrance Of the Darda-
nelles will be disposed TO regret the fact that Sir
Michael Herbert should be Ambassador OF King
Edward the United States. They would certainly
have preferred him to have remained first sec
rotary Of the British Embassy in the Turkish cap
| itaL For it was while acting charge d'affaires
there some years ago that without waiting for in
structions from home he took upon himself the re-
sponsibility OF landing all the sailors ana marines
that could be possibly spared from the two Eng
ush guard ships stationed in the Bosporus. march
ing them fully armed and dragging their machine
guns with them through the streets OF the Turkish
| metropolis 10 the British Embassy.
II was the first time that foreign troops had ever
been landed in Constantinople and. Of course. there
were protests. not only from the Turkish Govern
ment but also from the other powers But the
measure for which Michael Herbert received the
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