New-York tribune., 1904-09-28
ARMY WEDDINGS ABROAD
Conditions Under Which Foreign
Officers Are Permitted to Narru

-1 w e.
Although the recommendation of General Cor
bin that officers OF the army should be allowed
10 marry without the sanction OF TIE W. Da
nartrnent and that this permission sbauld bo -. :
IN cases only where it can be shown tbs+ .bo
bridegroom bride has means over ana 49,. az
formers Official pay has aroused good deal Of
criticism in the press I'm this country vet the ,a
Is already in existence IN all European armies Co.,
that Of England. Nor the latter co,,ptr,- ho
described as an exception. for commissions On .ho
British army 20 all intents and purposes with
hed from men who are unabls to sho~5 tbat +ba,,
have independent incomes.
Even in republican France no officer is allo,rsd
TO marry before he has satisfied the authorities as
10 the autecedents Of his bride and until the lat
ter has placed in the hands OF the War Depart
nert a fixed sum- which is known as her dovrv
and OF which she receives only the interest until
her husband quits the army the marriage IS
dissolved by divorce death. Until these hnan-
cial conditions have been complied with the sane
tioa Of the War Department is withheld. and un-
less the latter is granted any civil or religious
maria &c is invalid in the eyes Of the Law.
IN Germany the rules more strict and
IL may be recalled that the marriage of the late
Grand Duke OF Hesse 10 Nine de Kolomine. the
divorced wife Of the Russian Charge dAHaires
accredited TO his court, annulled by the Su-
p-ene Tribunal Of the German Empire. on the
ground that the Grand Duke had neglected. in Ills
capacity as one Of the inspector generals of the
imperial army. TO the necessary sanction 10
the union from his commanding officer. old EN-
peror William. the generalssimo Of the German
army.
These rules. while they may desPotic ana
tyrannical. have been established with other
object IN view than the welfare Of the officers Of
the army and Il must be admitted that they serve
their purpose. for. in the first place the scrutiny
10 which the sntecedents OF the bride are sub
3ected by the authorities prevents officers from in
Producing into the reEimental family women whose
inferiority OF birth. education and breeding would
render social intercourse with the wives of the
other officers OF the regiment or OF the garrison
uncongenaI or impossible. Then. too II goes far
10 avert those financial en1harrassments which mar
the career Of many a married officer in Eng
land and in America, subjectinE him 10 worries
that impair his usefulness too often wreckIng his
entire military
Il may be added that both IN Germany and IN
Austria there is much kindness shown 10 officers
anxious 10 marry. and who have rot quite sufi-
cient money to furnish the statutory deposit
Sometimes il is the comrades OF the would-be
benedict who make il up by subscription. and in
hundreds Of instances II IS the sovereign who pro
Tides the sum. an act Of grace, from his privy
purse.
In England. IN the last four I've years. the
divorce courts have revealed the existence of A
considerable number Of marriages on the part of
army officers with women Of moro than doubtful
antecedents. Of which the husbands had become
cognizant too late Such marriages as these are
rare nay. almost impossible in Continental armies
investigating the status and character Of the bride
OF every officer before he is Permitted we'd
The appointment Of Emperor Williams naval
aide-de-camp, Captain GrUmne. as a director Of
the Hamburg-American Steamship Company has led
70 an assertion IN 4 number Of German and foreign
newspapers that the Kaiser is Of the largest
stockholders of this line and that the presence OF
so trusted a member OF MS suite upon the board
Of management is for the purpose Of representing
the Emperor's personal interest While this IS the
nrst instance OF any member OF the Emperor's
household becoming director OF any commercial
or industrial enterprise. It be pointed that
IN England Lord Knollys the private secretary Of
the King; LORD Farquhar. the master of the house
hold; Lord Edward Pelham Clinton, one Of his
gentlemen in waiting: General Sir Arthur Ellis
the permanent head and controller OF the lord
Chamberlain's department besides many other
equally prominent court officials, hold directorships
In joint stock companies and corporations without
anybody dreaming Of asserting that they are rep
Fesenting investments and interests OF the King in
the concern.
At the same time there is no earthly reason why
the Kaiser should not be large stochholder in
the German-Anlerican line II satisfied that il is
a safe investment II would constitute manifes-
tatlon Of shrewdncss snd also Of patriotism on his
part 10 invest his private fortune in enterprises
That are nor only German. but likewise calculated
10 develop the national prosperity and maritime i'm
Poftance OF Germany. His countTyuen, instead OF
taking exception TO this, should be grateful 10 him
for not following the example Of 80 many other
European soveregns who prefer to .odgc their
money In foreign banks. and invest II in foreign
enterprises rather than in those OF their own
country. II all Old World rulers were as inteIli-
gently patriotic as Emperor William there would
nst be 50 many European crowned heads and royal
personages among the stockholders Of the great
American railroad companies and trusts.
Nor is there any law in Germany or in any other
country debarring the sovereign from devoting his
private resources 70 home industries aad under
takngs. Such investments far less likely 70
teso 70 complications than investments abroad, and
IN this connection IL may be remembered that II
was me purchase by Empress Eugene and by her
particular friends Of the Mexican bonds known as
Saecker bonds which led France embark in
tnsl 50 disastrous Mexican war. which started the
DOWNFALL Of the third empire.
Filnee Peter sviatopolk Mrsky. the new Minister
u Ihe Interior. in Russia. who has had the courage
10 assume the ONCE left vacant by the shocking
aAsassiistion of NJ. de Plehve, is a little bit OF a
man. ana there is nothing imposing or majestic
1N'ut MS appearance Unlike most small men
Ho"eVer' ne is good-tempered unassertive and Of a
kindly and liberal disposition He is a little more
NlaH i"i'y-seVen years old but looks much older.
ne distinguished himself a HeutenaD. Of cav