The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-05-21
GERTRUDE ATHERTON TALKS
New Ways of Royalty and London
Society as She Has Seen Them


Gertrude Atherton is more unconven-
tionai in her speech than she is in her
appearance.
Gowned in white muslin. with her
blond hair loosely coiled but destitute
of ornaments. with a narrow band of
emerald green velvet about her slender
throat, a green jade heart on a single
gold thread resting low on her corsage.
she is the ideal person whom one pic
lures as writing Advice to Girls
About 10 Purchase a Trousseau" or q
brochure on The Single Life
But with a smile that does not match
her costume she admits that IT is rather
a pIeasurabIe sensation to know that
one of her books is forbidden" in
three countries. Germany. Russia and
Austria refuse 10 have "Rulers of
Kings" sold within their limits.
In that book Emperor William of
Germany is made almost too human;
as when he says in one place:
Damn your American billions" pre-
ceded by this description: The en-
peror turned gray and let his temper
fly"
Asked If the emperor liked the book.
the author smiles again and says
frankly:
! Il am dying to find out. So far
have been kept in ignorance. in will !
full ignorance Of his attitude toward it, !
I have a very intimate friend. one of
the ladies' Of the court in Germany. |
and she writes me long letters about
everything in the world except Rulers
OF Kings She praises or criticises |
every book I have written, but not a |
word. not a line about that She is /
diplomatic enough to ignore it. and /
that very diplomacy arouses my sus-
r.icions- AS Emperor william rarely i
let's anything escape him which is i'm
po-tant enough to arouse any notice
whatever it is fair to suppose that as
the book is prescribed literature, he has
glanced over it
II have just had an interesting letter
from DR. Herman Conrad. the great
German critic. about it. He is an alb
solute nonarchist and he says, How
dare you imply that the time will ever
come when your American millions viii
conquer our Old World royalty2'
However. with all his prejudice
against my democratic sentiments, he
finds the book important enough 10
send many pages Of close written eulo-
gy and condemnation, and admits that
he likes my heroine immensely. while
think her the least interesting charac-
ter IN the book
Owing to the well known fact of the
friendship between the daughter OF
William Waldorf Aston. Pauline. and
the Crown Princess OF Rouuania,
have been accused of using her as my
model in the friendship Of daughter
of the Hapsburgs and an American
heiress. I had absolutely no one in my
character, at least, was
entirely imaginary.
TT was & character, however. which
came into being through a knowledge
Of the rapidly growing disaffection IN
the ranks OF the women Of the royal
families OF Europe especially those Of {
the Hapsburg family
Occasionally one reads of the elope- {
ment of some princess with an officer {
Of the guards These stories receive
great prominence in American and c
English papers Reading them, It is
Z
ID is taking a most unusual step. is 8
iofng something which no one before '
has attempted and no one after will !
iare
The truth of the matter is that v
where one elopeTnent leaks out there J
ire scores about which nothing is {
ynown.. except in the immediate circles
II the royal families Franz Josef has Il
grandchildren. grand n
lieces and feminine kin. He takes
fese eIopements as part OF the days i
novelties. pats the erring child on the
lead. usually presents TO her a pretty o
Ious4 for herself and her chosen officer. Il
he gives I'D all claim TO throne d
which she would probably never reach d
INFLOW and would not want if she did, t
nd it is settled L
..All through English society. espe- o
Tally. you are conscious Of this chanse
oward the democratic. for while free q