New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-08
AMERICAN ROYAL RISKS.
Why Foreign Monorchs .Are Watch
ing Our Insurance Investigation.

ing Our Insurance Investigation.
Nowhere Is the insurance investigation now in
progress in New-Iori being foio~-s, t., ,,o..r
attention than at the various rnonarchical courts
OF Europe; for the majority of foreign rulers and
princes OF the blood are insured IN AT1.-4csn com
panies.
There several reasons for thi. T. the first
place. Il Is matter vital Importance 70 these
flustrfous risks" personal SIS well as dynastio
grounds. that their own countryrsn should have
no definite data TO the exact condition of their
health and physique. And then too the experience
Of the past has taught most OF the members OF
the reigning houses Of Europe the wisdom OF in
vestinE their money abroad rather than at home
where Il is liable TO oonhscation in the event OF
any dynastio change or upset And insurance.
after all. is nothing more or less than an invest
n1ent OF money put by for a rainy day.
The late King OF Hanover had the major portion
OF his colossal private fortune sequextered by
dom at the close of the Of 1856. and It not
until few years ago that his son. the present
Duke OF Cumberland. placed more in
possession thereof by Emperor William.
The late ex-King Of Naples and his widow,
Queen Marie. who survives him. were deprived Of
their private fortune after the overthrow Of their
throne fall Of the fortress Of Gaeta- in the
defence OF which Queen Marie such lasting
fame its heroine. and they were reduced to
such want that, until the death Of the Queens
mother. Duchess Ludovica of Bavaria, they were
obliged TO have frequent recourse to Attenborough
the leading pawnbroker In London. who time and
again assumed avuncular charge Of their plate
and Of the Queens jewels. In recent years the
Queens resources have been considerably in
creased through the Intervention Of the Kaiser,
who induced the italian government to fulfil its
pecuniary obligations to the ex-Queen not only
with regard to the present and to the future, but
also to the mast under the terms Of the treaty
negotiated some six and forty years ago between
Bavaria and the kingdom OF Naples for her mar
rage to the then Crown Prince Of Naples, and by
which the -seapoliten government bornd itself to
nay large annuities to the royal bride, as Crown
Princess, Queen and widow Of the King.
When the kingdom Of Italy took possession Of the
kingdom OF Naples it ipso facto assumed the lat
ters pecuniary and treaty obligations and that is
how It happenS that the ex-Queen Of Naples now
receives a civil list from the Italian treasury.
Nearly the whole Of the wealth Of King Louis
Philippe and Of the house Of Orleans-at any rate.
that part OF their fortune which had remained in
France after the revolution Of 1S4S-wss con1s-
Gated by his government Immediately after Ma
poleon III became emperor, Lady Burdett-Coutts
saving the palace and domain Of Chantflly from
this fate by efecting timely purchase thereof
from its owner. the Due d Aumale who. after the
fail of the Napoleonic empire, bought it back from
her for the same price which she had paid for ii.
Many other analogous could be given. but
these will serve to explain why the late Alexander
III OF Russia well as his father, Alexander II.
kept such immense in cash and bonds at the
Bank Of England and why Queen Isabella Of Spain.
q very wealthy woman, has the greater part Of her
private fortune invested IN England. shown
concIusivey during the course of the war between
America and Spain, when one Of her agents. who
had been in London in connection with her in
erests there was robbed OF his confidential papers
on his way back Madrid by an agent of the
Carlists who afterward proceeded to make public
the information contained therein. for the purpose
OF ijurin her the eyes OF the people OF the land
Of her adoption
E&,Fa 80
gey brought TO light in court the OF the for
eign stockholders of American Industrial con-
Germ. showing that large blocks Of the stock were
held by foreign royalties and foreign statesmen
Also recall printing in these letters list OF the
holdings of the Gar and Of other European rulers
in American railroads.
WHY THEY MUST INVEST ABROAD.
There is still another why these anointed
OF the Lord prefer to Invest their money abroad
rather than at home II they have the mis-
fortune to embark any part Of their fortune in
domestic enterprises, they at once expose them
selves to scurrilous charges by malcontents and
anti-dynasts Of subordinatng the policy and the
interests of the nation to those Of the concerns
In which they happen 20 be stockholders. Emperor
William. who is very patriotic in his investments
and IN q somewhat lesser degree his uncle King
Edward. have been the object Of end Of totally
unjustifed abuse precisely IN this connection
When a year or back Emperor William de-
tacbed one Of the officers Of his household to
sumo q sest on the directorate Of the Hamburg
American Line. for the purpose of representing his
personal interests In the company he was de-
uollnced with so much vigor that one would almost
have thought that he had committed some terrible
crime against his country in investing his spare
cash in its commercial enterprises, and the re-
suit is that to-day whenever the German govern
aent takes action abroad for the protection and
f1rtherance of German interests in foreign coun-
tries. the question is invariably raised most
Hciolsly whether or not the Emperor is financially
concerned in the matter. and whether any part Of
his private fortune Is at stake.
This explanation may be somewhat lengthy but
II is necessary to give Il IN order to show Just
what are the causes which almost compel foreign
sovereigns and royal persouages to invest their
money abroad, rather than at home
With regard to their American assurances, these
e-a naturally effected with good OF secrecy
Or fear of inviting the wrath OF the native in
-,,rznca concerns. On the other hand. II the SOW
sre,sr were to take out policies in any
several Of the domestic insurance associations all
+b.5- native rivals would raise cutlery So great
q, +bs canton which the occupants Of thrones have
m observe that they prevented from showing
snv kind OF favor whatsoever to the American COM
n7nies which may happen TO have accepted them
as risks as some OF the biggest of the American
Insurance companies now under investigation have
round to their disappointed arnszement and to
1heH MARQUIsE DE FoNTENoY.