Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-15
ENVOY TO Be SENT
America to Be Represented at
King Alfonso's Wedding.
ESTABLISHING A PRECEDENT
First Special Mission Sent to the
Cars Coronation.
GIFT WILL NOT BE PRESENTED
Foreign Comment on the Custom Of
This ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Begin May so.
GIFT WILL NOT BE PRESENTED
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
We are not in the habit of sending en-
bassies to royal weddings. but are rapidly
becoming world power" and must meet
the responsibilities of such a distinction.
Until now the regular legation in the coun-
try concerned was considered sufficient to
represent Uncle Sam at such functions and
offer his congratulations to the bride and
groom. The only royal wedding Of late
years was that Of the Queen of Holland in
1901, when Mr.. Newell, our minister to The
Hague did the honors. In 1873 and in 1879
were two marriages at Madrid, at which
We were ably represented by James Russell
Lowell. The first Of the special missions,
as they are called, was to the coronation
OF the present Gear of Russia. General
Alexander Mcdowell McCook was the spe-
ciai envoy and he was accompanied by
volunteer retinue. There was a good deal
| OF scrapping and scandal among certain
distinguished ladies and gentlemen who
| went over to see the pageant which made a
| lot of trouble. Whitelaw Reid was sent to
| the jubilee celebration of Queen Victoria.
| chiefly because he wanted to go and the
President was anxious to crafty him. For
! the same reason the same gentleman was
sent to the coronation of King Edward. He
| was attended by numerous retinue, which
| behaved with commendable decorum and
| did great honor to the king and the British
| people.
Frederick w. Whitridge Chosen.
The invitation to send a special envoy to
| witness the wedding of the young King OF
/ Spain and the Princess Ena of England
came through the usual diplomatic cham
nels, and Mr.. Frederick Walingford Whit
| he of e rid
| lawyers. New York city. has been desig
| mated to receive that honor. Mr.. Whitridge
| is a gentleman of culture, wealth and high
| social standing He is a graduate of AM
! herst College, has devoted himself to inter-
| national law, and has been a frequent con-
| tributor to political and economic literature.
He is member of all the leading clubs of
! New York. Is a director in musical, literary
| and fine art societies as well in numer-
| GUS railways, and other corporations and
| has thorough appreciation of what is ex-
pected of him.
| Nj. Whitridge will be accompanied by Mr..
| William Fl. Buckler of Baltimore, a young
| mali of brilliant attainment, Is secretary
! of the special embassy. He is cousin
| of Harry White, our ambassador to Italy.
| Mr.. Buckler graduated from Cambridge
| University, England four years ago, and
where he took the York prize for coInposi-
| ton. That is great distinction. His the
| sis was THE History of the Contract
| in Roman Law" At the international con-
| gress of lawyers during the st. Louis ex-
!
| Side of Roman Law" which attracted
| great deal of favorable comment. Mr..
| Buckler is member of the board of trus-
| tees of Johns Hopkins University, and
| frequent lecturer before the students Of that
| institution. Lieut.. Ulysses s. Grant III
| goes as a military attache. No ladies are
! Included in the official invitations although
| Mr. Whitrfdge will be accompanied by ms
| wife and daughter.
No Gift to Be Sent.
| do
tunately the King of Spain did not send one
| to Miss Roosevelt at the time of her mar
| rage, and the administration is thus
| lieved from what might be a serious en-
| barrassment. Gifts from crowned heads
| and governments bring a great deal of
| trouble to those who receive them. When
| potentate makes a present to fellow ruler
| or to any one else, he expects a return IN
| kind. President Roosevelt would have TO
| devote his entire income to that purpose IL
| he did what is expected of him, while Con-
| gress will never make an appropriation for
/ any such object. Over in the National Mu-
scum and in the library or the state De-
partment you can see numerous artistic and
valuable articles which from time to time
have been presented to our Presidents or
our government by foreign rulers, and in
each case our President was expected TO
reciprocate in kind. When the President of
France the President OF Switzerland or
the President of the Argentine Republic or
families receive gifts they always return
them. The same Is done by the crowned
heads of Europe. Asia and Africa, but the
President of the United States Is an excep-
ton. We do no exchange presents We ac-
cept everything that is sent to us from the
Sultan of Turkey or the Empress of China,
or any other prince or potentate, and We
put 1t up in the National Museum or the
State Department library to be admired.
while the person who sent It, and all for
eigners who know that 1t was sent are gos-
siping about our parsimony and ignorance
of etiquette. The failure OF our government
to return the many presents that have been
made to the President and the members of
his family during the last quarter of a
century is common source of gossip in
every court.
A Splendid Pageant Promised.
OF course the wedding of the king will
be a splendid pageant. The ceremony will
take place in the new Church of the Virgin
of Atocha. The ceremony viii be performed
by the Archbishop Of Toledo. who is the
primate Of all Spain, and will be followed
by nuptial mass, a bull fight and numer-
Gus banquets balls and Nominations All
the courts of Europe will be represented.
and 1t is said that King Edward Is going
over from England to witness the marriage
of his niece. which, think, is extremely
doubtful, because the British people. par
ticularly the Protestants, are earnestly OPP
posed to the matter. and they would con-
slider 1t an affront IL their king should take
the trouble to go all the way to Madrid to
attend the ceremony. The bride. who has
only recently changed her religion to COM
ply with the requirements of the constitu-
ton OF Spain. must go through spiritual
training before she take the necessary
vows. and the Catholic Archbishop OF VIM
chester is In charge OF her religious educa-
ton.
When Alfonso XII was married to Mer-
cedes dispensation from the pope was
necessary because they were cousins. Mer-
cedes was the daughter of the Duke of
Montpcnser. the youngest son of Louis
Philippe, the King Of France. The marriage
was purely one of love and was bitterly
opposed by all the royal family, by the
ministry and by the people of Spain. This
was because OF the unpopularity of the
brides father and the feeling that the mar
rage would weaken instead OF strengthen
the throne. But when the people became
acquainted with Mercedes. her beauty.
grace. tact and intelligence won every
heart. She became national idol. and
when she died suddenly and mysteriousiy
on the 10Th OF June. i've months and three