Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-08
Won MOLTkE OF
GERMAN SOCIETY
KAISER PRAISES WIFE OF THE
AMBASSADOR
MRS. CHARLEMAGNE TOWER is
HIGHLY coMPLIMENTED
Has Lived in German Capital Five
Years and Her Home Has Been
Scene of Many Brilliant
Functions

BERLIN, April 6.--When a German
deigns to make metaphorical use of one
of the fatherland's immortals to distin-
guish the achievements of someone else
he means to bestow supreme praise. So,
when the kaiser. speaking the other
day of the retirement from Berlin of
the American ambassador, Mr.. Charlie
magne Tower described Mrs. Tower as
"the Won Moltke of society,"" he paid as
superlative compliment as the Teuton
tongue permits. His majesty amplified
this striking observation by calling Mrs.
Tower the greatest social leader of my
reign"
Mrs. Tower arrived in Berlin five
years ago to find the kaiser's capital
socially moribund. She leaves 1t bril-
liant and gay and started on career
commensurate with the city's import
ance as modern international factor.
1t is for this California womans pioneer
work in this regard that Emperor Will
liam conferred upon her the dignity of
a social field marshalship," and freely
expressed his regret that polite life in
Germany is to be deprived of her
leadership and of the capacity she
brought to the task of elevating Berlin
society from more or less provincial
ennui to metropolitan sp1endor and ami
nation.
Mr.. Tower was promoted to the
American embassy in Berlin in 1903
Owing to a strange combination of
circumstances, great entertaining in
the kaiser's capital then, and until a
few months ago, was done almost ex-
clusively by the court itself The Brit
ish and French ambassadors were
without wives. The wives of the
Austro- Hungarian and Italian am
bassadors had no inclination for active
social careers. Countess Won Osten-
Sacken, wife of the Russian ambassa-
dor. and doyenne of the Berlin diplo
matte corps, was an old lady. The
kaiser's sons were unmarried and too
young for establishments of their own.
OF the Prussian aristocracy, few keep
up houses in Berlin designed for en-
tertaining on a large scale; Of great
hostesses, such as these in which Lon
don, Paris and New York abound, Ber-
lin boasts hardly a mentionable dozen.
All these facts combined to present to
a woman of Mrs. Towers talents,
tastes and experience unique oppor-
tunity, which she was prompt to seize
and exploit on brilliant scale.
Engage Palace
Taking as their home the spacious
Prinzheim palace in the Koenigs platz,
directly across from the reichstag
buildings-a granite mansion built or
iginally for a French nobleman prom
inent at the court of the Emperor Will
liam I-Mr. and Mrs. Tower refur-
nished the house on a lavish scale and
at once advanced the United States
embassy to the front rank of Berlin
diplomatic establishments. Early dur
ing their first winter in the Koenigs
piatz, the kaiser honored Mr.. and Mrs.
Tower with his company at dinner
the first time Americas representative
in Germany had ever been SO dis
tinguished. His majesty announced
his intention of "resetting foot on
American soil" each succeeding season,
a promise he has been delighted to
keep. He has on these occasions al
ways escorted Mrs. Tower to table and
placed her at his right hand.
In addition to these Sumptuous
"kaiser dinners" to which there has
always been invited a company or MS
particular friends and advisers, 1nclud-
ing an invariable sprinkling of cap
tains of industry" Mrs. Tower has
given each season a ball for the court
and diplomatic set. Last years func-
ton was fancy dress party, at which
the younger element. headed by the
crown prince and princess and their
jovlal Juvenile friends, had such an
unrestrainedly good time that they
urged their hostess to provide them
with another evening of the same sort
this winter. Last nights flower ball
at the American embassy was Mrs.
Towers qualification of their imperial
highnesses' wish. 1t was one of the
most charming and beautiful affairs
in Berlin's society history. Over ESQ
guests were present
In addition to giving long series of
more elaborate functions Mrs. Tower
has been hostess at an endless round
of receptions, luncheons and teas. To
her own countrywomen in Berlin of
whose club she has served as presi-
dent, she has been untiring in her
courtesies. On New Years day and
Washington's birthday she has kept
"open house" for the residential and
transient American contingent.