New-York tribune., 1908-08-30
FRIEND OF PRESIDENT
Ambassador Speck CON Sternbnrg
Closelg Associated zrith HIM.


health. the Ambassador OF Germany IN ms
country for FIVE years. Although German In nan1es
and descent. he was a native OF England. a1'a
called himself Engshman until nafuraiizeo M IN
C.erunauy ar the age seventeen TO take part m
the Franco-Prusssan War He spent a cons1deraofe
part of later life In this country IN various op
lonatic capacities, and he married an Amef'cs"
woman but curiously enough, his wedding IKE MS
birth. on English SOIL
But nothing made Baron Won SternburE more
nopuIar than his close friendship with President
Roosevelt. They rode together, played tennis TO-
eether practised rifle and pistol shooting To-
gether and had wide sympathy on many mat
ters So close was their Intimacy thae 'hey "e's
accustomed TO address each other by their hrsr
names of Herman and Theodore, and in the midst
of exciting set OF tennis it was not inlreouesil
to hear "Specly' and Teddy" over the net -ss<
The fortune of the Speck-Sternburg family came
from the father of the Ambassador, Herr Speck.
who was Saxony cattle drover and took steers tn
England the North Sea and sold them TO sncff
good advantage that he able to purchase the
estate of Sternburg. IN Saxony. His son. for SER
vices to the ruling house. made freiherr, or
baron. and took his title from his estate Tho
name has been variously written Won Speck Won
s,ernburg. Won Speck-Sternburg and Speck von
Sternburg- In the diplomatic list the Ambassador
4a-rred as F,refherr SpecI Won Sternburg. but in
who's Who" as Baron Herman Won Speck Stern
burg.
Fills father married English girl in the city Of
Leeds the fifth largest Of English cities their
| in English surroundings there 1t in Leeds
| that the story told of good Yorkshire grocer
who laid the foundation of his fortune by the p1r-
chase of a hogshead of moIasses. which he doled
out IN quantities to his customers But In
stead of attributing fortune it, he declared ic
| was the of misfortune, and caused his
\ .ruiration-"
How was that?" asked of him.
Il We'll yo' see." he replied. me and my Betty
had been wed for three year. and up to then we'd
had no children. but she began from that time
forward and never once stopped until we had thur
teen ShI That hogshead OF treaole was the rum
alton O. me-
4 When he had reached the age of years.
/ young Sternburg sent to school IN Saxony.
and he secured military training at PotsdaIn
| He became expert swordsnan and shot and "a
! fearless rider At the outbreak of the war with
/ France over AIsace and Lorraine. in 1870 he went
X TO the front in the Saxon Dragons and won a
! medal for bravery. AS his father had become a
K naturaIized Englishnan. he had to become a nat
, uralized German to be officer In the army Ir
was in 1885 that he first to this country. "a
( military attache of the German legation Theodore
Roosevelt began his career at the national capital
as a Civil Service commissioner while he was there.
| Sir Michael Herbert, afterward British Ambasss-
4 DOR was serving secretary of the English En-
/ bassy and Sir Chentung Liang-Cheng. who after
ward represented his country minister, was at
; tached TO the Chinese legation That four men
4 who afterward attained euIinence should be drawn
! to one another surprising. and they formed
ties of friendship which only the death of two or
i them have separated ~
! When Baron Speck Sternhurg returned to
I Washington in 1895 secretary OF the German En-
: bassy with several years of experience in China
4 and Servia he found Mr. Roosevelt Assistant Ser
retary of the Navy and In the midst of the prep
| aratons for the Spanish-American war whfcn
Mr. Roosevelt aferward left his official position 20
\ take part I'm. Their friendship renewed and
/ strengthened II while the way 10 Wash
\ ington that time that the baron met Miss Lillian
/ May L.angham. whose father had made and lost q
/ fortune in Idaho mines When they were married,
| in st. Georges. Hanover Square. London two years
later il was an uncle of BRIDE residing in Louis
vile. who provided the marriage portion necessary
for the bride Of a attached to the diplomatic
| service of the German Empire 1t Is cited as a
| proof that it genuine love match that the
wealthy husband returned the brides portion TO her
! generous uncle before he took his wife TO India
with him, whence his diplomatic duties called him.
| 1t was while in China as secretary of legation
that he was stricken with the rlaady which. while
was not the direct cause contributed the death
\ of the ambassador He was stuns In the face By
some poisonous insect The wound would ap-
parently heal and then break out afresh- srad"-
ally developing that there was a dtshsurln<
growth. The victim confident that II could
| be cured. but all that money and skill could do
| proved futile: and while it's cancerous nature was
denied. this lupus It termed, persisted In
its growth.
| IL was in 1903 that Baron Speck Sternbur<
was sent to this country a dplomatio mission
/ connected with the settlement OF the German
i claims against Venezuela IT was Wh1e IN w asn-
iugton attending this that renewed his friend
ship with Mr. Roosevelt who in the mean time
had become President AT the White House
day he desired send private note to Emperor
William and told TO avail himself Of the
Presidents stationery. and did This indication
OF intimacy with the head OF the American gov
/ ernment WAS not lost on the German sovereign.
| There had been considerable f~slinz between ths
two countries growing of tha Samoan affair.
the accusation of barbarisn against the German
troops Peking and the famous "Hoch der
Kaiser incident. Ambassador Holleben had
not succeeded in allayins il and. IN fact. was re-
rartled as adding il. and his recall was decided
on Emperor William looked for a who
would win the regard OF the American people.
we'll as the confidence of the American govern
rnert' and despite the opposition in certain high
quarters made Baron Speck SternburE am
bassador. The latter became known one Of the
infinite friends o, the President and they
much together. Soon after his appointment NJ
spent week at Saganore HILL
year ago last winter the Presidents sons.
Theodore and Kermit practised high jumping IN
Rock Creek Park under the tuteIase of their
father and Ambassador Speck Won Sternburg. tho
latter instructng them in the tactics of the Ger
man cavalry The President thought that the
eouestrian accomplishments which the ambassador
= acquired in a hussar regiment would add to the
| cowboy training he had given his sons. and they
| learned a variety of stunts from him.
| When Baron Sternburg appeared In frll uni
| form he wore no less than nine orders including
most of the leading Of various European cour-
tries .
BLOCK ISLAND.