The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-15
BY LA ,IAnouIsE DE FoNrENoy

Y---IELD MARSHAL LORD KITCH-
- ENER, who is now In this coun
4 try, Is Fastening home, without
visiting Canada or spending any
time in travelling In the United states,
III order TO impress upon King Edward
and upon his ministers the fact that
Australia is virtually powerless to re-
sist attack by hostile power. He has
been examining, on behalf OF the Crown
Committee of Imperial Defense. in
London, the dcfenses of Australia
against INVASION and has found that
they are virtually on-eXistent, al
though there IL magnificent raw mate
rial for az army, and since last year
compulso. military service has be-
come the law Of the Commonwealth
the first portion, Indeed. of the British
Empire to suecumb 10 the inevitable in
this matter. the mother country her.
self being bound ere long TO follow
suit.
Lord Kitchener finds that the north
ern territory is wholly open TO any in
vader who, once in possession of the
coast, could not be attacked from the
rear. In fact, Australia is at present
wholly at the mercy of Japanese in
vasion or of German coup, If the lat.
ter were to DO made in the north from
that Teuton owned archipelago oil
islands which lies within easy striking
reach of Australia. and Is now being
converted by the Kaiser into an ex-
tremely important naval base. Another
u
the defense of Australia is that the
railroads have not been constructed
with regard to strategical use; that
they are wholly inadequate in extent
and that they differ in gauges. The
weakest point of all in Australia, from
military point OF view. is the absence
of any properly constituted staff, and
TO supply this Lord Kitchener urges
the organization OF military college
on the lines of West Point for the for
Inn md ms fI1n inn Of on a
from which the staff of the Australian
army would be mainly recruited Ac-
cording to Lord Kitchener West Point
is pattern to the entire world for
such institutions.
Count Boni's Infnmy.
Some misrepresentation exists here
with regard to the suit recently brought
by the Marquis de Castellane against
his former dauGhter-in -law. the Ouch
ess de Talleyrand ct de Sagan. From
the cable dispatches it appeared that
at the time of her marriage to Boni de
Castellane the former Miss Anna Gould
had placed herself under an obligation
to pay an annuity to his father, the
marquis. and to the marquisc, for the
remainder of their respective lives. and
that the courts had held her to this
contract. This is not the case
AT the time Of I3oni's marriage his
father surrendered to him and to his
other two sons, Jean and Stanisas, all
his own rights to the family property
in return for, an annuity, to which his
various children pledged themselves to
contribute an equal share. Boni's wife
guaranteed her husbands pledge, and
lit is not as principal in the affair, but
merely as Boni's guarantor, that the
marquis sued his eX-daushter-i law
While this does not relieve the Mar
ouis de Castclane of the imnutations
Of gross indelicacy, to call it by nc
worse name, in making monetary de-
mands upon the woman who was sc
abominably used BY his son, and whose
marriage with the latter has been dis
solved by a divorce granted In hel
favor, yet it does in a measure clcai
the French tribunals of the accusation
freely made here Of having rendered
Judgment contrary to all Justice
equity and common sense. For the de-
cree expressly states that IT Is against
the American duchess, not as principal
but merely as guarantor, and that II
remains for herto recover IN law from
Boni de Castellane the sum which she
has been obliged to pay In MS pehaif:
In short, the courts intimate that II
she applies to them for a judgmen,
against her husband in the. amount
they will Immediately grant IT,
Aristocrntic Diplomats.
Although the Kaiser has, more than
any other German ruler, past or pres