New-York tribune., 1910-02-26
.SWISS DIPLOMAT.
His Memories of Eugfnie and
Others.

Others.
Geneva February Il
Mr.. James de Chambrier. of Neuchatel,
for a number of years represented the
Swiss government at the French court
To several readable, if not very pro-
found, works on history and travel which
he has written during his long life he
has now added a volume of souvenirs
of his experience at Paris during the
last years Of the Second Empire. The
title is "Avant ct Apras Sadowa," and 1t
suggests the authors point of view as
to an event which he regards as fndi-
rectly a chief cause of the French En-
peror's downfall. The fact that France
stood aloof In 1866 and permitted Prus-
sia, by defeating Austria, to acquire
European supremacy was, according to
NJ. de Chambrier, chiefly responsible for
the humiliation of 1870. AS contributory
to this catastrophe he naturally consid-
ers the Mexican adventure and the aban-
donment of Macmillan, with all the loss
to France of financial, political and moral
prestige Although offering to the reader
very little that was not already known,
NJ de Chambrier's souvenirs are for the
most part lively and entertaining, and
they contain some excellent sketches OF
leading men and women in the Partisan
life of the period. His political views,
especially as to placing the blame for the
war of 1870, are strongly colored by
certain enthusiasms and prejudlces.
Among these is an admiration-one may
rS,io
about whose beauty, graciousness and
charity his pen is eloquent. He displays
extreme incOnUen1nce in certain of his
"reminiscences, as when he repeats the
Sultan's remarks at a state dinner ana
when he tells of his own conduct at an
entertainment given to Won Moltke oy
Roth, the Swiss Minister at Berlin. M.
de Chambrier was presented to the field
marshal. He says:
Our chief resource in conversation was
his journey in Switzerland and stay at
Ragatz: for we were not gong 70 interVle"
him about his campaigns; but the con-
versation about Zurich and Ragatz was
none the less laborious, as our interlocutor
made vain efforts to find the appropriate
words. The sound of the dining room door
when it opened was symphony for US,
and the voice of our minister begging the
marshal to offer his arm to Mime. Roth
seemed like music If Moltke was not a
taIker. he was a fine diner out and active
with his fork une fourchette de marquee,
as possible. Adjusting the. pieces on the
point of his knife, he carried them to his
mouth with clever dexterity. He is 60
ing to miss that one said discreetly
to our neighbor at the table. an amiable
lady who had no liking for deep conversa-
ton but was we We'll w xersed IN i nraetcaf not fsa mat IT.
but look at his plate, He is helped SO gen
erously that you can't see to the bottom
You know the marshal eats poorly at home
and MAKES UP for it at the table of
others?
NJ de Chambrier gives a graphic de-
scription of the Due de Morny's funeral
when. as the cortege passes the Theatre
Porte ST Martin, the solemn silence was
broken by irrepressible laughter. The
actors and figurantes were rehearsing a
spectacular piece and hurried to the win
Gows to see the passing pageant for
getting that they were in the groteSque
costumes of the stage One chapter is
devoted to a visit paid by the French
Emperor and Empress to Switzerland;
and M Chambrier tells of their rather
eventful visit to Neuchatel. Upon the
arrival there of the imperial party, the
engineer VI titt lo1oi1lotIFC DiC" TIC
whistle with such vehemence that il
frightened the horses of carriage IN
which were several members of the
suite. NJ. dc Chambrier, who was an
eyewitness. tells of the CONSERVATION Of
the crowd and the alarm of the Empress.
The Princess Anna Murat, Nine. de
Montebello and Mile. Bouvet were
thrown out and badly hurt. The last
named was carried on stretcher to the
hospital. while the Empress walked b.
side her, holding an umbrella over her
head to protect her from the sun. While
at Neuchatel there was a fire in one Of
the suburbs. TO which the Empress hur-
ried on foot, and became separated from
her attendants. She was rather roughly
treated by the police, who did not recog-
nize her and was escorted back to the
hotel hV a volunteer fireman. Wishing
to show her appreciation, she asked the
man how she might repay him. He re-
plied that when he next visited Paris he
would like to have access to certain rare
books and manuscripts in the collections
there. She was surprised at the request,
but he explained In Switzerland. we
are all soldiers-and fremen. l am city
librarian, and my name is Bonhote."