The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-06
BY La MAReuIsE DE FoNTENoY.

BY LA NMAReUISE DE FoNTESOH,
A LTHoUGH every foreigner who
N secures. naturalization as an
"a American citizen is required by
the laws of the United States to
specifically "renounce any hereditary
title or order of nobility which he may
possess" yet there is apparently no
legal obstacle to his acceptance of a
foreign title of nobility once he has
acquired the full rights of citizenship.
This has been made clear by the dis
cussion which has arisen in connection
with the correspondence between Am
bassador-Eobert Bacon. when Secretary
of state at Washington. and Charles
Page Bryan, when minister at Lisbon.
relating to the wish OF certain a. B.
Patterson TO accept the pronered title
of Portuguese baron without the for
feiture of his citizenship of the United
States. Secretary Bacon very rightly
states that the acceptance by an Amer
lean Of title from a foreign govern
ment is SO opposed to the spirit of
our institutions and the law itself that.
although not specifically forbidden, and
therefore not in itself sufficient to
work expatriation. 1t is circumstance
TO be considered in determining wheth-
err or not an American citizen has ex-
patrlated himself.
The laws of the United States. as
shown above, involve the forfeiture OF
foreign titles of nobility as indispen-
sable to the grant of letters of natur-
alization to an alien. The Constitution
that mo title OF nobility shall be
granted by the United States" and mo
person holding any office of profit or
trust under them shall. without the
consent of Congress. accept any pres
emit, emolument., office or title of any
kind whatever. from any King. prince
shows the spirit of the Constitution
and the spirit OF the law with regard
to foreign titles OF nobility. there is
no specific prohibition OF the accept
ance of a foreign title by an ordinary.
unofficial American citizen.
1t seems that Just 100 years ago both
houses of Congress passed an amend
any citizens of the United States who
accepted, claimed, received or retained
any foreign title OF nobility or honor
should, ipso facto. forfeit their citizen
amendment on being referred to the
States was rejected. owing to the OPP
position of New York. Rhode Island
and Connecticut, and by the failure OF
Massachusetts, Virginia and South Car
DINA to take any action whatsoever
in the matter
Having thus made this clear, it may
be stated that there are fairly large
number of Americans who have &C
cepted foreign titles Of nobility. First
and foremost among the number is
Joseph Loubat. who. a member OF the
Union and OF the Knickerbocker Clubs.
of New York, and making his principal
home in Paris, bears everywhere abroad
by Leo XIII. His title Of duke figures
on many of the scientific works that
he has published abroad, and he has
also received several foreign orders Of
knighthood, including the French Lee
gion of Honor.
Then there is Reginald .Henshaw
Ward, also a member of the Union
Club In New York. who makes his
home in England, where he uses the
title of count, bestowed upon him also
by Leo XIII; He was formerly the
unpaid consul-general of Roumania in
London. which gave him the right to
sport gorgeous uniform. though It
did not carry with it admission to
court. Finding. however. that the.
Office yielded no official advantages of
a social character. he has recently Sc.
cured the, post of unpaid councillor OF
the, legation, of Nicaragua at Lisbon.
which gives him. for the present at any
rate. a species Of diplomatic status.
although, as, mentioned the other
day in these letters. a movement Is on
foot among the, powers to stop the
and South American republics and by
the negro states of Hayti, San Domingo
and Liberia of diplomatic offices upon
persons whose. connection with these
financial character. A German horse
dealer was arrested recently In Berlin
for using the title of councillor Of lega-
ton. but was released when he was
able to show that although he had
never left Europe he had acquired by
purchase full,-hedged credentials Of
councillor OF the legation Of Liberia
at st. Petersburg. after having pre-
viously obtained by the same means
guam legation at Rome,
One of the papal chamberlains who
has lately received from Gus A the
title Of prince. but who. with much
good sense II, refrains fro from making use
son Of the well-known Irish-American
banker and phil l'tln the late
mocracy has been shown by Martin
Maloney, the Philadelphia gas mag
With the title Of marquis In recogni-
ton Of his numerous Roman catholic
charities. That. is to say, Martin Ma
loney refrains from using either title
or coronet., In the same way. 9. panal
Francisco philanthropist OF the name