Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-02-12

- made public some OF the fact:
about the fake" edition OF cX-
Empress Eugenle's memoir;
which Is said TO be now ready for tho
market; but It happens that the pres
ent writer can add some further infor-
nation received direct by him from
a friend and conndanto of the ex-
empress.
Some four years ago this great lady
really did consider seriously the pos
slbility OF giving to the world some al
least of tho priceless letters and docu-
ments in her possession-letters which
il is said would make 1t necessary for
historians of the Franco German war
and the reign of Napoleon III to RE-
write their work to a considerable cx-
tent.
or course American publishers were
among the first to hear the news, and
one of them said to the writer at the
time.
Il consider this book. II 1t can be
had. to be tho most valuable work that
Is available TO the world today. in the
way of memoirs"
all sides. and l understand that she
finally had In sight 100000 for the
magazine rights and as cash guaran-
tee for the book rights, the money to
be paid on the nail on delivery of the
MS. to French publisher who WIS
conducting the negotiations In behalf
of q syndicate made up of one leading
publisher in each OF tho principal coun-
tries. and the 100000 was to be aug
foI nv "A IaG IN tha work
HER MAJESTY SAID mo"
There was much travelling OF publish
ers to and fro between New York, Lon
don, Berlin and Paris, and the arrange
ments wore so far completed that con-
tracts were all drawn up between
everybody conccrned-all except with
the grand dame principally interested.
She on looking over the documents
for which tho publishers were so hun
cry. decided. go ] am told, that their
publication might strengthen the old
charge that her own social and political
ambitions were directly and Indirectly
the cause OF tho Franco German war
which plunged France Into misery. debt
and humiliation and cost her Alsace
and Lorraine. and likewise her maJes-
tvs husband his throne in 1871 There
were details. too. that did not show the
aminble Napoleon III In the best light
and so at last his widow set her I'M
perinl foot down on the Idea of publish
Ing any of her memoirs. or any of her
letters.
1t was a trying time for the ex-
empress after that decision. Personal
friends. induced by promises of goodly
commissions. kept on approaching her
with all sorts of arguments to prove
that 1t was her duty to the world to
open those precious safes at Farm
borough where she lives Her personal
secretary, M. Pietri, was kept busy
answering letters and keeping off I'm
poverished marquises with publishers
In their pockets. But the
more her majesty was besought. the
more she wouldn't Yield. According to
her own statement not one line of the
Memoirs has she writ
ten. or read, or authorized, and It wns
undoubtedly at her personal request
that NJ. Claretle has made tho an
nouncement that the Memoirs" are
bogus. They have been offered all over
Europe. and came near getting sold to
at least one American publisher Now
that the facts have come out probably
they VIII be suppressed. although Il Is
said that huge French edition had
already been printed
TOO RICH TO MARRY.
OF course the money side of the offers
nnde to her didn't appeal much to
inc e%-emprcsS, for she Is extremely |
'ich-probably one OF the richest |
women In the world. outside of AmerI- !
"a Perhaps her own inclInatlons were
,ot altogether In the way. either. for |
ler final decision was reached only q |
snort time ago after a visit from her
lephew and heir. Victor Napoleon |
Yho. doubtless, would be Napoleon ". |
emperor of France. at this mo- !