The Washington herald., 1911-07-12

| Of France solely upon her desire to pro-
tect French interests in that country.
Besides, there is the act Of Algeclras, a
violation of the provisions of which, even
| II brought about by force of circum-
stances and against the will of France,
would release the other signatories from
their obligations and might lead to con-
sequences the full import OF which can
not be foreseen.
French courts will be called upon 10
I solves the riddle as to who really is en-
titled to call himself Due de Choiseul.
That decision also will settle once and
for all which Of two American women
rightly may style herself Duchess de
| Choiseul.
The Duke of Choiseul-Praslin, on whose
account the suit is brought married the
| former Mrs. Charles Hamilton Paine, Of
Boston, who in her girlhood days was
Lucy Tate, of Kentucky. The one who
is known as the Duke of Choiseul with
kout any affix is cousin of the plaintiff
and married Miss Claire Coudert, a
daughter of a member Of a New York
firm of lawyers. After a spirited contro-
versy in the newspapers the court was
appealed to.
Neither the republic nor French law
recognizes titles. Hence the only effect
of such a decision will be to crafty the
pride and establish the social rank Of
one or the other Of the contestants and
his wife.
The Dowager Duchess OF Choiseul-
Praslin was Miss Marie Elizabeth Forbes,
OF New York. who married CASTOR Louis
Philippe, Duke of Choiseul-Praslin, in
Switzerland, in 1874. According to records,
the title of Duke OF Choiseul lapsed 200
years ago. but was revived in 175s. and
four years later the title Duke OF
Praslin was added.
The Duke OF Choiseul, who fiourished
under Louis XIV. as that monarch's
prime minister, gave 10 the city Of Paris
ground on which to build an opera house.
This site is now occupied by the Opera
Comique. In the dukes gift was a clause
that he and after him the head Of his
house should have in perpetuity the right
to one box in the opera house. This con-
tract was made in 1871. Now the Duke
Of Mariner and the Duchess OF Fitz-
James demand the fulfllment of this con-
tract as the Iineal heirs OF that Duke
OF ChoiseuL
The report that Henri Marquet has
gained control of tho Casino at Monte
Carlo is denied by Camille Blanc, whose
father founded the famous gambling
bank, and whose president he has been
since his fathers death.
Marquet became a victim OF the new
strict Belgian anti-gambling law. The
police closed a number Of gambling
houses which he ran at Ostend, and
later at Paris under the guise Of clubs
The man got his first hold at Monte
Carlo two years ago last winter when he
obtained from Prince Albert Of Monaco
the lease of the National Sporting Club,
the most important annex to the Casino,
where baccarat is played day and night.
Since then Marquet has been buying
Casino stock in the attempt to obtain
control Of It, but Blanc says that the
majority OF the stockholders are with
him.
Blanc and Marquet are playing for a
great stake. The Official title OF the
Monte Carlo Casino is the Society for
See Bathing and Foreigners Club. The
elder Blanc made so much money out
of it that one daughter, Marie, married
a grandson of the great Napoleon, and
her daughter married Pince George of
Greece. Another OF the elder Blanc's
daughters, Antoinette. married Prince
Constantine RadziwiIl. The report to the
Casino stockholders for a typically sue
cessful year, 1905. shows that prodigal
gamblers had contributed SSo0o,0oo to the
institutions Golfers, Of which the Casino
spent $2,4Oo,ooO. It maintains the Monaco
government. Its expenses include a sum
paid annually to the reigning prince. a
civil list and the pay of five generals,
seventy troopers, and forty-four cara
bineers. FIIANEUR.
Copyright. 1911. by Court Gossip syndicats.)