The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-07-18
OLD WORLD COURT GOSSIP

visit IN England on the invitation of
King George. rendered him on the return
journey from the Indian Durbar when
Abbas Hilmi. sovereign Of Nubia. Of the
Sudan. Of Kordovan and of Darfour.
but merely viceroy or Khedive Tin reality
former vassal to the Sultan Of Turkey.
made the British royal pair very well
come between Ismaila and Port Said.
owes much of his success as a ruler to
his linguistic attainments, which are re-
marlable even for a monarch. It is moth
ing strange at an audience day at Cairo
for him to discuss questions that may
arise in faultless English with the
representatives OF England or the United
States, with the French Minister in equal
ly perfect French. and with the Ger
man diplomat in his tongue. Later he
will conduct all affairs with the Sultan's
resident agent In Turkish and go TO pre-
side over q council Of his Cabinet, where
all the details OF policy are discussed in
Arabic only. At night he may be seen at
the theater listening to and enjoying an
opera In. italian.
The Hilmi dynasty was founded in 1911
by Mohammet Ali. 1t Is a hereditary
monarchy, the law OF male primogeniture
(Salic law) being in force. But the king
dom. as far as Egypt proper is concerned.
remains tributary to the Sublime Porte.
but apparently in name only since the
British occupation and the control of
the Suez Canal by British interests.
Khedive Abbas, while In England, is
meeting one Of his Oldest and most ad-
mired friends, the new German Ambas-
sador, Won Bieberstein. between whom
and the Egyptian monarch a strong at
tachment sprung up during the diplomats
Ia Gt,kl DnrtA
see by the London papers that the new
envoy is meeting with quite a difficulty
in having his name spelled properly. II
Oscar Wilde was right, 1t is evidence Of
renown TO have ones name spelled as
II should be abroad. In this connection
/ notice frequently the absurd changing
OF the names of leading personages to
suit the fancy, especially of the French
Who that has lived long enough TO re-
member the occurrences Of the Franco
Prussian war of 1870 has not chuckled
over the translation OF the Prussian Gen.
eral Stan Stab or the army. into M.
lie General Stab" Mr.. Chamberlain quite
often is published as Lord Chamber
lain. which Is the title of the incumbent
of a court Office. but not the name OF a
man. II is difficult 10 believe. but true.
nevertheless. that the Master Of Eli
banks in a number of instances, in Paris
papers has been referred to as lie
Maitre de la Banque DEFY" Nor need
cur British contemporaries grin In de-
rision over the qualification OF their
French brethren, for / am a living wit
ness that the dispatch Of an attack by
General Starr also Appealed in at least
two OF the leading London papers at the
time.
And yet French proper names do not
present any great difficulty TO English
ears, but those OF Germans who have
been born with honors, or who have
achieved them or had such thrust upon
them, are not always correctly stated in
England. Here Is a case In point The
full name and title OF the new German
Ambassador to England Is Baron Adolf
Marshall Won Bieberstein. "Marsohall''
Is not, as some suppose, a military title,
however. much II may so sound. 1t Is
part and parcel OF the Ambassador
name. The full designation, Germsn-fash-
ion. is long, and various authorizations.
such as Baron Marschall, Baron Bieber-
stein. are incorrect. II one desires TO
shorten the name II should be nothing
else but Baron Marshall" In Ger
many the Ambassador generally is called
'FreIherr Won Marshall" II is impor-
tant not to omit the won"
The German grade OF nobility which
is represented by the title Of baron is
nothing like the English title OF baron.
The British baron IN all cases is an earl
and the titular head OF a "barony," never
less than lord. but of so high a char
acter that not even a duke can sit IN
the House OF Lords as such, but only as
hereditary titular head OF some barony
that goes to make his ducaI title In
Germany, however. baron" is a synonym
for a title OF nobility that is next TO the
lowest rank OF aristocracy. the lowest
being plain won and the next 'frei-
herr" commonly addressed as Herr
Baron" Others in the upward scale are
graf Count, reIchsgrar very little in
use nowadays, and the surviving repre-
sentatIves OF mediatized former reign
lng) houses. fuerst (princes who with
rare exceptions are not ruIers), and her
zos duke.
The appointment OF Baron Won Marschall
to the Court of st. James has caused
such a stir in the London press that It
is surprising that so few anecdotes about
him are in circulation. 1t Is quite true
that It was late in life that he achieved
fuency in foreign languages, but in his
earlier career he had no need for such
when he was a court officer and Judge
in an inland town OF his native Baden.
But the statement in some papers that
he does not understand English is an
insult upon the intelligence OF his mas
ter. the German Kaiser. He had Travelled
very extensively in England and Scot
land. and also in France. before he en-
tered the diplomatic service Of his coun-
try, and those who are closely acquainted
with him will tell you that often they
have had occasion TO marvel at his wide
knowledge OF English and French fic-
ton.
The baron is an inveterate chess play
er. No wonder that he is so successful
a diplomat. But he is also fond Of music.
For chess he will not find as much leisure
in busy London as he had in the easy.
going East, but his musical inclnations
win find more satisfaction in music-lov-
ing England. He is a fine piano player
himself.
1t goes without saying that the change
from Constantinople TO London Is very
welcome to the Ambassador. as well as
to his wife and family. all OF them highly
cultured.
The baroness, who was once lady in
waiting to the Grand Duchess of Baden.
daughter Of the first German Kaiser. will
willingly, without doubt, change the Pc