The Washington herald., 1912-03-24

Prince Hermann Won ldatZfeldt-Wllden-
burg. at present German Minister to
Egypt. where he succeeded Count Won
Bernstorff. now German Ambassador at
Washington, has been mulctsd out Of
several millions of reichsmark.
The prince is well known in Washing
ton diplomatic circles. though. not as
prince" but as Count Hatzfeidt. He
served there, as councillor OF the German
Embassy (botschaftsrath) and charge
d'affaires when the late Baron Speck Won
Sternburg was German Ambassador. It
was this same Count Hermann Won HAITI
fcIdt who acted as escort to the bereayed
Baroness Won Sternburg an American
iady Cbiiss Langham, OF Kentucky at
the memorial service for the dead Am
bazsador (who died at Heidelberg and
was buried in the church Of his ancestral
home in saxcny). which was held in
Concordia Church. Washington. when a
galaxy of the highest dignitaries OF the
United States government Of the diplo-
matte corps, and OF the army and the
nIvy attended in full dress and uniform.
When Prince HatZfeldt recently left
Cairo so suddenly II was rumored that he
had been recalled by the Kaiser. This
was not so. He hastened to Germany
after receiving the Information that the
general manager OF one OF his estates,
Herr Won Booth. who retoices in the title
Of n papal chamberlain, had embeZzled
sums running into the millions and eloped
with. his housekeeper after placing his
wife in an insane asylum.
A little over six months ago the then
Count Hermann fell heir to the titles and
vast entailed estates of his uncle. Prince
Alfred Won Hatzfeldt- Wildenburg, in the
county Of Altenkircheu, and five other
estates in Rhenish Prussia One OF these
possessions, the "Rittergut" Calcium,
near Dusseldorf, was under the man.
agement of this Mr.. Won Booth, who had
access to and control OF the prIncely
treasury and the hank deposits. After
getting hold of all the available cash
he disappeared. .--rs
But Prince Hermann is in position
where he need not worry over his faith
less servants depredations. He is very
wealthy, a multimillionaire. in fact, and
not the poor younger SON. he was while
at Washington And his young bride
is almost as wealthy. for she is the
daughter and heiress OF the former we'll
known German diplomat. Ferdinand
Stumm. who was ennobled by the Kaiser
and created a "freiherr'' as a reward
for his services to the fatherland. In
cidentally this young lady's rise in the
social scale was indeed rapid. She was
born a plain Miss Stumm. with no han
die TO her name. married a count Of
ancient lineage. and two weeks after her
wedding. which was celebrated at Holz-
bausef last May, saw her husband in
herit a principality, which made her a
serene highness, princess, ard ''durch-
lauch.'
1t cannot be denied. The Sagans are
ostracised by the real oId-tIme aris-
tocracy of the faubourgs in Paris. De-
spite the widespread and repeated an
nouncements IN the Paris press, the re-
cent dinner and reception OF the former
Anna Gould, or Countess Boni de Cas-
tellane. was completely ignored by the
"haute voilee' of France. The boycott
was absolute. The Duke Helie de Sagan.
or de Talleyrand. as he prefers to be
called in Paris, himself would be ac-
ceptahle enough. despite his profigacy
and unsavory past. but the ultra-exclu
sive denizens OF the faubourg maintain
that his marriage to Anna Gould Is not
valid: that is. from the viewpoints Of
deyout Catholics.
Americans have had their fill "ad
nauseam" OF Anna Gould. OF Count
"Boni'' and of his cousin, the present
husband of the wayward Anna, wayward
almost since her Bryn Mawr days. But
what surprises is that she and her duke
persist in forcing themselves upon Par
iSisn society where neither is wanted,
when they ciuld live a peaceful, respect
ed life in almost royal splendor on his
estates at Sagan In Upper Silesia, Ger
many.
Instead Of talking in sneering terms Of
Germany, where by virtue Of his entailed
he is a hereditary member
of the Prussian House Of Lords CHerren
haus), Helie de Sagan ought to never
cease to be grateful to the government
OF Prussia. which IN its paternalism
went to the length Of managing the \
sagan estates after their former owner.
Hele's father. the Duke de Talleyrand-
Perigrod. who was the second husband
Of the immensely wealthy German
Duchess OF Sagan. had squandered their
for years to come.
The Prussian. law OF entail provides
that estates thus registered cannot be
sold or otherwise disposed OF by their
owners. but must be kept intact for the
heirs Creditors who are rash or tgno-
rant enough to lend money to titled
spendthrifts owning entailed estates do
so at their own risk and have absolutely
10 redress at law in Prussia, But when
such thing has been done TO. any great |
extent the government steps In, as a sort
Of receiver, takes over the eutire man
agement Of the property under the able
direction Of an Official called "ober-
antmann'' and retains control until all
debts are wiped on. but during the
process making, the owner an ample al
lowance TO live according to his station.
and when all Is done turninS the proper