The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-09
Multimillionaires Are Sadly Out
of 1t as Social Favorites
in Great Britain.
BY IA MAnouIsE DE FoNTENoY.

BY IA MhRoUISE DE FONTENOY.
n . greater mistake can be made
" than to imagine that money is
an open sesame to English So
ciety. and that it is sufficient to be "A
millionaire In order to have all doors
opened to one. Indeed. the novels.
the magazine stories and the plays
creating this impression ar. alto
sethcr wrong. In fact. the lot OF a
parvenu multi millionaire IN England
is far from happy. aud even his mu-
niiiccnce earns abuse
Thus. Sir Joseph Il. Robinson. who.
according to popular reputc. is far
and away the richest of all the South
African multi millonaires. and the
diamond king Of the world. has af-
tor ar unhappy experience OF some
ten Or twelve years or more. shaken
the dust OF London from his feet. ana
has left England for good. with the
Intention of making from hencctorth
his permanent home in South Africa.
where he has magnificent place
known ~ lIawthornden at Wyburg
in Cape Colony
In South africa ne Will always be
a very big man, perhaps tho great
est financial power of the South Afri-
can union: man with even greater
means at his command than his old
N''''N '''''i' ~'-N-l iNllpHfss. III E.DE anu
he has been. especially OF late. an en-
Filtered. disappointed man. 81 no So
c!ai Importance whatever. ana who 50
wealth WAS counted against him lie
has got lid of Dudley House, in Park
Lane, which is now the property If
Queen AlcNandra's cqucrry the Ion
John Ward, and of his American wife
daughter Of the late Amba ssa Il or
Nhitclaw Reid. He has also managed
at 1 +
Midlands. N short. he has dispos d
OF all his interests in England
Sir Joseph is man Of about sixty
four. tall. we'll built. his fair hair and
mustache now literally sprinkled
with gray. He cannot. however, lay
any claim TO be an empire builder, as
We're his fellow magnatcs of South
Africa. Thus. Cecil Rhodes spent a
fortune In bringing near II million Of
square miles of South Africa into the
British empire and Belt gave several
millions to pay for the expenses of
the Transvaal raid In 1896. But Sir
Joseph, instead OF endcavoring to
overthrow President Kruger. remained
until the very last his warm fricnd
and supporter. and the South African
Bank, which was his creation, furnish
ed large sums OF money to the Bocr
republic, as long rs il lasted lie was
persona gratissima at Pretoria. In
deed. IL was generally reported in
South Africa at the time that he aimed
at becoming President OF tho Trans
vaal: and Cecil Rhodes is said To have
delayed at one time his operations de-
signed TO wreck Kruger, cXclaiming
that he had no lricntion OF upsettlng
that worthy mercly in order TO enable
Joe Robinson to get his place. OF
til" two men, ne preferred DOM Paul.
All this naturally served to render
Sir Joseph still more unpopular among
the other rich l2nSlishmen in that part
of the world, who We're already pre-
JUDGED against him, owing 10 his in
variebly holding aioof from their en-
tcrpriscs and endcavoring to play n
lone hand. There is no doubt that
this English sentiment against him in
the Transvaal has initiated against
his social success in London, in spite
of all the efforts OF his principal So
cial sponsors. Lord and Lady Alger-
non Gordon Lennon, who are so we'll
known on this side of the Atlantic.
II is known that King Edward had
no use whatever for Sir Joseph Robin
son. and II is only with the utmost
reluctance that he consented to the
grant of his baronctcy. on the nomina-
ton OF Premier Asquith, in return for
n large contribution TO the funds of
the Liberal party. For Sir Joseph has
never been noted for his philanthropy,
and there arc no hospitals or public
institutions. either in England or in
South Africa. so far as ! am aware.
that owe their origin or maintenance
to his generosity. While Sir Joseph