Evening journal., 1914-07-23
EDITORIAL OPINION
NOW TO BECOME 1 DIXIE.
lm The New York Evening Post

ihe must iHomtHloNh piece OF news
that has come from England in many
day is proudly displayed by The
Times, this morning. in a long "spe-
cial cable" on its first page II is
that William Waldorf Astor has at
last regretfully given up his ambi-
tion to become an English duke. He
might have been made baron or earl,
but, asserts the sagaelous eorre-
spondent of The Times "he looked
higher than a barony on even carl
dom He wanted a dukedom.p Mod
est gentleman Since Wellington. no
man who began as a commoner has
teen created since 1888, and these
represented, in each case, only a step
III the peerage With Roberts and
Kitchener still waiting for dukedoms,
Ar. Astor's struggle to acquire one
through large contributions TO the
unionist party seems just bit out OF
proportion. II II was so easy for him
TO become a duke, why not 90 furth-
er2 Glamis thou art. and Cawdor.
an3 shalt be-" king2
II would be wrong. OF course, to
hold Mr. Astor responsible for all
This shrieking nonsense. A correspon-
dent has simply been lei loose on
him probably a wandering Ameri-
can, ignorant Of what he writes
about, and merely putting together
bits OF half-understood gossip.
Wherever one tests his stuff, its
himsiness appears. Thus he states
that az the time of the return Of the
younger Astor from Plymouth, his
father spent money like water in
order to secure his son a seat in
the House of Commons. II he did, he
was very ill-adyised as well as
foolish father; for decently COM
betent election agents would have
told him that any such pouring out
Of funds would surely unseat his
son The expenditure Of money in
parliamentary elections is very
strlngently regulated by law in l1ng-
land. But why should a correspon-
dent who apparently thinks that
dukedoms can be bought as well as
seats in the House. take any trouble
TO inform himself about the facts, so
long as he knows that a column dis
PATCH no matter how foolish pro-
vided it is pocked with snobbery, will
be eagerly accepted and paid for by
an American newspaper?
II loves humping a lordln an Ok
ford bargee was heard 10 exelaim In
one of the town-and-gown rows.
Americans profess to love it, too; but
If their own newspapers gauge their
preferences rightly, there is really
nothing that they so much love as
fawning upon the aristocracy, reading
every line of title-tattle that can be
printed about the doings of the very
rich, whether titled or not, and rolling
under the tongues every sweet morsel
of scandal that can be reported, or
manufactured in connection with the
nobility OF Europe. Anything will
pass. Nothing is too grossly improb-
able to be believed All that IT is nee
essary for Gigadihs, the correspond
ent, to do is to hang round the back
stairs and eayesdrop at clubs, and
then send on his rakings to his de-
lighted editor. II the story is about
the very wealthy then ii must be inn
pOrtant. II the sayings retailed are
0f the rich in money, then they must
be rich in the wisdom and humor.
This conviction is amusingly shown in
the correspondence about the Duke Of
Astor. The writer would fain convey
the idea that the young Mrs. Astor is
very witty. She flashed an epigram
at her father-inlaw. 1t appears, which
gave offense Now, learn how 10 ham
die these weighty affairs. Exactly
what it was that Mrs. Astor said The
Times correspondent is unable to as
certain exactly. but on excellent au-
thority ID is said that If referred to
her father-in-law' control OF his
money bagsiM Anyhow it was a
Singing phrase" We have TO take
the word of jenkins, with his excel
lent authority for that But one
would like TO meet him in the flesh in
order to say to him.
Il would you had but the wit: 'twere
better than your dukedom.n
That there Is an element Of gem
uine interest in the public career of
William Waldorf Astor. we do not
dispute The fact that he has not
succeeded in England as he had hoped
Is worth recording. It may have its
suggestions for other rich Americans
thinking or expatriation. American
readers may languidiy care to know.
too. that Mr.. Astor is about TO part
with his London newspaper proper
ties But the rest is the merest gahble:
idle speculation about the final dis
position" Of can immense fortune.
the dream of founding a family and
lot more similar rubbish. The two or
three essential facts are covered with
mass of snobbish embroidery; the
spirit of the whole being exactly that
Of Mr. Carlvles maid At tho National
gallery eXclaiming before each mas