New Britain herald., 1914-07-14
REPORTED AST0RS ARE ES1RANCED
Proposed Sale Of English News papers Result Of Fanny Quarrel.


 1 terday of William Waldorf Astors in. l tehtion to sell The Observer and Tho Pall Mall Gazette lies an extraor dnary story of family quarrel which may affect the eventual dis. position of his immense fortune-ir other words, may bring about the dis inheritance of Waldorf, the eldest son, by his father, William Waldorf Astor.
 The trouble originated in a chance remark by Mrs. Waldorf Astor, who was Mrs Nanny Langhorne Shaw be. fore her second marriage in 1906 Young Mrs. Astor is celebrated fol her wit, which often carries barbed shaft. One of these shafts is rank ling in the breast of her father-in. law.
 Caused Complete Breach.
 Exactly what it was that Mrs Astor said cannot be ascertained cx- actly, but on excellent authority it is said that it referred to her father-in- laws control of his money bags'' It so happened that William Waldorf overheard the stinging phrase, and the outcome is a complete breach be- tween father and son, the latter talk ing his wife's side in the domestic quarrel that followed.
 The proposed sale of The Observer and The Pail Mall is the first move in the open war which is now de- clared between father and son. The original purchase of these two papers was designed in one case to advance the sons political ambitions and in the other to realize the fathers dream of founding family which should rank among the titled nobility. Both objects have been sought in recent years.
 Almost 8 Monomania.
 Ever since William Waldorf used The Pail Mall Magazine, which he bought for the purpose of giving pulp licity to his belief that the first Astor millionaire was a direct descendant of a Spanish grandee who migrated to Holland. his greatest desire in life has been to see the name of Astor en- blazoned in the Almanach de Gotha. The acquisition of a title has become almost a monomania.
 Some titles can be obtained cheap ly. William Waldorf could buy half a dozen Continental titles with an ex- penditure of money that would hard ly be missed from his annual income. It was, however, an English title on which he had set his mind.
 Only Regular Business.
 In those days, as Cecil Chesterton said the other day, the traffic in "honors'' was a regular business. and one had only to pay to the political party in power an amount graduated according to fixed scale fin order to obtain barony, a baronetcy, or d knighthood.
 It might have seemed easy for Mir. Astor to realize his ambition, but he looked higher than a barony or even an earldom. He wanted a duked om. He relinquished his American citizen ship and became a British subject as the first step. Unfortunately, he had not the gift of making friends, and even had the habit of making enemies.
 Matter of History.
 The incident in which he refused to admit Sir Berkeley Sheffield to his house is a matter of history. Sir Berkeley was a friend of King Ed ward, and the monarch, who was nat urally in position to know how MT. Astor was pulling wires to obtain a title, said emphatically that he would be dashed before he would sign any honor list. no matter what ministry presented it, on which the name of MT. Astor appeared.
 This completely ended William Waldorf's ambitions for a title dur ing King Edwards reign. He was considerably out of pocket owing to his contributions to the unionist party chest.
 Centered on Son.
 There came a time when MT. Astor concluded that his desire to see him. self enrolled among the dukes must be abandoned. His ambitions then centered on his son Waldorf. The latter's marriage to an American had been a severe blow to his father, who would have preferred an English law. But Waldorf elected to follow a political career, and as young poli- ticians with money are welcome in either of the English parties, Wal dorf was soon provided with seat in parliament.
 Tn 1911, he was returned for Ply mouth dItST a. S0uOAOuS CdHVdSS Ol the constituency in which his father spent money like water. A seat in the house of commons among the unionist minority is, of course, only stepping stone to a seat in the house of lords, which young Waldorf was certain to obtain once the Tories returned to power, particularly if during the period of opposition the
 
 and his personal prestige provided any justification for the bestowal of such an honor.