New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-28
TAXICAB FALLEN INTO SUBSI-
DENCE.

William II on these unworthy mar
riages are we'll known here. Hitherto
he has sternly checked any attempt
made by members of the Hohenzollern
family to contract a "mesalliance."
"What did it ALL" the informant said,
"was a song. Countess Ina sings beau
tifully and generally accompanies her
singing on the Lutte. Two years ago
/ she made the acquaintance of Princess
Victoria Luise. who was spending
weekend in New Strelitz. One after
noon the Kaiser's daughter and the
+ Countess Ina had planned an excursion
i'm the environs Of the little town, Dut
rain prevented their leaving the grand
ducal palace. The two young girls then
made for the grand dukes music room
and discovered to their mutual pleasure
that they were both passionately fond
/ of music What happened then was
that the excursion was quite forgot
| ten, although the sun soon shone again
/ The two kept on playing and singing
until the dinner bell had sounded
| through the castle. Thus a friendship
was started which was to lead to mani
/ fold consequences.
"Princegs Victoria Luise, now Ouch
ess of Brunswick, is a proficient plan
| list herself, ard could not forget the
charming talent of young Countess Ina,
and q few weeks later the countess
/ was invited to Potsdam. One after
noon Prince Osksr, hearing their
voices, passed his head through the
door of the music room and asked
whether he could be allowed to attend
the concert, although he was in mill
tary attire. Seeing his sister was with
! a lady he did not know, he was e%-
tremely confused, but on receiving the
PERMISSION he had sought for he re
NAMED until the end of the concert
and was greatly impressed by Countess
Ina's voice and charm. The two young
people met several times in PotSdam
and speedily fell in love. They de-
ciGed. in spite of the difficulties which
neither one for a moment underrated,
to get married.
"When the matter was first preached
10 the Kaiserin she could not help be-
ing deeply touched. She brought it 10
the Kaiscr's notice, but found him
cbdurate. None of his sons was TO
marry morganatically. and that was
the end of IT, Then Princess Victoria
I.uise. the Kaiser's only daughter and
his favorite child. pleaded loves cause,
and later two other princesses of the
imperial family, whom Countess Ina
had equally charmed with her voice,
the Crown Princess and Princess Au-
gust wilhelm. the beautiful wife of
the Kaiscr's fourth son, Joined Prin-
cess Victoria.
"The Kaiser promised to think the
matter over, and ordered Countess Ina
to be sent for. He spoke to her in a
most fatherly strain and with I'M
affected kindness; he asked her to sing,
and it is said in Potsdsm that even
{ William ii could not resist the con-
summate art and touching beauty of
the voice of Countess Ina. A few days
later the official announcement was
published OF the formal engagement.
another party, however, raised some
objections to the match, which could
naturally only be a morganatic mar
riage; that party not unnaturally being
the brides father, Count Bassewitz.
The honor Of seeing his daughter
warmly welcomed in the. imperial fam
I ily left the old Prussan nobleman un-
moved, and he would not consent to
any morganatic marriage until Prince
Oskar undertook to show to him that
his scruples were exaggerated"