The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-22
No Concern of United States
What Form of Ceremony Is
Required by Japan.
III la MAR0UIsE DE FONTENOY.

NCquuSu ny japan.
BY La MARQUISE DE FONTfsNOY.
OMMISSIONER-G ENERAL OF I'M
MIGRATION CAMINETTI In his
annual report. just issued, takes
exception to the marriages by proxy
on the rart of Japanese citizens ro-
siding In the United States with their
countryw omen in Japan: that is to saw.
separated from them by the 5000 odd
miles of Pacific Ocean. He also ex-
presses doubt as to the validity OF
these unions.
This seems to be trine far-fetched
on his part For. providing that mar
riages by proxy are valid ACCORDING 70
Japanese law, that Is all that Ia neces-
sary 1t Is no concern Of the United
states what the form OF ceremony that
is required by Japanese law 10 consti-
care loyal marriage. feature Of
which, by the by, Is drinking ton
simultaneously cut of tho same teapot
provided with a double spout. Each
rorcien nation has it's own peculiar
wedding ceremony customs, and II
would take tho United States govern
ment much too far wero IL to attempt
TO include these in Its own MARRIAGE
laws.
IN the case OF Japan, the exception
taken by the Commissioner General of
Immigration to Japanese marriages nv
proxy Is particularly unfair, in view
or the difficulties mado by the United
states government about admitting
oap"hese into the country. and OF It's
excluding them from the rights Of
American citizenship, to which II is
perfectly willing to admit other
Asiatics. such as Syrians. Turks, Per
SLAMS, Armenians. and immigrants from
Asiatfo Russia
But 1t is not only the Japanese who
permit marriages by proxy. Sucb
h,,
tries In Europe. Thus. the widowed
eN-Queen OF Naples. sister Of the late
Empress Of Austria, and who makes
her nome In Paris, was married by
proxy. In 1859. Mt Munich Nor was
IT until four weeks later that she first
set eyes. on landing at tho Italian sea-
port OF Bari. upon Francis IL, king of
Naples. who was already in law her
husband
In the same way. the late Queen Pia
OF PORTUGAL, grandmother of ex-King
manuel was married In September,
1857 at Turin. by proxy In tho pres
enco Of her father, King Victor En-
manuel H.. and arrived only a month
later at Lisbon where she was VOL
coined on landing by King Luis. who
was already her husband, but whom
she had never seen In her life before
until that moment.
Last year Queen Wilhelmine of Hol-
|
Maria Vanderveer, n teacher of one
OF tho high schools at The Hague To
marry In that city. by proxy, William
Il. Dumoulin, Dutchman in the auto
mobile business at Detroit, Mich and
VINO being unable to return TO Hol-
| rama ior inc ceremony. had deputed his
irIehu, hendrix Kneifert, a resident of
The Hague. to act there as his proxv
nat Is TO say. on The day on which
| Marla Nenderveer went through the
ceremony of wedding at The uapue
with Hendrix Kneifert representing at
the altar her husband, the latter was
celebrating the occasion by a dinner
at Detroit to his friends
Mrs. Vanderveer thus married mr.
rived In the United States. not as an
engaged woman. but as a bride. and
was met on her arrival in New York
by William Il, Dumoulin, already her
husband, and with whom she now
makes her home at Detroit. Nor were
there any objections made to her ad-
mission by the immigration AUTHORITIES
| at Ellis Island
Marriages by proxy are quite fire.
csient among military officers and
civilian officials on duty in the Dutch
indies. who. unable to return home to
wed. delegate n friend or relative TO
act ms proxy In the wedding ceremony
In Holland, their brides then making tn o
journey out TO Java. not as hancees,
but as married women. In each in
stance. however Queen Wilhelmine
written sanction has to be obtained
for marriage of this kind
1t Is pity that facilities OF this kind
have not until now been accorded TO
The Englishmen resident in India It'd
1 would have the effect of avertinr many
! heartbreaks and disappointments; as.
Tor instance. when some devoted
swain. having prepared homo In
India for his betrothed. sends money to
| England To enable her to secure ner
! rousseau and 10 travel out to India
in comfort. but finds when he meets
her on landing at Bombay, that durins
the trip out she has changed her MIND
about marrying him, and has given
her heart and hand to one OF her Eel. |
low passengers
Lord Tankerv!lle. who has an Ameri- |
can wife. In the person of Miss Lenora |
Van Marter. OF New York. and whose
eldest son. young Lord Ossulton, now
seventeen years OF age, was for a time |
AT school In Boston. has Just present
ed TO the Royal Geological Gardens. In
London. pair OF his wonderful white !
Wild cattle. on receipt Of a pledge from |
the society that II would not dispose
or tho animals or any progeny that |
they might have
mis- Is the first occasion OF his max |
ing such gift, and possibly. by rea-
son OF his American affiliations, he |
might be induced to present "A pair OF |
his c~ttlo. in the same way. to some
representative geological society in tho
United States
Ills white cattle form herd that Is !
. absolutely unique. and have been In !
. closed In the huge park around his
1 castle OF Chillingham, in Northum-
berland. at any rate since the beginning
OF the thirteenth century. ana prob
ably even still longer They are the
only SURVIVORS of the wild cattle which