The Washington times., 1917-06-05
EIGHT PEERAGES NOW
FACING EXTINCTION
Measures to Continue Noble Lines
Are Urged by London Weekly.

LONDON, May (by maiD.-Eight
peerages Of the United Kingdom are
! in peril of extinguishment. No fewer
than 100 sons OF peers have been kill
ed in the war, sixty-two Of them heirs
| to titles. Not all, of course, were only
sons. so that not all the titles are In
menace. Before the wars end, with
out doubt, there will be other cas-
uaIties in noble families, other threats
OF the extinction OF titles.
] So, a weekly newspaper declares,
measures must be taken to continue"
the peerage whose extinction Is
threatened. Probably there viii be;
the Embellishments love OF lord Is
getting to be more than a tradition
and a sarcasm: for the noble houses
have contributed magnlfcently OF
| their sons in the fight for the nations
| life. The upper chamber is an array
of mourning these days. and II appeals
more strongly TO the sentiments ana
many decades. ..
When a hereditary peeraBe con-
fronts extinction by reason OF the fall
ure Of male Issue Il comes within the
preroRative of the crown to determine
whether Il may be continued through
the female line. The royal assent has
been granted in many cases; II is Gus
tomary, in fact, when the title Is suf-
hciently old and revered TO make II an
institution. like London Bridge or the
Tower or afternoon tea or the English
Ilaundry's system OF destroying linen
in the first round. But there Is the
possibility also OF titles becoming eN-
tinct through failure OF both the male
I NJ r1fN ~ q -
parvenu, titles are by no means GER
| tain of maintenance through the royal
prerogatiye.
Estates Not Lost.
OF course, the family estates are
not dissipated merely because the
title ceases. The estates may be dis
posed of by the usual processes OF
| law.
Just how kindly the Briton feels
toward Germany at this moment was
suggested by a paragraph in a news
psper bewailing the fact that some Of
| the peerage are in danger. 1t will
he recalled that the British princes OF
royal blood may not wed save into
royal blood, which means that they
must necessarily go abroad for their
! wives Time was NIfu NV llldhlnE u
international alliances in this fashion
v,ss accounted OF large political ad-
vantage to the country: 1t was pre-
| sumad TO cement the antilles with
other countries.
But that isn't the present feeling.
Quite the contrary. So many British
scions Of royalty have married Ger
man princesses-for the supply is
large in Germany because most of the
states have really royal lines. and
also because these German royalties
are a fecund people-that there is a
good deal OF prejudice both against
nroyiding ways and means for them
and also against having British royal
ity Germanized, as has been charged
! in many cases.
wives he permitted to British princes
An English princess royal, let IT be
understood. may marry husband OF
her own nation: but the prince is
haired by the tradition that his
snouse must be one OF royal lineage
Measure Is SmOthered.
At the last session Of Parliament a
bill was introduced to remove these
disabilities from British princes, so
tbst tbey might wed at home The
eovernment promised that It should
be brought forward at the present
session and offered fqh passage. But
now II is charged that It has been
s1ppressed, suffocated, smOthered:
| the unseen Hand" as they call 1t
here. meaning what Americans mean
when they use Mr.. Beveridge's phrase
| Of the Invisible Government" is all
legged to have done IT to death
! From which dainty touch IL may be
! gathered that the traitor dukes" are
moi strong in England just now
| which they truly aren't. Also. that
there is some Justification for the de-
mand that British royalty get a
chance to live as a distinctly British
| Institution.