South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-04-01
BEHIND THE SCENES
With Rulers and Leaders of Wartime Europe
By the Princess Rddziwin

Copyright ls1a

If not in deed. then at least in
word. He cruelty ill-treated his
wife, going to the extent OF beating
her at times, il was said. She was
apart from her other qualities.
beautiful creature. gifted with un-
usual patience. and she bore his
cruelties with a resignation which
caused the wonder - all those who
knew them both.
They had two daughters and one
son. the late ambassador in London
who, unfortunately for him, had not
inherited his mothers good looks
and whose extreme ugliness caused
quite a sensation when he appeared
on the horizon of Berlin society as
an officer Of the Hussar regiment
OF. the guards. in which Prince Will
liam of Prussia, as the present kali
ser was at that time, was also serv-
ing. l remember that at a ball Civ
en- at the house of one Of the smart
n stesses Of the day a tacit plot was
engineered between the ladies invit-
ed that they would not dance with
young Prince Lichnowsky during
the cotillon.
There was a certain figure which
was always danced in Berlin. and
which consisted in a lady sitting on
chair in the middle of the room
holding a glass of champagne in
her hand. Two partners were
brought TO her. she would choose
one of them. and hand over the wine
TO the one she rejected. When it
came TO the turn of Lichowsky,
some thirty women or so handed
him in succession the champagne
glass, so that at last he could hard
ly stand on his legs. and the host
ess found that it was time TO put an
end to the joke. and, devoting her
self took him for a turn round the
room, thus breaking the spell. The
young man. however, understood.
and discreetly retired afterward, not
without profusely thanking the lady
who had helped him 10 get out of
a most unpleasant situation.
In the Diplomatic Service.
] don't know whether this Incl
dent had anything to do with Lich-
nowskys determination 10 quit mill
tary life in favor of the diplomatic
cereer. but the fact remains that
he sent in his papers and very soon
after was appointed attaChe TO
some foreign legation. where it
seems that he made himself a gen.
eral favorite. He somehow did
away with the black and curly hair
that had added TO his ugliness by
accentuating his likeness to negro.
and when he returned TO Berlin he
WAS no longer the repulsive kind
of youth he had been before. but
very nice, we'll behaved and ad-
mirably turned-out man. People be-
gan TO prophesy all kinds of great
things for him, but then his father
died and he bid gOod-by TO the dip
lomatic career and settled on his
vast estates in Silesia and married
an amiable woman, the Countess
Mathilde d'Arco valley, the descen-
dant of Bavarian family of unim-
peachable quarterings
She made him an excellent wife,
and proved an exception among
girls Of the aristocratic class in Ger
many. in so far as she had literary
tastes and talents and had written
several books, which were far SUI
periOr to anything that might have
been expected of an amateur. The
couple entertained lavishly and on
a great scale in their Silesian cas-
tie, but Berlin did not see much Of
them. and it was rumored that the
Princess Lichnowsky and the kai-
ser did not get on together as well
as might have been expected. and
that the former did not belong 10
the number Of William HIS admirers
TO the extent he would have liked.
Ambassador i'm London.
Nevertheless. when the post OF
German ambassador in London be-
came vacant it was offered by the
emperor himself TO Prince Lich-
nowsky. and only accepted by the
latter after much hesitation and re-
luctance. as he feared that he would
not be able 10 cope with the many
difficulties which he foresaw would
be connected With it, In London
however the prince and the prin-
cess very soon became great favor
ties everywhere. She was a frank
outspoken woman. very "grande
dame" in her way, though strange
~ unconventional I'm others. and
though she sometimes shocked some
people. yet pleased most of those
with whom she cared to show her
self in her true colors
The couple took TO entertaining
far more than any OF the predeces-
sors had ever done. and the dismal
looking house in which for so many
years had been quartered the Ger
man embassy suddenly showed gay
baskets of flowers in the windows,
and became the scene of many fes-
sivitieS, and Of excellent dinners
Prince Lichnowsky's cook had GER
tainly a good deal TO do with his
masters success, and; as a witty
and rather ill-natuTed man said
when the prince was handed his
passports. The only pity is that we
can't conhscate his cook" History
says that the cook cOnfiscated him
self. because. being a Frenchman.
he absolutely refused TO accompany
the ambassador and elected 10 re-
main in London. where a great club
very quickly stcured his services.
As for Iichnowsky. he returned