New-York tribune., 1919-10-20
United States Trust Company, the
Farmers Loan & Trust Company and


many other large corporations.
Mr.. Astor when he lived in New
York was one of the vestrymen Of
Trinity Church and had pew in
old Trinity and in Trinity Chapel.
He at one time belonged to the
Union, Union League, Knickerbocker,
Century, Tuxedo, County and Lawyers
of them when he went abroad to five.
The Astor Library for many years was
under the special care of the elder
branch of the Astor family and, like
his father, he took a deep interest
in it.
Besides being the head of one Of the
richest families, Mr.. Astor also was
writer and an artist. "Valentino",
his first published work, was followed
invasion of Italy by the French under
Charles VIII. He was careful
student of art, and both when young
man and in later years, spent much
time in the galleries of Europe. He
had also some talent as a sculptor.
Mr.. Astor gave to the Astor Library
a collection of paintings valued at
more than 500 600.
He Was Much Criticized
Many of the acts Of Viscount Astor,
especially after he had renowned the
United States and taken up his resi-
oe-ce in England, became the subject
of extensive comment on both sides of
the Atlantic Ocean. He was greatly
criticized, especially in the United
States, whe nhe left this country, and
was mot Il fit country for gentleman
to live in He was also conside bly,
criticized because some years later he
prest to England the nag or the
American frigate Chesapeake, which
was captured by the British ship Shan
non in 1913.
Through it all, however, Viscount
Astor was keenly sensitive to the opin-
ion held of him in the United States.
and there is one interesting story which
shows how greatly he desired to know
exactly the status in which he was held
over here. THIS is to the effect that a
cable dispatch telling of his death
came into the office of New York
newspaper some years ago, which was
found to be false before it was pub
lished. 1t was then announced in Lon
don that Viscount Astor had caused
the despatch to be sent from one Of
his own newspapers because ne wanted
to see how the American newspapers
would handle it, and because he want
ed to know what the American people
tHOuBnt OI MIN.
His remuneration Of American citizen
ship obviously was hastened by the re-
fusal of the New York Tax Commits
sioners to exempt him from personal
taxes, although he claimed non-resi-
dence and paid an income tax in Eng
land. In June, 1899 Mr. Astor puO-
lished in "The Pail Mall Magazine"
| gcnealog ical taD.e Of his ancestry
tracing it back to the year 1885 and
to Pedro d'Astorga, of CASTLE, who fol-
lowed Raymond, Count of Toulouse, to
France alter the war against the Moors
in Spain in 1885. This discovery was
disputed by noted genealogist, La
throp Wilmington, and again William
Waldorf Asvor became the subject Of
controversy.
The .1ilne lmbroglio
The famous Milne mbroglo took
p4,.~~ - ~. .,l. .lStor was troubled
by the number of persons who tiockcd
to hls entertainments without invita-
lions and decided to put an end to IT,
So one night at musical when he
lo.-l." petlecc stranger wandering
been invited. The stranger said No.
ana heAo4e ne cou.d say anything more
Mr.. Astor ordered him out of the
Sc Unfortunately for Mr.. Astor
the stranger was Captain Sir Berkeley
AAl.he Vi NE trlnce OF WaleS's house,
hold and had been brought to the con-
ce.t by the Countess Of Oxford, form
erly Miss Louise Corbin of New York,
wilh wnom he had been dining.
But Astor carried the matter so far
that when he learned Captain Mlnes
Identity he published card in the
Pail Mall Gazette" saying that Mime
tnI IN tbn
berkeley was furious and so were his
TRENDS, among them the Prince of
Wales. In the end Mr.. Astor apollo
glzed,' and after a cooiing-oif period
was reaccepted by most OF his friends.
He continued his liberal philan-
thropy and by the year 1902 his con-
trlbutions to British charities and
memorials amounted to $I,07I,5 800. in
Guiding $250,0O0 for hospital for
children in memory of his daughter
Gwendoline
tions regarding Mr. Astor was belief
that his chief ambition after he be-
came British subject was to obtain
a British title. His first disappoint
ment in this regard was said to be due
to the digpleasurc felt by King Edward
at the time of the unfortunate encoun-
ter with Captain Milne. After that Incl
uSllt IL was accepted as q matter 81
fact in England that if the ex-American
ever attained coronet it would not
be in the lifetime of Edward VII.
which proved to be the case.
1t Came to Him in 1916
1t was not until 1916 that Mr.. Astor
ceased to be a commoner with the be-
stowal upon him of a peerage by King
George. The fact is that legal obstacles
had stood in his way until, month
before this consummation, Lord Chief
Justice Reading and his fellow Judges
OF the High Court of Justice overthrew
contention accepted up to that time
and decided that the naturalization act
of 1870 must be construed as endowing
naturalized citizen with all the rights
OF natural born British subject.
Besides Viscount Astor, the only
American who ever belonged to the
British peerage is Albert Kirby Fair
fax, who in 1900, on the death of his
father, claimed his hereditary right
IN the Scottish peerage AS the twelfth
Baron Fairfax OF Cameron, which had
not been held officially in the family
for several generations. Baron Fair
fax was born in Northampton, Va,
June 23, 1870. His claim to the peer
age was not recognized by the House Of
Lords until November II, 1918.
When he came into the title Baron
Rairfax was q clerk in the financial
firm, Of Brown Bros. & Co. in New