The sun., 1919-10-20


sued him for $4,000 because the Pdll
Mall Gosette had said that she would
drive any one mad"
Nevertheless he continued to give
brilliant receptions at Carlton House
Terrace, his London home, and parties
at Cliveden, which important persons at
tended, and to make princely gifts to
British charities. He spared no ex-
pense in providing the best of enter
tainment. At one of his receptions. for
example, artists who appeared were
PaderewslSi, Nine. Melba and Pol Plan
con.
lie formally renowned his American
citizenship and became a British SUBJ
ject in 1899. Obviously he had had
this move in mind for some time. It
was FASTENED by the refusal of the New
York Tax Commissioners to exempt him
from personal taxes, although he claimed
non-residence and paid an income tax
In England. In June. 1899. Mr.. Aston
published in the Pan Mol Magazine a
genealogical table of his ancestry, trac-
ing It back to the year 1885 and to
Pedro d'Astorga OF CASTLE, who followed
Raymond. Count OF Toulouse, to France
after the war against the Moors In
Spain in 1885. This discovery was
disputed by a noted genealogist, Lathrop
Wilmington, and again william Waldorf
Astor became thu subject of controversy.
The famous Milne embrogllo took
place In 1900 Mr.. Astor was troubled
by the number of persons who focked
to his entertainments without invita-
tions and decided to put an end to 1t.
So one night at a musicale, when he
found perfect stranger wandering
about the house, he inquired II he had
In Cd hA utr
and before he could say anything more
Mr.. Astor ordered him out OF the house.
Unfortunately for Mr.. Aston the stranger
was Capt. Sir Berkeley Milne of the
Prince of Wales's household and had
been brought to the concert by the
Countess Of oxford. formerly Miss
Louise Corbin of New orK, with whom
he had been dining.
Compelled to Apologize.
But Aston carried the matter so far
that when he learneu capt. Mines
identity he published card In the
Pail Mall Gazette saying that Milne had
not been invited to the party. Sir Berke-
ley was furious and so were his friends.
among them the Prince of Wales. In
the end Mr.. Astor apologized and after
cooling of period was reaccepted by
most of his friends. He continued his
liberal philanthropy and by the year
1909 his contributions to British chari-
ties and memorials amounted to ST.
071,500. including s250,000 for d hospi-
tai for children.
Meanwhile his New York agents con-
tinued to expand his properties here,
notably with tina erection of the Hotel
Aston in 1904. Meanwhile. also his Pail
hdH Gazette had become one of the most
influential Tory journals in England and
was accounted by many persons the best
evening newspaper in London, but 1t
seemed impossible TO make it pay flnan-
cially.
Mr.. Aston visited the United States for
three weeks in 1904. and two years later
proved his readiness to meet a real APP
peal from his native, country by sending
one Of the promptest and largest gifts
OF money for the relief of San Francis
cans after the earthquake and fire. In
the same year he increased his gifts to
the Oxford University endowment fund
to 100000
On the whole. the British press treated
him respectfully. although a fiippant
specimen of II printed In 1908 a cartoon
depicting him as a strutting eagle with
coronet over his head and the British
| nag tied to the lions tail. Cllvedon
Palace was labelled "walled-off Astoria"
In 1911 Mr.. Aston bought the Observer,
| Sunday newspaper, which, with the
| Pail Mall Gazette, continued to be di-
rected by J. L. Garvin. a journalist who
has played an important role in British
| politics. The Observer doomed the po-
| litical fortunes of Waldorf Astoria,
| son of William Waldorf, who rap
| idly was making a name for himself
| in the House OF Commons as Unionist
and social reformer. and who married
Mrs Nanny Langhorne Shaw of Vir-
Ginia in 1906. Both the Pan MdH Ga
settle and the Observer were sold to
Gardiner Sinclair in 1914. Three months
! before this Mr.. Aston notified the man
| ayers that II tho papers were not made
| self-supportlng within six months he
| would sell them.