The Washington times., 1919-10-20
WSCOUNT ASTOR
DIES SUDDENLY

LONDON, Oct. 2o.-The body Of
Viscount Astor. who died of heart
disease Saturday, is lying today in
the home of his son, Waldorf Astor,
in st. James Square.
! Although the viscount had been in
Ill health since an attack of influ-
enza last year his death was unex-
pected, 1t was said. He walked about
the grounds as usual Friday. He died
In bed Saturday morning.
The funeral will be held in London
The body will be cremated in accord
ance with the Viscount's wishes. The
death creates a vacancy in the House
of Commons, owing to the elevation
OF Waldorf Astor. now a member OF
the Commons to the peerage.
! William Waldorf Astor. great grand
son of John Jacob Astor. the founder
of the Astor fortune, was best known
to Americans by reason of his action
in renouncing his native country In
1899 and becoming a citizen of Great
Britain, although his subsequent ex-
i periences in that country have been
Extensively narrated.
He was born in New York. March
81, 1s4s, and prepared by private in
structors for Columbia College, where
he was graduated in 1875. In order to
qualify himself for the management Of
the great Astor estate he took up the
study of law, succeeding his father
| in 1880 as head of the family with a
fortune then estimated at $2o0,0oo,00o.
Two years after leaving college he
was elected a member of the New
York legislature as Republican,
making a record for usefulness that
led the voters Of his district to elect
him to the State senate Next his
friends tried to land him In Congress.
running him against Roswell Flower
in 1881. but he was defeated. A year
later President Arthur appointed him
minister to Italy, a post which he
held until 1885,
| Upon his return to this country
Astor devoted his time to literature.
publishing in 1885 an historical and
romantic story, "yaletino," and in
1889 he published "Sforza," a novel.
and "Pharaofi's Daughter" Efforts to
get him to try for Congress again
failed, chiefly. II was said, because of
the great cost of his unsuccessful
campaign of 1881, when men who
voted for his opponent accepted
| money, which was freely used in the
| spectacular campaign.
| In 1878 Astor married Mary Dahl
| gren Paul, who was a social leader
up to the time of her death in 1904.
Soon after his fathers death Astor
built two magnificent hotels in New
York and added largely to his real
estate holdings in that city. -
He created considerable comment
in 1890, when he went to England
and announced that he intended to
make that country his permanent
| home. In 1899 he became a British
subject. Three years after establish
| ing himself in England he purchased
the Pail Mall Gazette and founded the
Pail Mall Magazine, which he sold in
| 1912.
Drove Out Picniekers.
| Tho Astor residence in England
was Cliveden, on the Thames, formerly
the home of the Duke of Westminster.
which, he purchased for s1-25o.oeo.
] He had not been in possession long
by driving picnic parties from the
| Cliveden estate, where for years they
had the right to assemble.
| He got himself disliked socially
by ordering Sir Archibald Milne from
| Cliveden. Milne had gone there to at
| tend concert at the request of the
Countess of oxford. Walking up to
him. Astor said in loud voice:
| II have not the honor of your ac-
quaintance, and / have not asked you
to come to my house. / shall publish
in my newspaper tomorrow that you
have come here unlimited"
Milne left the house and ther sent
an apology to Astor; but in spite of
this the Pail Mall Gazette published
the incident the next day. Unfortu-
nately for Astor, he did not know that
Milne was a personal friend of the
Prince and Princess Of Wales. He
was given the choice of printing an
apology to Milne in his paper or being
expelled from the exclusive Marlbor-
ough Club. The apology was printed
Son Elected To Parliament
/ Astor' spent a large sum in restor-
ing Hever Castle, in Kent, England
the birthplace of Anne Boleyn, and
where Henry VIII wooed her, which
he purchased in 1908 for 100000. In
this restoration Astor built Tudor
ing nearly forty-five acres.
His only son, Waldorf Astor, was
selected a member of parliament in
1911.
The elevation of Astor to a
baronetcy by King George at the New
Year, 1915, came as a notable sur
prise. 1t was regarde as the fulfill
ment of the ambition that caused him
to become British subject twenty
six years before.
Astor made large contributions 70
the British war fund. His daughter
in-law is one of the famous Lang
horne sisters, well known in the
| United States for their beauty