The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1920-05-01
Former Miss de- Haven, Wife Of
!, ~, t.. Baron Won AIten, Seeks
Il Special Act.
CASTS OFF HER CHILDREN
Will Recognize Them Only When They
j Quit Germany-In Danger Of Be-
=. coming Destitute-$15,000
Year Involved.

York, who in 1883 married the Baron
Eb&rhard Won Alien, a German officer.
Caught in Budapest when the revolu'
don broke out in February of last
year, the baroness, who Is now known
- Mrs. Louise de Haven, was forced
% 1lee to Vienna as a German refugee,
and after many vicissitudes reached
Switzerland practically destitute. On
money borrowed from q professor In
Geneva, childhood friend, she reached
New York several weeks ago.
The question Of the restoration OF
Mrs. de Haven to citizenship wal
taken up by the house committee on
immigration and naturalization and
ahe recently appeared before the com
mittee and told her life story. Under
German law her personal property has
passed into the custody of her hus
hand and her interests In trust fund
created by her grandmother, who was
the widow Of Admiral Abraham Bige
Nv, q. S.. N, was seized by the enemy
alien property custodian. Her attor'
ney, Walter Bruce Howe Of Washing
ton, told the committee that Mrs. de
Haven was Inevitably and rapidly up"
preaching destitution."
When very young Mrs. de Haven
went with her father to live In Swift
1eriand and was brought up near Gene
u. On her nineteenth birthday she
married Baron Won Alien and went ia
I'VE In Germany. She had two daugh.
ters, who are now married and living
IN that country.
my married life was not happy"
Mrs. de Haven told the committee. In
1910 she entered into formal separa'
ton agreement with her husband: II
1911, she said, she left Germany and
has meyer seen her husband since.
Her Funds Here Seized.
Two years later she again brought
suit. This time she charged her hus-
band with misconduct. The war sus:
pended all proceedings, for the law
would not allow litigation against an
officer on active duty. :-.; FL,
Mrs. de Haven's interest in the trust
fund Of her grandmother, Mrs. Louise
Blgelow, was $4,000, year. and this
amount was paid by the Northern
Trust company Of Chicago until the
alien property custodian took charge
Of the funds.
"About February, 1919. riots and rev.
olution broke out in Budapest" Mrs.
de Haven told the committee. ION the
day Of the outbreak an immense mob
was resisted by the police near the no.
tel where I was. After the conflict
some 80 dead and many wounded lay
In the street near my hotel. The dead
we're brought into the corridor Of the
hoter anllEthen the mob came in and
seized everything In the dining room
that could be eaten or drunk. The dis
turbance lasted all night.
I'm this situation decided to accept
4 German passport. did not 80 my
self to the German authorities to ask
for 1t, but sent a friend who obtained
It for me. Arrangements were made
for a train to take the German refu'
gees back to Germany.
Borrowed From Dressmaker.
1.-THE train took "a hours to reach a
point on the outskirts of Vienna. The
Germans went on toward Germany.
got of in the railroad yard. All I had
with me was two small handbags.
had nothing to eat or drink on the
train"
Because they sided with Germany in
the war Mrs. de Haven said she broke
OF relations with her children. She
added in her declaration that she
would recognize them only when they
came to this country and became citi'
zens
1T is certain" she continued, that
unless relief by special act of congress
In restoring me to citizenship is speed
ny afforded shall be penniless and In
dire want before I can regain my citi'
zenship through the operation of the
suit for divorce. OF the borrowed mon
ey, $4,000, brought with me to this
country. only about 5000 is now left.
Representative Isaac Siegel ques.
toned Mrs. de Haven regarding her
use Of a passport as a German subject
when travelling out of Austria. The
use Of a German passport, she said
was against all her instincts, but there
was no other way for her to get out OF
Budapest. She used such q passport
she said, on the advice Of Colonel
Yates.
my only wish Is to become an Amer
lean, to live over here, and, If possible
to have money to live on. I am MOI
well enough to 60 to work. That Is Of
I wish. l do not care whether gel
my German money or not All I wisf
10 to become an American, q goot
American" 49,,
TIP to Contractors.
Knoxville. Tenn.-Workmen dggin)
fo mt IN a concrete f70Or At the oil