Evening star., 1922-08-18
NEWS BRINGS SURPRISE.
Washington Man Would Have tt
Be British to Accent Title.

The predicament in which an Amer
lean citizen sometimes finds himself
when brought face to face with a
British title was illustrated today
don that Viscount Exmouth had died
and that his rank in British nobility
would, by right of inheritance. go to
Henry Edward Pellew, aged ninety
four years. of 1857 Massachusetts,
avenue northwest
As yet Mr.. Pellew and his daughter.
Miss Marion j. Pellew. have not dis
cussed the matter. because the in
heritance was complete surprise to
both of them.
However. if Mr.. Pellew decides to
accept. he will first have to become a
British citizen once more, it was un-
officially said at the State Department
today. He could not. it was pointed
out. be recognized as viscount and
still be a naturalized American. He
could, though. 1t was added, be called
by his title through courtesy.
May BE Welcomed.
On the other hand. NJ. d. Peterson,
secretary of the British embassy, be-
lieves the British government would
welcome Mr.. Pellew into the nobility
but that as an American citizen he
could not occupy seat in the House
of Lords which the rank provides.
/.
Peterson said Mr.. Pellew is given as
the heir of the late Lord Exmouth
1t was definitely stated this morning
| by Miss Pellew that her father. under
no circumstances. would make the
voyage back to England. but that if
brother. Charles Ernest Pellew.
formerly a professor of chemistry at
Columbia University, New York city.
would appear before special COM
mittee of the House of Lords and
prove his fathers right of succession
1t was not until 9 o'clock this morn
ing that Mr.. Pellew was informed of
| the death of his nephew The news
! was given to Miss Marion J. Pellew
last night. but she withheld it from
her father until after his breakfast
this morning, owing to his advanced
age.
! Mr.. Pellew was greatly affected. no
\ word having been received by the
| family here of Viscount Exmouth's S
! illness.
Resident Here in 1885.
Mr.. Pellew has been a resident of
| Washington since 1855 and until sew
eral years ago has been active in
welfare work. for which he was noted
in London while British citizen and
later in New York after he became
naturalized. His work here was
also displayed a large interest in the
! activities of the Protestant Episcopal
diocese and aided in the establishment
| of the Washington Cathedral. He is
a member of the Metropolitan Club
here and the Century and University
| clubs of New York city.
Mr.. Pellew came to the United
j States in 1873 and first came into the
| public eve when. together with Theo-
| dore Roosevelt. ST., and A. S. Hewitt
he organized the Bureau of Charities
| in New York. He was later identified
with organization of numerous night
refugees. free circulating libraries
coffee houses. erection of improved
dwellings and the first tenement
! house reform movement in the me-
tropolis. He was also commissioner
Of public schools there.
! Since the death of Mr.. Pellew's wife
| Mrs Augusta Pellew. about five years
ago, he and his daughter have lived
! alone at the Massachusetts, avenue
address. They usually passed the
: summer at a country home in Sharon
Conn, but this summer did not carry
out their plans Of the past.