The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-02-19

THE announcement Of the approaching
marriage Of Princess Mary, daugh.
ter OF the King oil. England. to Wis
count Lascelles, the rather mature bride
groom, has been hailed. with sentimental
thrills by the unthinking-but has brought
dismay to many highly placed personages
in England and throughout Europe.
1t is q period Of hard times for many OF
the nobility. and even the richest are
struggling under enormous war taxes The
royal families Of Europe ARE very hard mp
and yet they must face the necessity c.
digging down into their pockets for appro-
pirate wedding gifts and must pay thetl
travelling expenses to attend the great
wedding. -.
No one can even approximately guess
what the marriage OF Princess Mary will
cost Even the little ragged children Of
the London tenements are being encour
AGED to chip in their few and hardly
acquired pennies to All the gift offering
boxes which are hung up all over the Brit
ish Empire.
Aside from the embarrassment OF the
rich mobiles and Of the hard.up royalties. q
thousand and one curious complications
have arisen. And there are some highly
humorous side shows to the preparations
for the great event.
There are two distinguished royal fsmi.
lies in Europe who have the grim satisfac
ton OF not having to loosen up and send
a present and pay carfare to be present at
the great event in Westminster Abbey on
February 2S.
Emperor William and the rest Of the
Hohenzollerns have received no invitations
Just now they are out of job and wear
no official titles, and therefore are not In.
cluded in the list Of invited guests-and
thus they escape the burden which the
King of Belgium and the royalties Of DEL
mark and Sweden and Holland and Spain,
ETC.. cannot dodge
The other royal pair are Emperor Charles
and Empress Zita, who recently, tried to
crawl back to the throne Of Austrta-Hun
gary, but were caught and put in confine
ment Charles and Zita are Just now prt'
oners on the pleasant, but rather confined:
tho ocean. a,
As recent alien enemies OF England
they, too, are not on the invitation list,
and thus, with broad smiles, no doubt cor
graduate themselves that they do not have
TO 20 down into their rather shallow peck
cts to send present to happy Princess
Mary.
The diplomatic corps OF foreign nations
are all let in for a present for the bride.
Some of these foreign representatives have
little or no income except their salaries.
Our own distinguished American Ambas'
sador, Mr. George Harvey, is not very
rich man. but he Is faced with the ap'
preaching wedding Of two people WITH
whom he has barely a bowling acquain'
lance and yet whose wedding he must
attend.
Ambassador Harvey might take the point
Of view that Princess Mary and the Wis
count we're not intimate friends Of his and
that he oughtn't to be put to the expense
Of sending present to q couple who were
almost strangers, and yet, perhaps his dig.
nifty and position required him to send
something as q token Of the goodwill and
friendly feeling OF the American people,
whom he represents. But there Is no fund
in America to pay for gold, silver or jewels
for foreign princess, and II Congress
were arked to reimburse Mr.. Harvey for
his outlay on the wedding there would be
howls in the halls OF Congress.
II than m ha nc sdor uarvey came IN the