Evening star., 1922-11-05
Princess Hern,ir,e Is
L0rer of P0n,p
and Display.
Her Character Is
Contrast to That of
Late Empress.
By the Associated Press.

THE HAGUE, November 4-Gossip
in Germany has it that the marriage
tomorrow of former Emperor William
Of Germany and Princess Hermine Of
ReuSS ausers a far more wise and
workable union than that between
William and his first wife. Princess
Augusta Victoria. which took place
in February. 1881. and terminated
just forty years and two months later.
when she died an exile from her be-
loved Potsdam.
There are many who are able to see
much in common between the ex-em-
peror and his bride-to-be despite the
difference in their ages: while back
in 1881, when the whole German en-
pire was in festive attire to celebrate
the marriage Of its heir apparent.
even the most optimistic were COM
PEELED to admit that the two royal
scions could not have been farther
apart had they been Of different
worlds.
Princess Augusta was shy. trustful
essentially feminine. a lover of her
home and with no sympathy for
pomp and ceremony. For more than
twelve years of her married life she
was semi-invaltd.
Princess Loves Pomp.
The bridegroom. on the other hand.
was already feverishly active and pos
sessed of Unsuitable ambition. He
loved display. never tired of arraying
himself in gaudy uniforms and was
happy only when he could play
leading part before the whole world.
These were the differences that the
world at large saw. Those who were
intimate with either or both of the
principals. however. knew that the
private order of their lives was even
farther from agreement.
Princess Hermine, on the other
hand. is understood to enjoy and re-
spect all the royal traditions which
Princess Augusta abhorred. While
she is hardly known beyond the Ger
mon borders and seldom. If ever, was.
mentioned, even in the newspapers of
Germany, before her engagement to
the ex-emperor was announced. still
there are many households In central
Europe which profess to have an init
mate knowledge of her character. and
in these the preponderance Of opinioo
is that she has all the qualities to
make her valuable and sympathetic
companion to the imperial exile OF
Doom.
The new chapter in Princess Her,
mines life constitutes her second
matrimonial venture, and comes after
she has struggled for more than
twenty years through the vale Of
sadness and misfortune that has pur-
sued her unhappy family. But. as
most of this i'll luck began when
political differences arose between the
House of Reuss and the government
of ex-Emperor William, there are
many in Germany today who. per-
haps governed a mite by superstition
in their reasoning, believe that the
marriage will break the long spell OF
misfortune. and that hereafter the
Reuss household will be in the as
tendency.
Political troubles. however, have
not been the only clouds lowering
above the ancient Reuss manor:
Financial reverses. deception, blasted
romances and insanity have been
familiar shadows to the five daugh-
ters and one son that graced the
hearth of Prince Henry OF Reuss-
an eccentric autocrat, who died when
Princess Hermine was still In her
cradle.
The father of Princess Hermine
carried his autocracy to such an ex-
treme that he would not allow a
house to be erected in his capital or
a tree to be cut down without his
official sanction. When any OF the
public school children were to be
spanked he insisted upon doing 1t
father of his country. he alone was
qualified for the task.
His gloomy palace at Greiz was
devoid Of every modern comfort, for
the old prince believed it would be
to change anything that had
been good enough for his ancestors
There was no running water, no bath
tubs, and no sanitary equipment OF
any kind, while the cooking was done
in kitchens so far away from the
dining room that the dishes arrived
on the table stone cold, with their
contents uneatable.
Daughters Married Quickly.
The five daughters of Prince Henry
ing the death of their father, two of
them becoming the wives of Austrian
counts. Princess Hermine received
her first proposal of marriage when
she was eighteen, 1t seems that she
had volunteered to act as peacemaker
In the ruffied domestic affairs OF her
sister, Princess Carolina, who had
married the Grand Duke William
Ernst of saxe-Weimar. but hardly
when Carolina died and the grand
duke found that he was in love with
the intercessor. Hermine consented
to marry him on condition that he
dismiss a certain majordomo from his
staff-a man whom she disliked in
tensely-but the duke refused her
request and the match fell through:
Won Schoenaich-Carolath, an oflcer of
the Uhlan Guards. who died few
years later. The princess had five
children by that marriage, the eldest
of whom Is fifteen. She had intended
taking them to Doom to reside with