Evening star., 1923-02-24
FORMER DIPLOMAT
CLAIMED BY DEATH
Charlemagne Tower, Envoy
to Berlin for Six Years,
Dies in Philadelphia.
FAVORlTE OF WILHELM
Selected to Sit Next to Kaiser at
State Dinners-First Named
by Mckinley.
FAv0RlTE OF WILHELM

Dy tHe AsSOcldteu HreSe.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa, February "a.
,-Charlemagne Tower. former United
States ambassador to Germany, died
in a hospital here today from pneu-
monia-
Mr.. Tower, who had also been min
lister to Autria- Hungary and ambas-
sador to Russia before he was ap-
pointed to the diplomatic post at Ber-
lin, died at sos am. He was taken
to the hospital on February 8. A few
days later his condition was reported
grave. but he rallied and for a week
showed steady improvement. On
Thursday Mr.. Tower became worse,
and from then on his physicians held
out little hope for his recovery. Mrs.
Tower and other members Of his fam
lily were at the bedside at the end.
Mr.. Tower, who was seventy-fiv
years old, was not only prominent as
diplomat and financier in his active
days. but was widely known in So
ciety here and abroad. He was re-
garded as quite wealthy, having in
herited fortune largely accumulated
In the anthracite regions of Pennsyl-
vania.
Named In 1897.
Charlemagne Tower was one of the
most popular diplomatic figures in
the brilliant court life of Berlin dur
ing the six years he served as Amert-
can ambassador to Germany by ap-
pointment of President Roosevelt.
His diplomatic career began in 1897,
when he was named by President Nc
kinley as envoy extraordinary and
minister plenipotentiary Of the United
States to oAustria-Hungary. Two years
later he was advanced to ambassa-
dorfal rank and sent to Russia, and
from there went to Berlin in 1902.
So popular did he become with mem
bers of the German court that he was
invariably selected to sit next to the
then Emperor william during formal
state dinners-a practice which
brought many caustic comments from
the representatives of other govern
ments.
Favorite With wilhelm.
Fickle as Emperor William was
known to he with his good graces,
Mr.. Tower managed to remain in
favor for the entire. six years of his
diplomatic stay in Berlin, and was
even the innocent cause of an en-
barrasSing international caper when
he retired in 1908. The emperor said
at a dinner that he was very angry
with President Roosevelt" for accept
ing Mr.. Towers resignation. and
while the remark was intended mere
ly to emphasize the regard he had for
the retiring ambassador, it was i'm
mediately construed as slur on
David Jayne Hill. the famous Amer
lean historian and diplomat who was
named to succeed Mr.. Tower.
The eighth in descent from John
Tower, who left his English home in
1857 to settle in America, Charlemagne
Tower was born in Philadelphia
April II, 1S48. He attended the public
schools of Pennsylvania, and later
Phillips Academy. Exeter, y. H. Com
plcting his preparatory studies, he
graduated in 1872. He spent four
years travelling and studying in Eu-
! rope, and in 1876 began the study of
law. He was admitted to practice
in 1878.
Became Railroad President.
In 1882 he removed to Duluth,
Mimi. TO accept the presidency of
the Duluth and Iron Range railroad.
which position he held, in conjunction
with the mana ging directorship OF
the Minnesota Iron Company, for five
years. During that period he was
largely instrumental in the opening
and development of the great iron
deposits of that region.
In 1883 he married Miss Helen
Smith of Oakland. Calf, and by her
had three sons.
Held Many Degrees.
Several universities. both here and
abroad, honored Mr.. Tower with de-
grees. He was a trustee of the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania, vice presi-
dent of the Historical Society Of
Pennsylvania, a member of the Acad
emy of Natural Sciences and the
American Institute of Mining Engi-
neerS.
He also was a former director in
the Philadelphia and Reading Coal
and Iron Company, the Lehigh Coal
and Navigation Company, the New
York and New Haven Railroad Com
pany and the Pennsylvania Steel
Company