Evening star., 1923-10-31
Choice of Lord Athlone
As Governor Felicitous

and business partner, the childless Earl
Farquhar. who died some two months
ago. Lord Athlone, on the other hand,
and his royal wife are far from rich.
This is more especially the case since
the great war. For when Princess
Altces only brother the then Duke of
albany, was taken, soreiy against his
Will. from school at Eton TO assume the
German throne Of the formerly sover-
eign duchies of SAKE -Coburg and Cotha
which the Duke of Connaught and his
son Prince Arthur had declined (they
came to Queen Eictoria's descendants
through her husband. who was prince
Of SaXe-Coburg Gotha), she became en-
titled to a handsome income from the
SaXe-Coburg Gotha crown property.
rms was. naturally, stopped on the out
break Of the great war. and when tho
wave of revolution in 1918 swept all OF
the German and central European
thrones, save that Of the sovereign,
Prince of Lichtenstein, out of existence
the crown property of the Saxe-CobuTg
dynasty was conf1scated by the people
Princess Alice is, therefore. dependent
upon legacy which she received from,
her grandmother, Queen Victoria, and
upon her share In the relatively small
fortune left by her father. the late Duke
of ALBANY. while her husband. Lord
Athlope. has little beyond his military
ray ana an allowance from his sister.
Queen Mary, Of whom he is a particular
favorite
X y y
As governor general of the Souti.
African Union Lord Athlone will re-
celve salary of $4,000 a year and
also some very liberal allowances.
amounting to half as much more. as
well as Official and fully furnished
and handsomely maintained resi-
dences at Cape Town and at Pre-
toria, and may be relied upon holding
the office for the customary admin
istrative term of five years, at the end
OF which time Lord Athlone may he
invited to become the governor gen
eral either of the Dominion Of Canada
or the commonwealth of Australia.
1t has generally been understood
that the satrapy of the British South
african Union would be offered TO
and accepted by the Duke and Ouch
ess OF York. But what with the
Prince of Wales frequent absences-
he is booked for prolonged visit to
British South Africa next year-the
task of assisting King George and
mental portion OF their duties Is fall
ing with increasing weight upon the
shoulders of the Duke and Duchess
of York. who cannot be spared at any
down. marries and is ready TO under
take to relieve his father Of at least
a portion OF his duties'
The main thing about Lord and
Lady Athlone Is that they enjoy the
prospect of representing the crown jn
a self-goyerning oversee dominion
and of doing something useful for the
nation. Prince Arthur of Connaught.
on the other hand, undertook the mis-
sion entirely from sense of duty,
hi N tn q.
who is Duchess of Fife In her own
right, was neither well nor happy in
South Africa, and regarded her life
there as species of exile. She, too,
is handsome woman. But she con-
veys the impression of discomfort, Of
aloofness and Of difficulty to reconcile
herself to surroundings that have not
been altogether congenlal; In fact
that her stay in South Africa has
been a sacrifice of her tastes and in
, clinationS. Whereas her cousin, Prin-
cess Alice, radiates happiness and
pleasure. among the rich and poor
alike. irrespective of rank, and has
already completely won the South
African premier, Jan SHUTS. and those
Pretoria who have had occasion to
visit England since the war. She has
very pretty daughter. who is just
coming osit, and who bears the title
of Lady May Cambridge, and is now
doUut TO enter HeT elSHlceHtH year,
Princess Alice bids fair to win the
good will OF the Africandery: that is
to say, of the old Dutch. formerly hos
tile, element in South Africa. For
her mother. the late Duchess of AL
bany. was the sister OF the. queen
mother of the Netherlands. and much
of her own girihood was spent at The
| Hague. Indeed, there Is ne me mber
of the reigning house of Great Brit
Ain who enjoys to the same degree the
| intimacy. and the affection OF Queen
Wilhelmina as Princess Alice, Coun-
I tess of AthlonA. -.