Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-12
MISS KATHRYN
HITCHCOCK,
whose Ncarr1 aaet to
Lieut Col. Dun1aR
Pe.AYce Penha11OW
u. S. A. Re- S e rve
Witt take Fl ace
October g.
Count de Buisseret
Is Notable Addition
To Diplomatic Ranks
Belgian Embassy Staff Mem
ber's Mother Was Amer
,can Woman of Prominent
Family.

Count Francois de Buisseret, who
was recently attached to the staff Of
the Belgian Ambassador. Baron Emil
de Cartier de Marchienne. now dean
If the corps. is one of the most m
portant in a local sense of the diplo-
mats who have come to Washington
since the social season closed. Count
Francois is the son of Count Conrad
de Buisseret, who was attached to the
Belgian legation in the late COS. and
at that time married Miss Caroline
Sherman Story. daughter of the late
Gen. and Mrs. John a. Story OF this
CITY. Count Conrad returned to
Wa shington as Minister in 1909 ana
remained three years. when he was
transferred to what was then ST.
Petersburg, capital of the czarist EN-
pire Of Russia.
Count Conrad was at his post when
in August, 1914, the German army
began the invasion Of Belgium. but
the countess was with her children
in the country estate, which lay In
the track of the storm and in the VI
cinity of Antwerp. The countess had
q yoilng infant and was entirely with
out medical care. and the terror and
privation caused by the invasion OF
her home by the Germans caused her
death. Washington felt a pathetic
pride in young Francois and his elder
brother. Count Jean Castor. aged u
and Is. who grappled with the ad-
vance troops and tried to protect their
home. but the chateau was completely
DESTROYED with all it's contents. They
we're imprisoned by the victorious
Germans. and only through the IN
firing efforts of Brand Whltlock'
toto 1n PyllC-
sells. we're they released after two
raelxs' confinement in q nearby fort
ross. On these young boys devolVed
the care of the younger children AFTER
tbeir mothers death and before their
father could reach them.
Mrs. John p. Story. though then
of advanced years. intrepidly made
he,. way through the war zone and
brought the two younger boys. Michel
and Robert. and the little girl BeatriX.
with her to Washington. Jean CASTOR
and Francois preferred to remain IN
Belgium and they were serving IN
King Albert's army and marched tri
umphantly with 1t into. Brussels atter
the signing of the armistlce..
Gen, Story. it will be remembered
was as much a victim of the German
invasion of Belgium as was his 'daugh-
ter He never recovered from the
sorrow of that event and the circum-
stances Of II, and he died a few
months after the death OF Countess
de Buisseret. Count Conrad spent
the awful months of the red revoiu-
ton in Russia in PetrOgrad, but MS
exeperiences there, his sorrows ana
financial losses affected his health
very seriously, and he now is living in
retirement on his Belgian estate
Count Jean CASTOR served for rev
years in the army and is now making
quite a success of rubber planting. an
experiment begun shortly before the
great war.
Count Francois de Buisseret. now
27 is typically American In appear
ance, though he has spent less time
in this country than have any or the
brothers. He received his education
partly in Louvaine. and for time IN
oxford during the German occupation
and before he joined the army. This
was In 1916, and he spent two years
in observation work in the trenches,
being a private in Battery IS. 1t was
during this time and after this coun-
try had entered the war that young
Fra cois was given months leave
q, ..;s1ued Oh Fourteenth Pag>.l