Evening star., 1926-02-07
Commander de Aquino
Serving Third Term
As Brazil Attache
NAVY Officer at Embassy
First Brought Family to
Washington in Year 1906.

Condr. Raider de Aquino. the naval
attache of the Brazilian embassy, and
Sonora de Aquino may compart
Washington of today with what 1t was
I'm the opening months of 1906, when
they first called it their home. PreSl-
dent Roosevelt was in the White
House, and his vigorous and impress
sive personality made a great I'M
preston on the young naval onlcer,
and some years later it was his pr1Vl-
leGe to greet the former Chief t1Xecu-
tive on the visit of exploration 10
Brazil. The Aquinos had been married
but two years when they arrived IN
Washington. and they had but one
child, the pretty little maid, Miss Cora
Raider de Aquino, who has been pre-
sented to society. and who participates
In the many gayetieS of the younger
Pan-American circle. The elder OF the
two sons. Rinaldo. was born in Wash
ington in 1907. and he naturally is
quite interested i'll returning TO IL
again. A second son. John, with his
brother attends the Dennison School
in this city near by their home at
sixteenth and L streets. There also
are two charming little girls, Maria
Jose who is d. and Alcyone Maria.
who is a year and a half younger. and
both are beginning to master English
al a kindergarten.
The commander and his wife, hav-
ing lived so frequently in this country,
speak the language perfectly. In the
case of the naval attache he is bi-
linGual and a native of New York,
his mother being Miss Albina Raider
of the Quaker City. His father,
Senior Jose Herculano de Aquino. ac-
companied the Emperor. Dom Pedro.
to the centennial exposition in Phlla-
delphia and there met the lady who
. became his wife. The marriage oc-
CURED in the Autumn Of 1876 and
the kindly Emperor, knowing that the
young wife dreaded to leave her own
country and people. had his aide sta
toned i'll New York City as consul
general. Senior de Aquino remained
in his wife'S country until her death
and then he took his family back to
Rio. and young Raider was placed
in the Naval Academy near Rio. He
had Just finished his naval training
when the revolution of 1898 occurred,
with the result that Admiral Benham
entered the harbor of Rio de Janeiro
with his battleships. Young de
Aquino, a cadet. accompanied the
flagship to New York City and re
newed his acquaintance with the city
of his birth.
Senhor5L Radler de Aquino was be
fore her marriage SenhoIita Corina
de FfGueiredo, and was born in Rio
and has lived practically all her life
in full view of one of the most
superb marine landscapes of the
world. She is an intense admirer of
the natural beauties of her home and
delights in telling of them. She is
graceful and dark eyed. a devoted
mother and homekeeper, yet, accom-
pliShed in the social sense and so
fond of the cosmopolitan intercourse
possible in Washing ton. She is much
interested in the tremendous changes
apparent since 1913, during her second
residence here, when she left with
her three small children few months
in advance of her husbands transfer
TO Rio Like all others who knew
Washington in what is called the good
old days. she is much perturbed over
the soaring prices of everything, from
house rent to glove cleaning.
The first home of Comdr. de Aqulno
In 1906 was in the Ontario, then very
remote from all neighbors and sur
rounded by as dense a forest as even
Brazil can furnish. 1t was a new
apartment house then. the rooms large
and airy and the rent something which
seems absurd now. The naval attache
discusses the coffee situation very
frankly, but points out that while cof'
fee has gone up 20 per cent in 10
wears, house rent in Washington has
increased more than 90 per cent, and
every other necessity in the same scale
of value.
The naval attache and Sonora de
Aquino find here many friends of for
mer years. 1t was the privilege OF
the commander TO be appointed naval
aide to the Secretary of State Elihu
Root when he arrived on his official
visit in 1907. Mrs. Root and Miss
Edith Root were of the party, and
Mrs. L. S. Grant, Sd, had given a cor
dial welcome to these old friends in
Rio. Again when Secretary Hughes
and his family went to Rio during the
celebration of the centenary of Brazil
ian independence in 1922, Comdr. de
Aquino accompanied him in his visits
10 the exposition and to several of the
provinces. He had the pleasure of re-
uewing' his acquaintance with the for
lner Secretary of State during Mr..
Hughes recent visit to Washington.
The naval commander and sonora
have known five Presidents-Roose-
Welt, Taft, Wilson, Harding and Cool
iige-and their remembrances OF
Washington two decades ago are very
fascinating recitals.