Evening star., 1926-10-20
PEDRO HELD FIRST
ROYAL GUEST HERE
Pan.American Union Recalls
Emperor of BraziI's Visit,
Half Century Ago.

The Pan.American Union will not
permit to go unchallerged the state.
ment broadcaSt in the press OF the
Nation that King Albert and Queen
Elizabeth of Belgium were the only
reigning royalty to visit the United
States before Queen Marie set foot
| on American soil to captivate the
heart and the imagination Of q Demo.
cratic people.
| Out Of the misty past Of an even
half.century ago It was recalled that
the distinction Of being the FIRST ruler
| to be q guest Of :his country rightly
belongs to Dom Pedro III, Emperor
| OF Brazil. Few persons now living
in Washington recollect the visit OF
this distinguished South American Of
royal blood, who became an emperor
| at the age of six years, and a govern
ing ruler at the age Of Is.
State Department Also at Fault.
In the midst OF the intense interest
| aroused over the appearance of the
! Rumanian Queen even State Depart.
| ment officials apparently have forgot.
| ten the musty records Of Dom Pedro 8
visit to America in the Spring Of
1876. One Of the Washington fam
| lilies, who have occasion to remember
| the Brazilian monarch. a splendid
towering figure, with shaggy whiSk-
ers and democratic manner. Is that
| OF the late Alexander Graham Bell
| inventor Of the telephone. Between
DIR. Bell and Dom Pedro there sprang
up a friendship that years did not
diminish.
Dom Pedro, then q man in his If
| ties, came to the United States pri
| marily to visit the Centennial Ex-
| position at Philadelphia. He travel.
ed "incognito," as PLAIN Mr.. Alcan.
tara, though accompanied by several
official retinues. On his visit here
he was received by President Grant.
and made an extended tour of the
| country. Like those members Of
royalty who have followed him, he
| won merited popularity with the
masses" by his unaffected and demo
| cratic ways. his keen interest in all
| things American.
An amusing inciden- in the associa-
tion between Dom Pedro and DR.. Bell
was recalled a, the Pan-American
| Union. The brazilian Emperor had
heard much before his visit here
about the deaf and dumb institute at
Boston, in which DR.. Bell was in
terested Shortly after his arrival in
| the United States he went to Boston
to inspect this institute and makes the
| acquaintance OF DIR. Bell, who at that
time had just taken out a patent for
the telephone ana was still expert.
menting with It.
Later the genial monarch was a
visitor at the Centennill Exposition,
and in one of the buildings harpened
to spy his friend DR.. Bell, more husily
engaged with a hammer than in think.
ing Of the crowd about him.
Graciously Greets DIR. Bell.
why, how are you, DIR. Bell" ex.
| claimed the royal visitor. What are
you doing with that hammer"
| I'm just putting in an instrument
I'm experimenting with. so that q
person can talk over IL wire," the in.
ventor replied between sharp raps.
| 'How very interesting" commenced
| Dom Pedro, loath to leave the scene.
The next morning when Dr. Bell
went to the building to continue his
! work he found the merry monarch
| patiently sitting on the steps awaiting
| him. His curiosity had gotten the
| better Of him and he persuaded i,r.
| Bell to explain to him how one per.
| son could talk to another miles away
| over a copper wire
Later DR.. Bell found a stanch and
! willing champion in Dom Pedro, who.
| 1t was said, was anxious to introduce
| the telephone to Brazil,