Grandee

The Duke of Alba, young grandee, was smitten with the idea of Democracy, probably on his last year's visit to the U.S.

Last week, he ordered two of his large estates to be divided and distributed among his tenants on a deferred payment plan. He hoped that other grandees would follow suit. His tenants prepared to hold a series of festivals in his honor.

Agrarianism is all the mode in Europe, but it is far more rare as a doctrine of the landowner than as a doctrine of the tenants. This case denotes a change of opinion by part of the oldest aristocracy, for the present Duke of Alba, 17th of his line, is descended from the famous first Duke, who was compelled, at his King's command, to apologize to the Pope for defeating him, whose ghastly "Court of Blood" in the Netherlands was one of the outstanding horrors of the 16th Century and who boasted that he had sent some 18,000 people to the executioner.

The present Duke is a descendant of another famous soldier, the Duke of Berwick, illegitimate son of James II of England, whose title he still possesses, being the tenth Duke. The first Duke of Berwick saw service under his father and later under Louis XIV of France. Montesquieu in his eloge cites that so great was his courage and ability that all parties were anxious to have him on their side. Before his death, he became a French subject and a Marshal of France.

The Duke is also a descendant, through the Larreategui family, of Christopher Columbus.