SOMMAIRE

• Le combat aéronaval du 8 août 1944, par Bertrand Pénisson

• Charles Albert Prince, ce gentleman ambigu, par Michel Moracchini

• Les débuts de la station balnéaire du Bois de la Chaise, par DR Viaud-Grand-Marais

• Le cinéma "Le Mimosa", une affaire de famille depuis 1949, par Odile Lorber

PRINCE EXILED.

THE EX-MAGNATE WILL NEVER COME BACK TO AMERICA.

His much-tangled affairs patched up with the distinct pledge that he remain permanently abroad – How he squandered fortunes.

Boston, July 19 - A prominent member of the Suffolk bar having asked the Boston Record why the case of Charles A. Prince is not brought before the Bar Association for action, the question was carried to a member of the committee empowered to act. "Well, I will tell you why," said the committeeman. "We are all ready to act, but no one has brought his case before us. We have no knowledge directly that he has done anything unprofessional. Of course, if our attention is called to the matter and any evidence submitted we will recommend his dismissal." It is said that Prince never will come back to Boston. He is, with his wife, who has always been devoted to him under all circumstances, in Europe. He could come back, so far as any proceedings are concerned, but he will not. Several lawyers were talking the matter over the other day, and one of them said: "You need not worry any about that; he went away, with matters squared up, on the distinct pledge that he should not return. They took the pains to get that promise, and they were probably shrewd enough to keep something with which to be able to enforce it.

WHY HE LEFT.

“Around town,” says the Record, “every one knows in a general way why Prince went away. The only differences in the various stories are as to the amounts he has managed to spend in the last few years, which near relatives, college friends and wealthy men, whose relations with him were of peculiar intimacy, have had to furnish. No one puts it at less than $1,000,000, and those who are not the worst informed say that it will aggregate easily $2,000,000. What a sum this is! Luckily, it comes for the most part out of those who are able to lose what they have without ruining their fortunes or leaving them in straits. That they have gone into their pockets and paid notes which they supposed were long ago taken up, and satisfied all forms of obligations, is good evidence that Prince was a man of the most attractive personality. He was not only handsome, but engaging, who always professed, with the utmost cynicism, what he was willing to do for his client, regardless, and they did not seem to realize that a man who would stop for nothing for others would not be likely to let any minor scruples stand in his way in his own affairs. 'Tell Prince's story.’ Said a well-known club man the other day, ‘why, only a Balzac could do it!’ ”

HIS GOINGS-ON.

After leaving Boston, a month ago, he went to New York. There he was seen by at least two men who had known him well in town. They say he had his mustache shaved off and had laid aside those eye-glasses, with which he was so familiar. These two recognized him and he half recognized them, but as he did not apparently care to talk they went along. After disposing of several matters in New York he tailed leisurely away, leaving at least one notable wreck in his wake. How he got rid of the immense amount of money which those whom he raised it from contributed, no one knows. He spent a few thousand on the ''Brotherhood" ball team, of which he was leading spirit. A few thousand more went into the half-built house at Manchester. He gave a dinner once at the Algonquin and one at the American House. Famous stories are extant of the gay times he had In New York occasionally, when he took parties over “professionally” to see that city. But all of these would but be a fraction, a small one, too, to account for the immense sums that passed through his hands.

WHAT DID HE DO WITH THE CASH?

Most people think that he was in speculation a good deal and lost great sums that way. Well, where did he speculate? His brother is in large deals, but they are supposed to be profitable. He made an immense commission in the Reading's Boston and Maine transactions, with which, incidentally, the New England was mixed up. Of the New England Prince was for several years counsel, or one of them. Two or three years ago he was a great bull on New England preferred, and told one of his friends that it was a great purchase, then selling at considerably above par. He said that he owned 1000 shares of it. His friend knew him pretty well and went and told a few shares of New England preferred that he happened to own.

BREACHES OF CONFIDENCE.

The people who lost their money by Prince were those who originally had great confidence in him. They helped him out and indorsed notes for friendship's sake. As things went on a different class of contributors was found. They were all worked with system and diligence. How it was done is pretty well known. What became of the money is still an unknown problem. Even to make $1,000,000 disappear, absolutely, with nothing but a half-built house to show for it, is not common. And there are thousands of dollars, intrusted to Prince for certain purposes, of which his best friends never heard, not considered in their calculations, for which no account has ever been rendered. One affair had to do with some friendly interesting railroad moves, which were started by Prince, but which he went off and left in air.

La traduction est disponible dans l'article de la Lettre aux Amis.

BOSTON CLUBMAN MARRIED ABROAD

Miss Helen Prince Becomes the Bride of John Amory Lowell Blake

A wedding in France today, in which many people in Boston are interested, was that of John Amory Lowell Blake and Miss Helen Prince, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Albert Prince, formerly of Boston, and who for many years have lived abroad. The wedding took place this morning at Noirmoutiers, an island in the department of Vendée, the home of the bride’s parents. The announcement a few months ago of the engagement of Miss Prince to Mr. Blake called forth widespread congratulations, both are so well known.

Mr. Blake is a Harvard man, class of ’02, and is one of the most popular young clubmen in Boston, as a member of the Somerset, Tennis and Racquet clubs and the Boston Athletic Association, and he also belongs to the Myopia Hunt Club. He is the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. George Baty Blake and the grandson of the late George Baty Blake who founded the old-time banking house which today is well known as Blake Brothers, in State street.

Mr. Blake’s mother who, before her marriage, was Sara Putnam Lowell, was prominent in society here. She was of distinguished Colonial ancestry and was a charter member of the Massachusetts Society of Colonial Dames of America, in which her membership number was 1. Miss Prince, the bride of today, although she has lived long abroad, is familiar to Boston society folk. She is the granddaughter of the late Hon. Frederick O. Prince. Her mother was Miss Helen C. Pratt.

Miss Prince was in Boston not long ago and sailed for France a few weeks previous to Mr. Blake’s departure for Europe, which was on July 21 from New York on the steamship Kaiser Wilhelm II. He was accompanied abroad by his brother, Francis Stanton Blake, who went over to serve as best man. Mr. Blake and his bride are to remain on the other side until some time in October, when they will return to Boston to reside at 37 Beacon street, long the Blake family home, where Mr. Blake has kept bachelor’s hall since the death of his mother, in 1899.

UN CLUBMAN DE BOSTON SE MARIE A L’ÉTRANGER

Mlle Helen Prince épouse John Amory Lowell Blake

Un mariage célébré aujourd’hui en France a particulièrement retenu l’attention des bostonnais : celui de John Amory Lowell Blake et de Mlle Helen Prince, fille de M. et Mme Charles Albert Prince, autrefois établis à Boston et vivant depuis de nombreuses années à l’étranger. La cérémonie s’est déroulée ce matin à Noirmoutier, une île de Vendée, où résident les parents de la mariée. L’annonce, il y a quelques mois, des fiançailles de Mlle Prince avec M. Blake avait suscité de nombreuses félicitations, tant les deux jeunes gens sont connus.

M. Blake, diplômé de Harvard (promotion 1902), compte parmi les jeunes clubmen les plus en vue de Boston. Il est membre du Somerset Club, du Tennis and Racquet Club, de la Boston Athletic Association ainsi que du Myopia Hunt Club. Il est le fils de feu M. et Mme George Baty Blake et le petit-fils du défunt George Baty Blake, fondateur de l’ancienne maison de banque qui est aujourd’hui connue sous le nom de Blake Brothers, sur State Street.

La mère de M. Blake, née Sara Putnam Lowell, fut une figure marquante de la bonne société de Boston. Issue d’une lignée coloniale prestigieuse, elle comptait parmi les membres fondatrices de la Massachusetts Society of Colonial Dames of America, où elle détenait la première inscription. Quant à la mariée du jour, bien qu’ayant longtemps vécu à l’étranger, elle reste bien connue de la bonne société bostonnaise. Elle est la petite-fille de feu l’honorable Frederick O. Prince. Sa mère était Mlle Helen C. Pratt.

Mlle Prince s’était rendue à Boston récemment avant de repartir pour la France, quelques semaines avant le départ de M. Blake, qui s’est embarqué le 21 juillet dernier à New York à bord du paquebot Kaiser Wilhelm II. Il voyageait en compagnie de son frère, Francis Stanton Blake, venu remplir les fonctions de témoin. M. et Mme Blake prolongeront leur séjour en Europe jusqu’en octobre, avant de regagner Boston pour s’installer au 37 Beacon Street, demeure familiale des Blake depuis longtemps, où M. Blake vivait en célibataire depuis le décès de sa mère en 1899.