The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-12-19
RULED BY CHILDREN.
Little Seyereigns of Holland,
Spain and Servia.
ALL ON THE VERGE or DEATH.
Assassins Thirst for the Blood of MiIan's
Son, While Germany Looks With
Greedy Eye On Netherlands.
Paris Letter in New York Tribune.


concerning the ill health of Emperor Will
lam and Don Carlos have any foundation,
it is possible that the number OF infant
soyereigns will shortly be augmented
by nine-year-oid kaiser Of Germany
and four-year-old king of Portn-
gal. 1t is therefore quite possible
that ON the occasion of the next congress
OF crowned heads in Europe, the Amounted
of the Lord viii be attended by their nurses
in lieu of chancellors or prime ministers,
and that the festivities in honor of the
meeting viii take the form of reviewing
dolls instead of soldiers. Their confer
ences will be devoted 20 the discussion of
candies, and they will toast one another in
bumpers of pap.
While this reduetio ad absurdam may
call forth smile the latter will quickly
make way for look of extreme gravity
when one remembers how vast are the in
terests which centre on the precarious lives
of these royal children. In the case of the
little queen of the Netherlands, as in those
of the baby king of Spain, and of the boy
monarch of Servia, the happiness and well
fare OF their respective subjects and the
tranquility and peace of Europe ara
staked upon their existence. For the
death of any one of the three before the
attainment of their majority would result
i'll certain chaos at home and in probable
war both within and beyond the frontier.
A painful feature of the situation is To be
found in the fact that although the major
ity of people are thus impelled by con-
siderations of self-interest to express
wishes and TO offer up prayers for the con-
tinued safety and health of the infant
sovereigns, yet there are many who yearn
and hope for their death. Several
dastardly attempts have already been made
at Belgrade to take the life of young King
Alexander, of Servia. In Spain both the
Carlists and the Republicans made no at
tempt to disguise their disappointment
when the little king began to recover from
his severe illness a year ago, and they
make no pretense of concealing their COR
viction that they have everything to gain
by his departure for another world. With
regard TO the Netherlands, the disappear
ance Of little Queen Wilhelmina would re-
suit in the accession to the throne of the
wife of the reigning Grand Duke of SAKE
Weimar, and Holland, with all its trade
and magnificent colonies would become
to all intents and purposes German pro-
vince, endowed with about as much
autonomy and independence as cities of
Hamburg and Bremen. 1t is doubtful,
however, whether the population viii sub
nit TO German domination without a
struggle for the maintenance of their
liberties, and although the Dutch "Schut-
tiers" or militiamen are scarcely
match for the trained armies of the Ger
man emperor, yet the victories of the
Beers over the English in South Africa,
the magnificent resistance which has been
offered TO almost every foreign invasion of
the Netherlands, furnish grounds for be-
lief that they would not surrender with
ont making big and sanguinary fight in
the defense of their political and material
interests.
Although little Queen Whilhelmina is
IL IL Fail sd siAIf.
the majority of albinos, suffers greatly
from anaeniia, yet the Germans are deter
mined to take no chances, and to secure
themselves against the improbable eventtl-
atty of the girl living to the attainment of
her majority. With this object in view,
the court of Berlin has arranged with the
regent of Holland, who is a German
princess, for match between her
daughter the little queen, and the
second son of Prince Albert of Prussia.
The lad is about fifteen years OF age, and
instead of being educated like the other
members of his family in Germany, is
passing his boyhood at the Hague, where
he resides permanently in "a house pur-
chased for his use. He attends Dutch
schools, receives his military training from
Dutch officers, and is being ntted in every
conceivable manner for the somewhat deli
cate and difficult position of king
consort OF the Netherlands. 1t
was the knowledge of the pro-
iected alliance that SO embittered
The last year of old King Williams life,
and which converted his love and graft.
tude for Queen Emma into feelings OF in
tense anirnosity. For, Dutchman to the
very core, he hated and feared the Ger
mans, of whose covetous designs he was
perfectly aware. lie could not bear the
thought of his kingdom falling under the
sway of the Hohenzollen emperor; and dur
ing his last days his malady assumed the
form of maniac rawlings and ratings against
Germany and everything and everybody
connected Herewith, including his own
wife.
While the infant sovereigns of Spain and
the Netherlands are jealously tended by
| mothers who, independently of their feel
ings of maternal devotion, are impelled to
particular watchfuiness by the knowledge
that the death of their children would be
at once followed by loss of rank, wealth
and power, and by a probable expulsion
from the country, the poor little king of
Seryia is passing his boyhood in soli-
tude. No mother is permitted 10 smooth his
pillow, to greet hf<8 with affection in the
morning and 20 kiss him goodnight. He
is left alone to face the dangers which sur
| round him, and they are many in num-
Der. His fathers predecessor on the
throne of Servia was murdered In cold
blood by the Karageorgewitcy pretenders,
| who are as eager for the crown today as
they were then, and who have even far
| more to gain now by the death of Alexap-
der than by the assassination of Milosh
| twenty-five years ago. Moreover the kid
naDing of Prince Alexander OF Bulgaria
/ IN the middle of the night from his palace
| by Russian emissaries affords another DEM
onstration of the periis to which Balkan
/ rulers are exposed.
The domestic troubles which led TO his
parents divorce and TO his fathers abdi-
| cution in his favor have resulted in his be-
ing debarred from seeing his mother, ex-
I cept on rare occasions. notwithstanding
/ the fact that she resides within hundred
/ yards OF his palace gates Every effort is
( made by her enemies in general and by her
/ husband in particular 10 influence the lad
/ against her, and only the other day he was
/ induced by his father to write her letter
| in which he declares that he will break Oft
I all relations with her if she persists in sub
/ hitting to parliament the disputed ques-
+ ton as TO the legality of the divorce which
/ Milan, bv improper methods, secured
! against her Queen Natalie's reply to her
/ child, to whom she is deyotedly attached,
/ is worthy Of being placed on record. 1t
! runs thus.
/ II would give much if you had not writ
/ ten that letter, my boy. But as l know
who made you write il / excuse you. For
i twelve years l taught you 10 love your
/ father, and to honor him. and concealed
I the misery of my life from You. Had
! King Milan seen the situation clearly he
would have done as much for me. TINS
/ must show you how different are your
parents characters. II / appeal TO skupt-
/ china merely make use of my good right.
III YOU fulhl your threat you viii lose the
respect Of your people and of the whole
/ civilized world Kings are expected, =, 70