New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-26

Any ,vpERT1,RBABLE STATESMAN.

Gilt
s,.o.,ass such is Count Gustave Kalnoky. about
whose personality and private HE 'here l. p'o
~. lace known TO the general public than those
,.rv other statesman in Europe Yet Tor mort
49,. ,n.ol,c wears he has occupied one of the
,ost conspjcuous and influential positions III
40 o,d World-a position which. to all intents
rd nurnoses endowed him with controlling
49, IN th,. direction Of international politics.
rArks 10 Count Kalnoky, Austria Hungary
which In the days OF Andrassy ana ha!Aiei''
ho,d merely secondary place in the Triple ALL
,cs has now become the principal factor In the
ssoc,ation: and IL is from Nienna-now recos-
,zad as the Headquarters of the Dre;bund-tha'
,as issued that moderating and restraining IN
euence which. several occasions since 'he
,.n of Bismarck has served to check the rash
,,onulses of Germany's hot-headed young EN-
neror impulses that would have involved all
rurone in war. And II these assertions appear
IN any way exaggerated. ii Is only necessal! "
observe how the Governments OF Russia ana
1,rorcs direct their efforts 10 maintaining the
f-iendliest relations with Vienna rather than
with berlin well knowing that any declaration
=, var On the part of Emperor William must
undo, existing circumstances. depend entirely
unon the attitude of his Austrian ally.
Ksnoky. who is a persistent bachelor belongs
70 that class from Whi'h the oiu Noi'u ''H
a-av, some OF her finest statesmen. namely
the old territorial aristocracy. class when mas
M advantage to derive from office in the shape
n, either emoluments or rank and which devotes
,,s time and its activity to the management OF
ruh,c affairs mainly in consequence OF sense
~ natr,otjc duty to throne and country. No one
who has known them will for one moment be-
ueve that either Andrassy or Kalnoky ever de-
eujO satisfaction
,.nure OF their Office They thoroughly gave you
Tho impression that they considered the whole
thing a dreadful bore but that they owed II to
.ha En,neror and the nation. And as soon as
.ver they considered that they had fulfilled the
r.ouirements Of loyalty and patriotism they
svs,ed themselves like Count Taafe and so
~ others of their caste. OF the hrst oppor-
unity that came to hand Of resigning an once
rat had never been congenial. ana from which
4. ~ had nothing to gam in rank or fortune
rather the reverse since Andrassy retired into
private life terribly in debt. having dipped heav-
uv into his private fortune to maintain his once
with what he regarded BETTING dignity.
We're I 10 be asked for the most striking
Characteristic of Count Gustave kainoky
shouId say II was his perfect self-possession
and imperturbability quality which he snares
aith his younger brother Hugo. Nothing ever
10
oerfsct collectedness and equanimity. They both
wear monocles screwed into their right eyes and
unsecured by any chain cord. and never have
7 known either OF them to drop his glass no
snatter what happened, not even when l saw
Hugo Kalnoky come a terrific cropper while out
hunting He turned a complete somersault.
rolled over and over. yet when he sat up covered
with dirt and mud. there was the glass stil stuck
an his eye showing that not a muscle OF MS
face had moved.
Fortunately. Count Gustave has n greater sense
Hf propriety than Hugo for the latter is perhaps
khe most inveerate practical joker OF the Aus
trian army. and the stories told or his freaks
And FRANKS mostly performed with most seri-
ous and emotonless face. form the delight OF
t'isnnese society. OF which In spite OF his IN
kensely comical ugliness-he was born with only
one ear-he IL one Of the brightest ornaments
Among the most amusing practical jokes that
have known him TO play was one which took
ybiace after a merry dinner at Sachers famous
restaurant. In Vienna. when he made wager
sAhat he would get the first woman he met In the
street on going out OF doors to blow his nose
It was dusk and the military cloak which. as
usual with Austrian officers. he had thrown
loosely over his shoulders without putting the
arms through. gave him the appearance OF being
mrmless Stopping under the deep shadow OF
an electric lamp he commenced 10 manifest signs
: OF great discomfort and distress. A respectable
looking old dame who happened to be passing
became attracted thereby, and after minutes
Hesitation asked him, sympat hetcally, what was
II. matter.
u want TO blow my nose. and am unable to
z, So as YOU can see yourself" replied Hugo
= aInnky. gazing hepessly. first at one and then
~, other Of his empty coat sleeves.
.rte Bosnia and Herzegovina campaign was
,ust an end and Vienna was filled at the time
witt wounded soldiers and officers. The good
old ,'dy Immediately took il for granted that
Kalnoky had lost both his arms on the battle
field and exclaiming in tones Of boundless pity,
fellow. poor fellow Let me help you.
she extracted his pocket handkerchief from his
breast pocket. held IT u TO the proper organ,
which he proceeded to blow with a trumpet-like
sound As soon as the old lady had returned the
handkerchief to the pocket. Hugo flung his
mantle aside and gracefully raising his cap with
his right hand. bowed profoundly. excaiming,
81 thank you Madam. for your great kindness"
and then walked back toward us. leaving the
old lady standing dumbfounded. with her eyes
and mouth wide open with establishment. We
had lost bet
The family trait OF imperturbability has stood
Count Gustave Kalnoky in good stead as dip
lomatst and as a statesman. No one can ever
boast Of having discerned the nature Of his sent-
menis from the expression on his face while his
cooness Of manner. English rather than Austrian
in its character which has been alternately as
cribed to haughtiness and to shyness Is likewise
in reality nothing else than part and parcel OF his
determination TO permit nothing to disturb his
self-possesson. Several practices as well as lit
tie tricks OF manner have contributed during his
tenure Of office to give him what is TO my mind
q totally undeserved reputation for arrogance
and conceit Thus. he gave considerable offence
by his marked Discrimination to conduct diplo-
matte business with any foreign Envoy below
the rank OF Amba ssador. The mere Ministers
Plenipotentary were turned over to the Under
Secretaries f State whenever they called being