The San Francisco call., 1897-05-16
POWER WELDED BY THE SECRET POLITICAL SOClE
TIES OF THE OLD WORLD.

went there thirty-four years ago WIN
scarcely cent in his pocket, his family
being so poor that his sisters. the present
Dowager Empress of Russia. the
Princess OF Wales and the Duchess
of Cum bsrland, were forced through
motives of economy to make their own
hats and frocks. To-day he Is admittedly one
of the wealthiest sovereigns OF Europe, and IN
asmuch as his fortune has certainly not been
saved out of his civil list, which is so small
tn at during the first twenty years OF his reign
the great powers were induced, in sheer
spirit OF commiseration, 10 contribute $lOo,-
600 more to his Greek annual stipend, 1t nat
urally follows that there must be some trutn
in the stories current at Athens, according 10
which King George made millions by specula-
ton in American wheat in conjunction with
the ate General Meredith Read, at the time
when the Turko-Russian war OF 1S76-77 had
the effect of closing both the port. and the
grain markets of Odessa. King George. like
his brother, the Crown Prince of Denmark,
is an extraordinarily fortunate speculator,
differing therein from King Leopold of Bel
GUM, King Oscar of Sweden, the French
royal Duke of Chartres and other stOck-job-
bing monarchs and princes of the blood. SO
that if George, whose real baptismal name is
William, is forced by the Hetaria to follow the
example of his predecessor, King Otho, and to
abandon the Grecian throne, he may DE con-
graduated rather than pitied, since he will be
able to at length retire without any compunc-
ton to his native country to spend the re-
mainder of his days among people who
are infinitely more congenial to him than the
Greeks, and in the enjoyment Of fortune that
is simply colossal. Nor gill there be any in
clination on the part Of the European courts
to blame him personally for the present trou-
BILE. He has repeatedly been on the point OF
abdicating, and on each occasion has re-
mained at the urgent request of the great
powers, who were anxious at all costs to avoid
the complications which they knew would
ensue were his throne to become vacant.
Moreover, the European sovereigns are fully
aware that when he invaded Crete he had to
choose between doing so and facing revolu-
tion, instigated by the Hetaria, which would
have driven him from Athens, and that it he
id not lay down his crown then and there it
was entirely on account of the entreaties of
the foreign governments, who hoped that they
would be able to effect a compromise and
only required time in order to accomplish it.
The Helaria is about 100 years old, consists
OF a mum ber of inner circles, and of wheels
within wheels, no one save a favored few
knowing who is the head thereof for the time
being. Like the society OF the Carbonari in
Italy, and like that of the Nihilists in Russia,
it has had princes OF the blood, and even
crowned monarchs, who have been affiliated
thereto. For it is well known that Emperor
Alexander of Russia was in the early part of
the present century a member of the Hetaria,
which showed itself so exacting that he pre-
ferred to abandon his throne to his brother
Nicolas, organizing mock funeral, causing
his death 10 be proclaimed, and then retired
to the monastery of st. Sergius, where he sur
vived until 1864.
Napoleon Ill remained throughout his
reign submissively subject to the grand mas
ter of the Italian order of Carbonari, which he
joined while residing with his mother at
Rome. When Napoleon became Emperor he
at first imagined himself to be powerful
enough to be able to afford to turn deaf ear
to the com mands of the Carbonari and to be
in position to sever all further intercourse
with them. But they had not the slightest
intention OF permitting him 10 become thus
unfaithiul to his VOWS OF fealty to the order,
and after they had instgated several
attempts to assassinate him Zone of which,
known as the Orsini bomb outrage, resulted in
the death of large number OF bystanders
and in the destruction of the imperial equi-
page on its way to the opera al Paris) he aban-
doned all further idea of resistance. He
readily obeyed when he received orders from
Rome to declare the prepoSterous war of 1859
against Austria, which, while it prof ted Italy
a great deal, brought France little or nothing
except the ill Will OF Austria, who would
otherwise have come to her rescue in 1870.
In 1866 again Emperor Napoleon took ad
vantage of the struggle between Austria and
Prussia to demand from the latter territorial
compensation along the Rhine, threatening
otherwise to march to the assistance of Aus
tria, which had just inflicted a crushing de-
feat upon the Italians at Custozza. Bismarck
was on the point of yielding to the demands
of Napoleon, the Prussian defeat of Austria
having been a very close affair, which had left
the victor in a sadly weakened condition. But
suddenly the demands of France were with
drawn, and Napoleon contented himself with
requesting that the surrender of Venice by
Austria to Italy, which Prussia had insisted
on. should be made to him. Only after Napo-
Icons death did people become aware that
his inex plicable withdrawal Of demands which
were about to be conceded to the advantage
of France was solely due to the threats and
commands which had reached him from his
Carbonari associates in Italy. Indeed much
that is otherwise incomprehensible in the
eighteen years reign OF Napoleon, who was a
man of remarkable cleverness, becomes clear
as day when it is pointed out that he was
constantly forced by the Italian Carbonari
to embark upon enterprises and to adopt
measures disadyantageous in every respect TO
France, but calculated to benefit Italy
In Russia the Grand Duke Nicholas Con-
stan ovich, who was banished to Siberia for
stealing his mothers jewels and the sacra-
mental gems of the Imperial chapel at ST.
Peters burg in order to present them to an
American adventures, Mrs. Hattie Black
ford of Philadelphia. was on the point OF
being pardoned and rehabilItated In 1885
when the fact was suddenly brought to lig t
that he was affiliated to the Nihilist society
and that he had actually married
a female nihilist, q daughter of the
postmaster of Tashkend, VINO was one
of the leaders of the movement. The result
was that instead of being set at liberty he was
sentenced to close detenti ton for the remainder
of his life. His father, the immensely clever
Grand Duke Constantine, was likewise impli-
Gated in tho nihilist movement. But that
was during the lifetime Of his chivalrous
brother, Alexander IL The latter on reteiy-
ing from the Chief of Police the documentary
proofs of the guilt of his brother handed them
10 him, and embracing him affec.ionately ex-
claimed, 81 do not believe in them, Cons,an-
tine."
Moreover one should never forget that h ad
1t not been for this secret society, known as
the nthilst, Russia would to-day be epjoyin
the inestimable benefits of full-fledged con.
stitution and of popular form of govern
meut, similar to that of the other civil
lied nations or the world, for the ukase
conferring these concessions upon the people
was already drawn up, had been signed by tne
Chancellor and Ministers, had been sta ped
nal nd nAA,,S