New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-29
A DESIRABLE DUCHY.
PICTURESQUE AND INTERESTING FEAT
URES OF LUXEMBOURG
DYING DYNASTY
From The Pail Mall Gazette.


ness or the reigning Grand duke AdOIphuS Duke
oI Nassau and Count Palatine of the Rhine and
~ ms only son and last heir. the Grand duke
william, a scarcely fictitious importance has
just been given-is probably the most interest -
ing as certainly it is one which must some day
exercise particular influence upon the future
OF Western Europe.
The reasons for this are TO be soupht IN rho
geographical and strategical position OF the
little Grand-duchy, the peculiar circumstances
under which the candle OF its dynasty is gutter
lng GOWN ana ilickering TO an end and the keen
rivalry FOR its possession existing between Prlls-
STA and France
The travelling Eneishman. as a rule secs
little OF Luxem burg. He passes through IL from
frontier to frontier by the Basic express In
something under an hour: remembering ID dis
agreeably going and returning Qf his journey
De by nighO, for the fact that he is turned out
at Bettingen or Sterpench for a pcrfunctory
but protracted examination Of baggage by Ger
man or Belgian customs officers. If he travel
by day his annoyance will take the shape u
discovering that Middle European time obtains
al the railway stations in the state and that
MS watch Is consequently An hour out durin e
his transit across the duchy
n few adventurous Eugiishmen OF the walk
ing-t0urist type make Luxembourg a hating
place, end are rewarded in 80 doing. for more
interesting or picturesque tract Of country Ger
fanny does not lie within 50 few hours Of Char
ing Cross. There is boar-hunting in the forests
toward Belgium, and trout fishing in the river
flowing by Ettelbruck Dekirch and Wasser-
bilig TO the MOselle There vineyards in
AI' FdHf. OF the sure, anu iOfE, NlnQInH. we'll
surfaced roads lined with plum and pear and
apple trees. right through the land For those
who are piOus there IL N0tre Dame de I-uxem-
burg In her little cathedral in the place Of the
capital: or the curious Whitsuntide procession
at Echternach. in honor Of st. Bonilace and 81.
WilibrOd. who brought Christianity from Eng
land to these aforested parts in extremely re
mote times. There rs the little hamlet of Engie-
dOrf. on the right bank Of the Sure. where the
people ere akin to those of own East Anglia
and have quite striking number Of English
words. differing totally from their German
equivalents. in their vocabulary They are 10
caly reputed to ne descendants of a colony OF
Angles planted here by Charlemagne. and their
physiognomy IL Of a decidedly English charac-
ter.
Luxembourg is situated at the point where
three empires meet" or at any rate whore the
German Empire joins its borders to those Of the
Kingdom Of Belgium and the Republic of Frame
This it is together with the CONFORMATION OF the
immediate country, that gives II so great q
strategic importance. an Importance long
enough recognized the vast extent OF the
now disappearing Notifications by whose means
Vauban protected the capital bears testimony.
Under the Treaty Of London the neutrality Of
Luxembourg was guaranteed by the Powers, a
condition being made that its fortiiications
should be forthwith dsmanted. SO vast
their extent, however, and so well had they been
builded and dgged, that thirty years Of demoli
ton seems to have made a quite insignificant
impression upon their proportions. But all
round Luxembourg there is a chain OF natural
fortitcations much capable Of defence
under modern conditions OF war than NduDans
elaborate works. The provisions Of the Treaty
OF London respected in 1870 will hardly serve
TO secure Luxembourg immunity from invasion
in the event Of another conflict between France
and Germany. Both Powers have long since
set their eyes upon little Luxembourg as the key
TO the possession OF the present frontier whether
for defence or invasion. The LuxemburgeoH
know this. and have watched apprehensively for
the last decade the close and more close APP
proach of Prussian and French garrisons 10
their city. The latter little further away
than the former; but, on the other hand, the
eyrnpathies OF the Grand-duchy are French
ather than Prussian. In the Seven Weeks War
Luxembourg drew q tardy and mpotent SWORD
for Austria, and escaped lightly with her neu-
tralty and the placing OF herself WITHIN inc Ger.
man Iollverein. Although your lnhapltant o,
the Grand -duchy speaks a singular COMPOUND
tongue I'm which. perhaps. every other WORD -
German and the intermediate only French "hiie
using a French verb and placing II, according 10
the German plan, at the end OF inc ssntei' 't
his own patriotic sentiment l., We VIII i''e'
b. Prussians."
sincc 1915 and by confirmation under ne
Treaty Of London. the King OF the Netherlands
was Sovereign Of Luxembourg. Upon ms death
in 1890 the operation OF the Sale law gave the
crown to the present Herzog. Alphonse. no" =
potentatc Of eIghty-One the solitary voluntary
a absentee monarch Of Europe since % almost
always resides in Bavaria. Many OF the Younger
generation OF Lux mbourgeOis have never set
eyes on him. But the Grand-duke AlphohSt h%9
only one son the hereditary Grand-dukc liz
lam and alas. the latter has but daush
SO the death OF both these princes VIII brhg
the House OF Nassau to an end, and promises TO
make their item Of territory the bore oil huro-
mean contention. France sees IN ITS acpCis'-'ou
at once a partial compensation for ne loss ol
Alsace-I Lorraine and an advantageous weapon
for use in the recovery OF the long-iailrUirI
Rhineland Prussia. TOO appreciates this most
clearly Holland will probably advance cam
TO sovereignty while Belgium viii doubtless
claim as she perfectly we'll might thc rye
as geographically her own. To the
great Powers the strategic value Of the Country
TO the smaller it's forests, orchards and vine
wards are the attraction. and the makings % d
very pretty quarrel lie In the extinction o.. IN"
JIonss Of Nassau The question is likely 70 he
complicated by considerations OF alliance since