Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1900-1903, 1902-11-13
TIE AUSTRIAN SUCCESSION.
Francis Ferdinand May Abdi-
cate In Favor OF Nephew.

The Youngster is Only Is Years Olq
| and Great Care is Taken in Educat-
ing Him for His New Position-The
Present Emperor Was is When He
Assembled the Throne.
Dresden, Saxony, Nov la letter
received here from Vienna gives some
interesting gossip about the Austrian
succession. In spite OF official denials
/ it is not impossible that there IS some
truth in the story recently published.
by the Neue Budapester AbendbIatt
of the alleged intended abdication Of
the heir presumptiye to the Austrian
throne, the archduke Francis Ferdi-
nand, in favor of his nephew the Is
year old archduke Charles Francis
There is no question that the young
prince has for couple of years past
attracted greatly enhanced interest
| IN Austria-Hungary and that unusual
care is now being bestowed upon his
education, in view of his proximity to
the throne. A few years ago when
Francis Ferdinand's health was very
Indifferent his younger brother, Otto,
the father of Charles Francis, was for
time informally put forward as the
/ immediate successor of Emperor
Francis Joseph. Subsequently it was
rumored that Otto had expressed his
readiness to surrender his rights to
/ his son, an exceptionally handsome
/ boy, whose bright, intelligent looks
and self-confident, good humored ex-
preston have already done much to-
endear him to the Vienese.
i a;
| terests of the dynasty, not only the
reigning sovereign but other members
fof the imperial house exercise con-
siderable influence on such important
decisions as those concerning the sue
Icession to the throne, and it is only
a man of very strong will who can
resist the urgent representations of
family council of the imperial house
| At present the succession to the
throne is provided for with perfect
clearness. Archduke Francis Ferdi-
nand a nephew Of the emperor, stands
nnxt in order. and as he has formally
renornced all claims to the succession
an hebalf of the issue of his morgan
| i+ic Maria ge with the Countess SOPHIE
! ,r,botacly now Princess Hohenbefg, ne
| would be succeeded by his brothef,
OCJO.& UulGSS Liz
in favor of his son.
Tbs strong attitude taken by Fran.
ois Tardinand on certain political ana
national questions has, it is feared,
nlaead him in conflict with Important
elements Of the population OF the mon
archy His clerical and antl-GefmaI
tendencies do not please the bulk OF
tbn Germans in Austria and his clerl-
cal views are equally distasteful to the
liberal magyars in Hungary. In these
circumstances, and remembering tnat
| the emperor still enjoys robust heaitn
ana NAV be expected to live several
| wears it is conceivable that an eHorI
NAV be made to induce the heir pre-
! sumptive to surrender his rights TO MS
nephew.
The present emperor ascended the
| throne at the age Of 1S. in virtue OF the
| abdication Of his uncle. Emperor Fer
| dinand. and similar renunciation on the
nary of his own father, Archduke Fran
els Charles. The imperial family was
/ convinced at that time that an ener-
getie ruler was essential and that the
inexnerience Of the youth of u was
| smaller disadvantage than the less Wig
onous initiative Of man advanced IN
1 years.
4 NuIIS ETduClS ESIlIlIIdAut 10 Sill IL
the prime Of life. there is some appre-
hension that the position he has
adopted may seriously increase the
difficulties. of a sufficiently embarrass-
ing situation. Furthermore. the want
of confidence felt in mis- clerical adj
visers is calculated to excite suspicion
as to the possibility Of his being in
duced by powerful ecclesiastical fac
tors to embark on courses which might
imneril the stability of the monarchy.
While these considerations might
lead the members Of the imperial fam
/ ilV to wish for another successor to the
throne less compromised by his public
expression of views and more popular
with all his future subjects, it does not
at all follow that their counsels would
prevail with the archduke. He is a
man of quite exceptional Importance
of character. whose iron determination
has before broken down very powerful
opposition to his own views. The am
4 bitinn attributed to his clever wife,
who is enthusiastically devoted to the
clerical cause, would seem to confirm
rather than weaken his resistance to
4 any such proposition.
L