The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-09-21
HOW THEY BAIT
FRANC JOSEPH
Hungarians Use Statue of Washington to Plague
the Aged Emperor.
-4~.=zsA !. BY CHARLES F. RoBERTs) -.
(BY CHARLES F. ROBERTs.)

Budapest, september D.
One Of the national pastimes Of Hun
gary is to pluck feathers from the tail
of the Raven of Hapsburg-in other
words, TO bedevil the Austrian emperor
and 4 new way to do this same thing
is always hailed in Hungary with more
or less Of malicious glee. The Hun
garians are no lacking in ingenuity,
and they have bounded the house Of
H~apsburg not only with open warfare,
but in a thousand minor ways easily
found in the close political relations Of
the two countries. This month,
though, they nave gone far afeId for u
method, and picked on the immortal
George, the father of his country, he
maker Of American independence, to
serve their ends.
Budapest has erected a statue to
Washington on one of the principal
squares Of the city. What George did
for the United States is strikingIy in
scribed On the base, and the statue IS
facing Vienna. a well known street,
formerly called Vienna street. has
D~N 'f' 80 - 4 NtII l
The whole thing hangs on kossuth,
the hero Of the Hungarian war for in
dependence.
In 1913 Louis KOssuth went TO
America TO plead for the recognition
Of Hungarian. Independence. Hungary
was then fighting Austria, just as
American had fought England. In re-
ply, President Taylor sent Louis Mann
on 4 secret mission to Vienna, with in
StructiOnS 10 get over to Budapest and
recognize the Hungarian nation on the
first good opportunity. This chance
never came, however, for Austria got
Russia to help her, and the Hunga-
rianS were beaten. The cause of Hun
gary was popular in America, and
some Americans got together and
erected Il statue to kOsSUth. Time
' went by, and Hungary always liked
America for what Taylor had been
ready to do.
1t seemed a shame that this thing
should become one of the forgotten
incidents Of history" and the first
movemen. was for a statue to Taylor
in the act Of bonding his instructions
to Mann. 1t was argued, however, that
this incident would AXE too much eX-
planning. and the factions compromis-
ed on Washington. The significance
of the statue, and the fact that ii is
facing Vienna, is lost On no Hunga-
Tidn, and to the visiting American the
thing is eXplained with lavish detail
by every. patriot he meets.
The mayors of all. American cities
have been invited by Budapest to at
tend the unwilling on September 16.
1t is not probable that any will come.
but if he did he would find Budapest
n revelation. \ splendid modern city,
overlooked by the "U~nfnhabited Cas-
tie, the most regal residence in all
Europe.
One day Budapest said to the King:
Sire, why do you never live in this
half Of your realm?'
There is no befitting residence for
me here answered Francis Joseph,
and this answer got into the neWspa-
perS.
It was enough. Hungary subscribed
$4,000, 900. and built and furnished
with nOught but Hungarian material q
castle without a peer, Wonder1ullE
beautiful. dignified, and magnificent,
and furnished and finished with rare
good taste and true royal ~splendor.
Ii is rather of a sore point with Hun-
gary. accounting to a certain extent
for the way the statue of Washington
Is facing. that a Joseph to this
1ay has never lived in this castle for
more than a few days at a time. ana
it is a striking evidence of the pas