Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-10-18
AUSTRIA NEARS
NATIONAL CRISIS
Death Of Emperor Will
Precipitate Contest for
Succession.

the empire has looked forward to the
time when Emperor Francis Joseph
shall pass away is rendered more
acute each day by the bulletins issued
from the sick romo OF the aged ruler.
That the old emperor cannot long sur
vive is no longer denied in official cir
cles. In vain does the Austrian who
loves his land, and wishes to see 1t
continue to exist in it's present form,
sing with all his heart:
"Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser!"
A successor competent to rule this
uneasy conglomeration of quarreling
nationalities is not in sight. With ,
Crown Prince Rudolfs death ended the |
life of a man who, although abundantly |
supplied with the frailties of human
ity, was nevertheless loved intensely by |
large portion Of the Austrian and
Hungarian people Had he lived, tenn
perance might have come with mature
years, and it is not impossible that he
might have developed firmness and
strength of character, which. aided by
| the love his subjects bore him, would
have enabled him to dominate and rule
them. BY his however the wages Of
excess had to be paid early, and the
Austro- Hungarian throne was left
without direct successor.
Archduke Francis Ferdinand, nep-
lhew of the emperor, was selected as
the heir-apparent but he was frail,
weakened and ailing, and only after
I1nocr M n
southern climates was his physical
condition such as to warrant the hope
that he would live to rule. But Cupid
ever fond of upsetting royal plans
played one of his roguish pranks with
Francis Ferdinand. The archduke fell
in love with the Countess Sophie Cho-
TEX. who was a maid of honor of the
Crown Princess Stephanie, widow of
the unfortunate Archduke Rudolf.
When the heir to imperial honors was
married to the simple-title woman of
his choice the question as to his. sue
cession to the throne became general.
1t was announced at the time that the
archduke had renowned all rights of
succession for his children, should he
be blessed with any by his morganatic
marriage with the countess. The first
child of the couple was a daughter,
born July "a, 1901. year later a son
was born and the popular discussion
in regard to the succession was then
reneewd.
There are many people in the en-
pre, and particularly in Hungary, who
hold that he could not thus divest his
children of rights derived from royal
birth So far as the archduke himself
is concerned, however, he has never
given any reason to believe that he
will violate the oath regarding his
wife and his children, which he made
at the time of his marriage. The ar
. rangement at the time, It was under
stood was tina Francis Ferdinand
= would be succeeded on the throne, not
? by the male issue of his marriage with
1 the Countess Chotek, but by the eldest
by of his brother Otto, the new 49,
B year-o old Archduke Charles Francis, the
first of the princes of the house OF
h Hapsburg to be brought am eduratct
4 in anything like accordanc. with The
b liberal ideas of today.
4 In order that the young prchlukt
might succeed to the tn zone il would
be necessary for his father, the Arch
: duke Otto to abdicate in his favor
: The latter a man of hue app arence
!. has in recent years eni0yel a ,,e'taiI
I amount of popularity among the leo
\ plea popularity which for man!
years public disgust made impossible
Hair raising tales are told of the ex.
9 cesses INDUCED in by him and his Off
! 4 Ger comrades. Moderation seems Z
! Il have come with years, however, ant
\ 4 Archduke Otto has of late enjoyed ;
tillittle more of honorable public atten
. ltion than he did in the past. There Il
a possibility that ne might assume tn
\ Imperial purple, but the belief is NOR
general that he would waive his right
4 I'm favor of his son.
AS matters now stand the succession
4 to the throne is provided with perfec
. clearness, Francis Ferdinand, Otto anC
Charles Francis coming in the orde
named. But whoever of the thre'
comes to the throne, the outlook fol
y the restoration of peace through his
:. rule is not bright. Neither Francis
t Ferdinand nor Otto has been educated
b as the successful future ruler Of Aus
i tria must need be, and ever young
!. Charles, though Nome attempt has beer
: made to give him liberal education
h has not received the broad training
necessary for the task.
a Such is the outlook for the futur,
n ruler Of Austria. The venerable EN-
: peror who is now believed TO be on hi
II death bed has been responsible fol
many of the troubles that have over
taken his kingdom, but his intentions
have generally been good and his firm