The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1907-10-18
THE CRISIS IN AUSTRIA-HUN-
GARY.

The aged Emperor Francis Joseph
born in 1890, is one of the most es-
teemed and respected sovereigns OF
the, world. He has arrived at time
of life when any serious illness is
dangerous, and under his present
sickness he is not showing that re-
Operative power which affords much
hope of his recovery. And the world
is wondering what will happen in the
event of his death.
The emperor's domestic life has
been a continuous tragedy and it is
very probable that personally he
would as soon have the end come now
as later; but his people pray for his
life, because it is his personal influ-
ence which apparently holds the dual
monarchy together. Had his death
occurred a year or two ago, when the
race conflicts produced a deadlock in
the parliaments, probably nothing
could have prevented a violent rup-
ture. Happily there is just now nc
serious acute disagreement and it is
believed that the grand nephew, who
is the heir, will peaceably succeed to
both thrones. What will then follow
will depend mainly on the personal
character of the new emperor-king.
Austria and Hungary form two in
dependent nations, united only for
foreign and military ;ffairs and for
such matters of finance as relate to
those two functions. BY inter-mar-
riages the house of Hapsburg became
the reigning house of both Austria
and Hungary, and that bond can be
broken only by rebellion. There is
no other political bond which cannot
easily be broken by either, for there
is no common taxing power. The
common budget is apportioned be-
tween the two countries as provided
in the agreement, but each nation
levies, collects and transmits to the
common agency its share. The weak
ness of such confederation was
demonstrated in our own case before
the adoption of our present constitu-
ton. Hitherto there has been no
trouble which has not been overcome,
but the fact that there is no common
legislature acting directly upon the
people of both countries makes the
bond between them very weak
There are grave differences of in
terest. Austria is on the upper Dan
ube and its manufacturing and COM
mercial interests predominant. Hun
gary'is a comparatively undeveloped
agricultural country lower down upon
the river. 1t is easy to understand
how grave differences might arise on
economic subjects. The acute diff
ferences which have occurred, how
ever, have been largely racial and
sentimental. Austria is overwhelm-
ingly German. Hungarians are of
mixed stocks, largely Slovenian,
nearly all of remote western Asiatic
origin and greatly differing in all
photographic qualities from the Ger
mans. Out of these fundamental diff
ferences. continual minor differences
are arising, the latest being the at
tempted Germanizing of the joint
army by requiring all words of COM
mand to be in German. That stirred
all Hungary to it's depths and moth
ing but the personal influence of the
emperor-king could, apparently, have
prevented rupture at that time.
Taxes, for time, were levied uncon-
stitutionally, by the authority of the
emperor-king, which probably would
not be endured from any less beloved
On these accounts the
death of Francis Joseph has been
dreaded by all Europe, as it is impos-
sible to foretell what may happen.