The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-01

Kaiser's guest at the manoeuvres in Asace. and the German ruler has ale ready officially promised to return the visit in a few weeks time, when he will be the guest of the future Aus triRn ruler on one of his estates at a shooting party. This friendly attitude of Franz Ferdinand to the Emperor Wilhelm stands out in sharp contrast to the stiffness displayed by him to- wards England. The Archduke repre- sents in temperament the old tradition al reactionary spirit of Austria, and Is deeply hostile to the spirit and con- dftions of democracy.
 His Hand in Politics.
 All the men now at the head of Aus trian affairs and of the common affairs of Austrian Hungary havesbeen chosen in deference to the desires of the Arch duke. But in Hungary the people are too strong for such oompulsion. and politicians of all parties there see al- ready in the personality of the Arch duke an approaching menace to their liberties and constitutional rights.
 In Austria the Prime Minister, Baron Beck, has been selected by Franz Fer dinand himself, and Baron von Aehren- thai Is the Archduke's own mouthpiece. The Archduke particularly named him to the Emperor as Count Goluchowskfs successor, and he was called away from the Austrian Empassy in St. Peters burg to become the head of Austrc- Hungarian foreign politics. Ever since Baron von Aehrentha1 has been at the head of affairs Austria has changed her policy of tact and peacefulnes to one of marked aggressiveness.
 Baron Alois Mexa von Aehrenthal hardly looks a diplomatist or a states man. His appearance suggests rather 8 university professor more interested in theoretical and abstruse problems than in practical affairs of State. He has a worrying defeat of the eyes, and the spectacles which he wears whom at work In his sanctum st the BaIlhaus- platz. added to his cautions, slow man. ner, his suave tone of Voice-these all accentuate his profassoniai appearance. His most striking features are 6 high arched forehead and mobile lips. Baron Aehrenthal Is a descendant of an old German family which has been resident in Bohemia for several cen turtles. His father. in the seventies, took a leading part in Austrian polt- tics. and was for many years member of Parliament and a representative of the Bohemian Grossgrundbesttz. He was instrumental at one time in pre-
 venting the disruption of the Liberal l element of that party.
 The Master Diplomat.
 Baron Aehrenthal. who completed his studies at Prague and Bonn. began his diplomatic career in Paris iu 1877. Unlike hts father. Baron Aehrenthal Is neither liberal in his religious nor his political views. It Is. in fact, owing to his strong reactionary tendencies and to his aristocratic-even autocrattc Ideas that he first attracted the at- tention of Count KaInoky, the dis | tinguished statesman.
 Count Kalnoky had been Ambassador in St. Petersburg. He had several im- portant meetings with Bismarck, and l worked who1e-heartedIy towards the alliance between Germany and Austria. In this alliance Italy joined later. and | it was renewed in 1891, after the fall | of the Iron Chancellor. But Count
 Kalnoky's policy was not limited to the l exfgenctss of Che Triple Alliance. and 1 the interests Of the Dual Monarchy in
 the Balkans were probably his chiei
 care.
 Count Kalnoky- was an excellent judge of men. He appreciated the dip. l loniatic anllities of Baron Aehrenthal
 and having recalled him in 1888 from 1 St. Petersburg he gave him a promt'
 nent place at the Foreign oftice. Tn
 his new position Baron Aehrenthal soon became the confidant and friend of Count Kalnohy. who, before his | death, entrusted him with the care of | his State correspondence, private dOcu- ments, and memoirs. This literary | and political legacy has never been
 published. but is 1t known to include an exhaustive Memorandum" on Aus
 tria- -Hungary's political future.
 Kalnoky was by no means so devoid of political ambitions as many have l supposed, for he may be regarded as
 originator of the ambitious plan for extending the dominion of the Haps' burg through the Balkans to Salon!ca 1 In St. Petersburg Baron Ael1renthal be- l came almost a Russian, and was per | sona Rratissima with the Imperial | family. It was due to his tnfuence lthat the very indifferent relations | which had existed between the Courts | of Vienna and St. Petersburg became
 more friendly. Owing to his influence
 also the traditional rivalry between the
 two countries in regard to the Balkans
 gave way to the well-knovre under standing of Murzsteg.
 | Baron Aehrenthal became Minister l for Foreign Affairs after the resigna-
 tion of Count Goluchowski. Both that resignation and Baron Aehrenthars ap-
 pointment caused great surprise in
 political diplomatic circles. Why should the Austrian Ambassador to
 Russia have been selected as the suc-
 cessor of Count Goluchowski in pre- ference to other diplomatfsts and poll ticians of equal. If not superior, abil- | Ity? -
 The answer is clear Baron Aehren- l n iH r.
 lv defined foreign policy. He was the
 man to carry out Count Kalnoky | great scheme in the Balkans. Those | knew the baron expected important de- veIopments in the Near East from the
 very day of his appointment. Europe
 knows today what those developments are.
 ELECTION OF HAAKON.