Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-17

Jogeph's ears. An eStranSement 1olloWea-
But few years ago the old kaiser con
scious of falling powers, reasoned tnat
his heir was in the right. lie hrst IN
trusted him with the military, later WIN
the foreign affairs of the vast empire. II
was a decision of tremendous moment:
On the day it was made Austria ceased
to be d quiescent decadent state, ana
entered upon the active, aggressive pollcy
which has since kept Europe In con-
tinual tension and continual dread.
The archduke's first act was to re-
form the great departments of state.
where ever since the days OF Marie
Therese few great families have held
all the power and emolument. Himself
naughty in manner and autocratic by
instinct. the archduke nevertheless knows
well that blood is no proof of brains. To
the horror of the aristocrats, ne cleared
cut of the ministries OF war and foreign
affairs all Of their bluest blooded and
most incompeter- officials. The emperors
old comrade and tavorite. Won Beck, was
driven from the war Office, and replaced
chief of the staff by a man of no
particular origin. but of fierce energy,
the swearing trooper Conrad Won Hoet-
Zendorf, whose first act was to send
about forty decrepit generals on pensions
to their country estates. From the Aus
tfo-fungarian embassy at St. Petersburg
was brought A.oiS Won Aehrenthal. a
scion of an obscure Jewish banking
family. who Immediately began that ac-
tive foreign policy which was destined
to set Europe in turmoil and nearly
bring about "A first class war. 1t was
AehrenthaFs trenchant reports about the
disorG anization Of Russia. with whose
minister. Izvolsky. he had quarreled. which
commended him tn the archdule. The
ambassador declared roundly that Russia
cor Il
Events were to prove him right.
Nienna's aristocracy stood a"hast at
some of the new appointments. a
scandal arose when the new chief of the
staff recommended the son Of a Galician
merchant for command of a smart
guards regiment on what seemed the
absurd ground that lie was a brilliant
tactician. But the archduke stood by
his nominee and backed his reforms
From bein:, unpopular with the army
the heir became its hero. He would lead
it. so, ii announced. in case of war
Young ambitious officers of talent saw
that they stood to gain from the new
regime. and the old English toast "A
bloody and quick promotion" was
heard for the first time in the mess
rooms of Vienna. 4 project was drawn
up for addir~ a new battalion to every
Austro- hungarian regiment and finally
the archoukc set about the tremendous
task of creating great Austrian fleet
This naval reform WAS the most diff
tcult Of all. Not only is there no naval
sentiment in Austria, but the combined
AuStro Hungarian DELEGATIONS which vote
money for defense are tradit onallv con-
temptuous of the idea Of Austria as a
naval power. This did rot daunt Franz
Ferdinand. With characteristic resDlll-
ton nc set himself the herculean task Of
creating naval Sentinls nj III a vast pom
ulation of farmers and peasants of which
not one in a hundred has ever seen the
SEA.
At his instigation lectures were organ
ICED TO prove that Austria had elori-
Gus naval past Was it not Don John
of Austria. asked the lecturers. who de-
feated the Turks at Lepanto, perhaps the
most decisive naval battle in the history
OF the world? Was il not IN Austrian
admiral. Tegetthoff, who with a tiny
fleet of rotten wooden ships. routed III
1865 the Italian Admiral PerSano n
LISA and put a magnificent navy 81
new built ironclads, then the third in