The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-05-10
mark e. we'll a. that Of the grand
dutchy of Oldsnburg. i.
Royaltleg Have PriyileRes.

pOAA00 " oRHC0A ID WAk0C0o0D ia C0UI =
and ii judges want to get evidence
from them they must 60 to the palace
and get It. The advantage is that ii
dragged into q law suit they are ex-
empt from cross-examination by rude
lawyers with faint respect for rank
and birth. and are also spared the Or
deal Of coming into open court ct all.
These and many analogous privileges
have always in the past been regarded
as the Schelswig- -Holsteins' due.
Then came the shock. A court of
law in the province of schleswig-Hol-
stein-now Q province Of Prussia-
summoned the duke to give evidence
in an important case in which he was
interested. Thereupon he wrote to the
judges and told them IL they wanted
his evidence they must come and get
it. Anyhow he could not be bothered
attending on them.
In effect this constituted claim to
the privileges Of royalty. The Judges
considered the matter and came to the
decision that Duke Ernest does not
belong to the royal house. OF course,
what applies to him applies equally to
lib 6lSLSI s.. 0uu ulb 6l6SCI . SAAAA OAs
1t so happens that there exists in
Germany, and, indeed. in every other
b. ',ntry in Europe except England
80. Belgium, what is known as the
No.. # equality of birth, by which
it nex led that member Of no
royal eay marry anyone but a
member 6ther royal family.
If he or sASF does 80 the partner of
that union is only morganatic part
ner-that is to say, though the church
recognizes the marriage, it is Official
ly treated as II there had been no
marriage whatever.
Thus, If Duke Ernest Gunther Of
Schleswig- -Holstein is not royal, neith-
er is his sister. who has hitherto been
recognized as kaiserin, and neither
are her children, who have conse-
Quently no title whatever to sit on
the throne Of Germany.
Duke Lodges Appeal
Duke Ernest lodged an appeal from
the decision of the court which denied
his claims to royalty. He will keep
on appealing as long a. there are any
higher courts to appeal to or until
he gets a reversal Of the present de-
cision. This will take years, how
ever, and German lawyers who have
looked thoroughly into the matter ex-
press the opinion that If subsequent
rulings are all honestly rendered, the
final result will be against the duke.
Then, unless other steps are taken
to protect the kaiserin's interests and
those of her sons and daughters, she
will at once drop to the rank Of NOR
ganatic wife and her children to the
rank Of fnorganatic children. = 49,
The crown prince would be merely
Duke William Of schleswig-Hol
His wife, who only married him that
she might one day become kaiserin,
would see all her ambitions blasted.
Just so with the rest Of the family.
The Princess Victoria Louise, for in
stance, instead of becoming Queen of
Portugal, as she hopes to do. could
never hope for anything better than
q match with an ordinary nobleman.
All the other children would tumble
from first to fifth Importance.
Oh. the complications would be
endless.
What Will The Kaiser Dot
All Germany wants to know what
the kaiser is going to do about 1t.
Wilhelm is in a dilemma. II the de-
cision stands, his children will lose
their birthright, and his wife will sink
to position Of insigniffcance. On the
other hand, he has always been one
Of the strictest sticklers in Europe for
the Observance Of court etiquette, and
strenuous upholder Of the statute
Of equality of birth.
Just the same. for the mere sake
Of consistency, no one thinks the kais-
er is the man to see his wife and
children suffer and himself placed in
a position of embarrassment.
OF course. for one thing, the Schles-
wig-Holstein decision may not stand
Duke Ernest will fight hard; he will
have strong backing and there might
be such thing as little judicial
sleight-of-hand practiced in the i'm
perial interest in q case Of such vital
Importance.
But IL the decision cannot be knock
ed out and knocked out promptly, 1t
is said to be W1lhelm's intention to
have the statute Of equality Of birth
repealed. SO far as Germany is con-
cerned, and to make the appeal suf-
ficiently Retrospective to cover his
wife's case.
The kaiser is said to feel very Bit
terly toward Duke Ernest Gunther.
though what the latter did was a per-
fectly natural thing for German
who really did suppose royal blood
flowed in his veins. Certainly the
kaiser would have done It.
JOKERS JAILED