The Washington herald., 1911-07-06

Ever since the quarrel between EN-
peror Franz Josef OF Austria and his
nephew, the heir apparent to the throne
of the dual monarchy. Archduke Franz
Ferdinand, as a result of which the
young Archduke Karl Franz Josef, heir
presumpttve to the throne, was sent to
King George. there has been but little
peace among the Hapsburg family, the
members being, as 1t were, divided into
two distinct and hostile camps.
When to this Is added that Archduke
Franz FERDINAND mas outwitted a number
OF archduchesses, who had scheme OF
their own to capture the throne at the
eni OF his reign, the situation in intimate
circles Of the Vienna Hoffburg readily
can be surmised. This Is the story:
The ultra-feudal archduchesses were
under the impression that they had 1t all
arranged to announce on the next birth
Josef, on August IS, the betrothal of his
granddaughter, Karl Franz Josef, the
aforementioned heir presumptive after
Franz Ferdinand. and his granddaughter,
Archduchess Ella CFrances Elizabeth).
This. the family had calculated, would
forestall any effort that might be made
by Franz Ferdinand when he ascends the
throne. upon the demise OF the present
Emperor, to secure the succession for the
sons of his morganatic wife, the Duchess
OF Hohenberg. 1t is true that upon mar
rying the (then) Hungarian Countess So
phia Chotek he 'renounced the right of
succession for any offspring of this
union; but. as I have had occasion to
point out in former letters, there are
strong indications that he may have
what is more, that his design has the
support of at least one powerful mon
arch, the German Kaiser.
The present family feud has been en-
bittered by the report that young Karl
Franz Josef has been betrothed to
Princess Zita OF Parma, and it Is signifi-
cant to learn that the mother of the
princess is Franz Ferdinand's aunt:
wherefore it may be taken for granted
that this unexpected quid pro quo means
nothing less than another victory for the
morganatic wife of the heir of Austria.
Ever since, eleven years ago. Franz
Ferdinand declared that he was deter
mined TO wed Countess Chotek, his NOR
ganatic wife has had one persistent en-
emy among the members OF the Haps-
burg family. In those days he had been
often a visitor at the home of Arch
duchess Isabella, the wife OF his cousin,
Archduke Frederick. In fact, II had
been the general impression that he
would marry one of her daughters. But
it developed that all the time he was a
guest in that home he was courting one
Of the ladies in waiting (his present wife),
and II would not have been in human
nature II the disappointed mother OF
seven girls had continued friendly rela-
tions after such a mesalliance. AS a mat
ter OF fact, no sooner had the archduchess
discovered the liaison than she turned
Countess Chotek out of her house with
out much ado.
As Franz Ferdinand had renounced all
rights OF his offspring to the Austrian
succession, there was no active war
against the morganatic wife right after
the marriage. The couple lived in abso-
Lutte retirement with their growing
family. The archduchesses believed that
a woman whose ambition had so far
helped her, a simple countess, aged
thirty-two, to marry the heir to the
throne of Austria and acquire the rank
Of princess, would all her life be con-