The Washington herald., 1911-06-13
THE HEIR TO THE
AUSTRIAN THRONE

II lHe journalists VINO trdnSIilll cdplt
news would confine themselves to con
veying the strict news. without any
coloring or without adding their per
sonal comments, which in nine cases out
OF ten are mere guesswork, the Ameri'
can public would appreciate 1t much
more. They should follow the example
set them by news editors. This has
been demonstrated once more in the case
OF the refusal of the heir to the Aus
trian throne to GO to the coronation as
representative of Emperor Franz josef
ewing to an apprehension that his mor-
ganatic) spouse would be sighted"
l am In position to know that there
is not word of truth in that asser-
ton. Archduke Franz Ferdinand, by
suggestion of the cabinet, after accept
ing the special Enthusiastically to which
the aged Kaiser had appointed him as
the highest dignitary of the dual mon-
archy next to the ruler, has deemed II
wise not to go, owing to the illness of
the monarch, who is far advanced in
years, and whose health is rapidly fall
ing at his quiet retreat of Goedoelloe,
that exceptionally beautiful and restful
beth in Hungary, which had been her
tavorite abode in the summer, and to
which The doubly bereaved Franz Josef
is very much attached. Two other arch
dukes are to represent Austria at the
London festivities, namely, Frederick,
the uncle of the King of Spain, and
Karl Franz, the nephew of the heir to
the crown and the alleged heir presump-
tive. But thereby hangs the tale which
am about TO chronicle
Is Karl Franz the heir presumptive? ?
1t Is true, Franz Ferdinand married out
Of the royal ranks, when he made Coun-
tess Chotek his wife, who was created
Duchess of Hohenberg by Emperor
Franz Josef. after Franz Ferdinand had
renounced all rights to the succession for
his issue by the countess. OF course he
had to do so or to give up the woman
he loved, as otherwise the Emperor never
would have given his consent to that
union. All that was years ago. At the
time there was only a remote chance
that Franz Ferdinand ever would be
called to the throne. But things have
changed very much since those days.
1t is understood in certain circles. es-
peciaIly in Hungary, that once upon the
throne. Franz Ferdinand will do as he
pleases. especially as the ''pragmatic"
act, while not acknowledged in Austria
proper. makes the wife of the heir to
the throne, no matter what her birth,
'ee-heiress of the Hungarian throne from
the very fact that she is the heirs
acknowledged spouse. Besides Countess
Chotek is OF the best Hungarian blood
the daughter of n Magyar of the highest
rank.
1t is true there have been humilIations
for the morganatic wife of the archduke
The strict etiquette of the Hofburg the
strictest in all Europe, forced her to
enter alone to the imperial circle at the
rear OF all the archducal scions. Neither
she nor her husband believe IT is proper
that the wife OF the prince, who is to
be emperor. should fall in behind -
This has lead to tacit understanding
that Franz Ferdinand never attends any
function where his wife may not be
by his side. This as weII as the per-
sonality of the heir to the throne who
has given the Austrians the novel exper-
ience of being a HapsDurg who cares
little for preCedents or mere family COM
pacts, leads the progressive ranks in the
once Franz Ferdinand is emperor.
1t is not among the impossibilities that
the free and easy Viennese, who care
little for the lordiness of all the arch
ducaI folk and their antiquated Spanish
etiquette. may be treated to the comedy
Of a queen acknowledged in one part OF
the empire and ignored in the other
For, according to the Austrian law Of
succession, when Franz Ferdinand sue
Gaa wifi
be plain Duchess of Hohenberg in Vienna.
while in Hungary she will be enthroned
as queen cOnsort.
The reserve Of the husband and wife,
their persistent refusal to take part in
ceremonies where the court insists in
drawing the line, convinces the progress
sive sympathizers of the royal couple
that when the time arrives Franz Ferdi-
nand will crumple up parchments barring
his wife as he crumpled the treaty OF
Berlin, Bsmarck's great handiwork,
wherein the great powers guaranteed the
semi-independence of Bosnia and Herze-
govina. The amazing backbone shown
by Count Aehrenthal, the Austrian for
eign minister, who deliberately defed
Russia to move to the rescue OF the
Bosnians and Herzegovinians, it is now
understood in the cabinets of Europe,
was infused into him by Franz Ferdi-
nand, who had mapped out all the pro-
ceedings in advance. Another thing
which gives plenty of room for specula-
tion is that when the Austrian heir
visited Berlin just before the coup
against the two Balkan dukedoms, he, for
once, took his wife with him, who was
received by Kaiser Wilhelm, not as a
morganatic spouse. but as the duly we'd
ded and acknowledged consort Of the fu-
ture ruler of Austria.
1t was under the influence of that visit
that Franz Ferdinand made up his mind
TO give Europe a glimpse of what might
be expected when he once takes the
helm in Austria Hungary. And he GER
tainly came out ahead, perhaps by the
advice and with the aid of the Kaiser,
who, though Germany was one of the
signatories of that famous treaty, which
congregated in the German capital such
men as Gortschakoff, Disraeli, and Bis
marck, undoubtedly stood by his friend
in settling that near-Eastern question FOR
once and all, and quite peremptorily.
Great Britain made an indignant protest;
Russia began to mobilize her armies;
France implored Austria to respect the
treaty of Berlin, but the Kaiser declared
himself as adverse to the recognition of
that antiIuated document, (which had
outlived its usefulness"
Copyright. 1911, by Court Gossip syndicate.)
WARM WEATHER HINTS.