The Washington herald., 1911-06-04
THE KING OF sERvIA

L
that British. French. ana Huss3an min
listers had the surprise OF tlelr lives
when they heard the newn that King
Peter actually had been invited to visit
the Hofburg. at Vienna. IN other words,
Frans josef. the most sxciusive and
sristocratic monarch undAr~ the sun,
has asked little King Peter. whom his
enemies call the Crowned scalawag,"
to come ana stay with him . while at
his palace In Vienna.
The little King has grown with
pride. for that Invitation means more
to him than any other invitation before
or since. Il - fahtamount to his re-
Mobilization In the eyes Of the Euro
peAn continent. It means further that
hts only daughter. Princess Helena, will
at last have some place to wear the
pretty gowns which she has ordered
from Paris. Perhaps even II may lead
to her becoming the wife of some petty
German or Austrian prince. since the
uitra-exolusive Emperor King offers her
also his hospitality. For Princess
Helena Is a very charming young lady,
despite her scalawag Of q father.
The humorous side about the whole
thing comes from the servians: they
are furious. and they declare, that their
King shall not visit Vienna. because
Vienna has swallowed beloved Bosnia
Herzegovina. They are supported BY
Prince George. who hates the Austrians
and Hungarians with all the fervor of
his ardent nature. He and his party
declare II IL q shame that Servia should
be on visiting terms with. the very
power that has tried to ruin her.
King Peter does not care for his sons
opinion. but he does care for that Of
Demetrius the archbishop. warn,
patriot and supporter Of Peters dynasty.
who has been the Kings confessor ever
since newell. ever since he came to
the throne-and who has put his foot
down.
It seems that patriotism in 6ervia II of
different brand altogether from that
In use In other countries. The King,
who kept q boarding house in switzer-
land at one stage Of his checkefed ca
reer. is anxious to rehabilitate himself
In the eyes Of Europe. His people,
headed by his son and the archbishop.
cry "Shame,''
The result is q great row In the little
city Of Belgrade. with its attendant DEM
onstrations and professions. The cafes
are noisier ana more crowded than ever.
And poor Princess Helena Is weeping In
the palace. because she fears that after
all there will be no visit to Vienna, and
that her Partisan gowns will hang In
the wardrobes for lack Of q chance to
wear them at Tho famous Hofburg and
to be seen by the feudal set, for which
Vienna has been famous for many CEN
turtles.
Peter may gain in social position II
he persists in travelling to his great good
friend Franz Josef. but he may lose his
rather uneasy crown.
A very curious light is thrown upon
Prussian-Polish relations by the recent
announcement in the North German
Gazette that the request to have the
body Of the late Cardinal Count Ledo-
chowski buried in the cathedral at
Posen has been withdrawn by the petit
tioners. This is all the more remarkable.
as only few days previous that semi
Official organ had announced that the
petition probably would be favorably
considered.
Ledochowski was appointed Archbishop
Of Gnesen and Posen in 1866 on the Under
standing that he would do his utmost to
keep the Polish clergy from interfering In
politics. He Cid not fulfill these expecta-
TONS and a few years after his appoint
ment he became an ardent Ultramontane
and Polish Nationalist. finally by his
hostile attitude compelling Bismarck to
repeal the May laws" Plus TX con-
ferred on him the title Of Archbishop Of
Poland. eliminating the old historic title
Of Archbishop of Gnesen and Posen. q
step which caused great offense In Berlin.
In consequence OF his hostile attitude,
Archbishop Ledochowski was heavily
fined and sentenced to a long term Of
imprisonment, two years Of which he ac-
tually served in the provincial prison at
Ostrowo in the province Of Posen. He
was suspended in 1874 by the Prussian
government. and the Pope, In reply.
created him a cardinal. After his libera.
ton he retired to Rome. where he died.
begging In his will that his heart should
be buried in the cathedral Of Gnesen and
his body in the cathedral at Posen.
The first OF the wishes was fulfilled. the
second was refused by the Prussian gov
ernment. on the ground that the cardinal
did not die In ONCE. but had been sus-
pended from his archdiocese. As Cardinal
Ledochowski Is regarded as a hero and
martyr by his Polish Ncountrymen,
great store has been set on bringing his
body to Posen, and II Is generally un-
derstood that the Kaiser lately has been
inclined TO grant the Poles this favor,
on condition that their leaders under
take to refrain from making his reburial
the occasion for political manifestations
and his tomb place of pilgrimage. !
have had occasion once before to
speak Of the cathedral at Gnesen, a little
city near Posen and former residence
Of the kings OF Poland. For centuries
It has been the habit to preserve the
hearts of the dead archbishops of Gnesen
and Posen in the chapels Of that ancient
cathedral. for the reason that these
church dignitaries were the titulary
'primas OF Poland" Gnesen 10 proud OF
Its fine old cathedral end It's long and
interesting history. To that sanctuary It
was that one OF the German emperors
about the year 1000 had to make q pill
erimase barefooted by order Of the pom
tiff Here is the body Of that martyred
saint Adalbert, who as missionary to the
heather Slavs was killed and into the
eyeballs OF which annually on the feast
Of st. Adalbert eyes of diamond are in.
serted. Here hangs the famous painting
describing the aid given priest by Count
Rudolph Of Hapsburg, the founder Of the
present Austrian dynasty, who dismount.
ed from his steed and forewent the pleas
ure of the chase to enable the ines.
senger Of God" who was on his way to
q dying man, to give him the last sAcra-
ment
:, II our many American tourists but had
any idea Of what that ancient cathedral
AT 0nesen covers, the influx would Be
great, but the town Is out OF the beaten
path In the northeastern section Of the
German empire and OF course OF mora