The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-05-14
-nr "a MAno Use DIE roNrENoY.

I ~ e ~
/ TT ING FERDINAND of Bulgaria has
| x NJ length achieved one OF the
III great objects OF his life. namely,
! possession of the Order of \thc
Golden Fleece. which had until now
been withheld from him. although
GRANTED long ago to his elder brother.
| Prince, Phil!p OF Coburg. Ferdinand
was of the opinion that he ought to
have this order from the Emperor OF
Austria many years ere this, and has
frequently complained that 1t would
| have been accorded to. him if he had
remained doing nothing at Vienna az
mere prIncelet OF Sake Coburg, re-
stricting his activities TO ORTHODOXY.
| (Which was his special hobby.) and to
visiting The theatres. Instead. Or cvolv-
Ing order out Of chaos al sofia, and de-
voting near a quarter Of a century OF
! Ills life to The building M Of Bulgaria,
| from n mere vassal Ottoman state. into
n powerful independent kingdom
The Car had bestowed upon him the
| order OF ST. Andrew He had received
the order of the Annunclatibn from
IItaly or the Black Eagle from the
| Kaiser and the order OF the Elephant
from Denmark all OF them more or
hess tho. equivalent OF the Golden
Fleece in Austria and Spain, and OF the
order OF the Garter in England But in
1 the case Of tho Austrian Golden
7 Fleece It's rules require active mem-
hership OF the Roman Catholic Church.
and obedience thereto. and Ferdinand
had placed himself beyond It's pale
By causing his eldest son TO be con-
verified, as a mere child. from Roman
Catholicism 10 membership OF Tho
| Orthodox Greek RITE, that Is 10 say. tho
| national denomination OF Bulgaria, In
defiance OF his solemn pledges. not:
! alone 10 the church on the occasion OF
his marriage. and 10 the parents OF his
| first wife. but also TO the iItc Fope Len
=NilT
Then. too. Ferdinand IS an obiect Of
! heir apparent, Archdukc Francis Ferdi-
nand who, when he met him at the
obsequcs of King Edward. declined
his presence in any way whatsoever;
on the ground that prince who had
broken Ills word so many times was
unit FOR intercourse with men OF
! II Emperor Francis Joseph has final
! ~ Welded TO the solicitations OF Fcrdi-
nand and has bestowed upon him the
Order of the Golden Fleece, ii is solely
| and entirely for politica reasons. since.
With Servia so openly and provoking
~ hostile 10 everything Austrian. 1t is
| matter OIL COnSlueT2Dlc Importance III
connection with the critical situa tioff
| In the Balkans that Bnlgara's good
! VII! should be retained by Austria.
King Ferdinand lie now making a
dead set. so hear. at King George.
/ for the Order OF the Garter, and 1T is
with this object in view that he has
Invited himself 10 the coronatio in
! London next month. An attempt was
made TO head him off by an intima tlon
! TO the effect that foreign sovcreigns
were not expected, bat merely heirs
apparent, since IL was contrary to cti-
| Guct,e that any foreign so"ereisns,
| save those closely related to Nhe reign
| Ing family, should be present at the
ceremony, TO deiract. attention and Inn
! portancc from the principal figures of
| the pageant, namely the King and
| Queen Of England. To This he replied
that he was not coming as King 81
| Bulgaria. bmt as near and dear re-
| lative, which he is certainly not, since
his cpusinship TO tlia IinElisl, royal
! family, both on the fathers and moth
| cr's side. Is quite remote. Moreover.
al the ohsequies, of King Edward he
/ conducted himself in such Il way as
| TO give much offense TO the royal FAINT
lly and to the English oficials brought
! into contact with him. Having re-
cclved already the Order OF the Bath.