The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-03-21
EMPEROR and
NEPHEW QUARREL
Berlin Is Greatly interested in The
Family spat Between Joseph
and Ferdi.
nand
HOW IT ALL STARTED
AS Usual There is Woman in the
Case and Her Social Standing
Causes, The
Friction
HOW 1T ALL STARTED

lBy Herbert A. White, Berlin Cor
respondent of The United Press
BERLIN, March 20.-A remarkable
quarrel between the aged emperor.
Francis Joseph of Austria. and his
nephew and heir-apparent, the Arch,
Duke Francis Ferdinand, is attractin.
a great deal OF attention in Berlin. 1t
IS not merely local incident concern
ing the comparatively limited circle of
Vienna high society, but an important
political event which in the future
may produce far-reaching consequence
IN its bearing on the rank and posi-
ton which the Arch-Duke's wife will
occupy when he ascends the throne
of the Hapsburgs.
Eleven years ago Arch-Duke Fran
els Ferdinand was married to Count
ess Sofie Shotok, woman of aristo-
cratic birth and ancient lineage but
not OF royal rank and dignity. The
house laws of the Imperial family
OF Austria, like those of nearly every
royal family in Europe require that
every arch-duke and every arch
duchess shall marry none but a prin-
ce or princess of royal blood. Any
violation of this rule involves the loss
OF the rank and privileges of the arch
duke or arch-duchess. and above all.
The remuneration of all possible future
claims to the Austrian throne.
In these circumstances, il may we'll
be imagined what profound consterna-
ton was caused in Austrian court
circles when it became known that
the future emperor was resolved to
marry plain countess, and moreover,
a countess who was extremely poor
and had previously been employed as
discriminating to his cousin, the arch
Duchess Isabella.
Several years went by before Arch
Duke Francis Ferdinand was able to
carry out his matrimonial project. and
then only after he had taken a solemn
oath that he would never claim for his
Wife the privileges of arch-duchess, or
after he assembled the throne, those
OF an empress. and that his sons and
daughters, the issue of this unequal
union, should for ever and ever be eX-
oluded from the succession to the
crown or Austria.
This oath was taken in the private
Roman Catholic chapel attached 10
the Imperial Palace al Vienna in the
presence OF the aged Emperor Fran
els joseph and of nearly all the mem
bers of the imperial family together
with the high officers of the army and
navy and the exalted dignitaries OF
Estate. II was pledge as solemn and
binding as any man could possibly
take
On the following day. Countess Sho
tol1 became the Arch-Dukes wife, and
Isome years later the Emperor Francis
Joseph conferred on her the rank ant
title of Duchess Hohenberg When
this title was conferred on her it was
decreed at the same time that she
should rank before all other subjects
of the Austrian crown with the single
exception of the arch-dukes and arch
duchesses of the imperial family.
The Austrian imperial family con
sists of nearly forty arch-duchesse
and thirty arch-dukes, and all of then
even the very youngest, thus takes
precedence of Duchess Hohenberg
who. In the comparatively near futur.
will be an emperor's vic.
+ 1t is obvious that this condition OF
affairs has frequently exposed the
/ Duchess Hohenberg to petty humilia
lions such as are extremely galline
proud spirit. She has been systemati
cally snubbed and at times even in
suited by those -duchesses Of the
imperial family who resented her mar
riage to their kinsman and her rapid
rise from the rank of countess to the
exalted position of a Duchess.
Last year for the first time sine,
her marriage, the Duchess Hohenbers
attended the annual court ball il
Vienna. On such occasions, the I'm
perial family enters the ball room II
which the other guests have already
assembled. in solemn procession, the
Emperor at the head and all the arch
dukes and arch-duchesses following IL
the order of their particular prece
dence.
AT that ball there was nearly thirty
iarch-dukes and arch-duchesses, ant
they walked in two by two. AT the
extreme end of this procession walk
ed the Duchess Hohenberg, separate
from her husband, who was i'm
mediately behind the Emperor, by the
long file of juvenile arch-dukes ant
arch-duchesses. 1t was not pleasan
experience, and certainly not one tina
she will ever repeat
This year it was arranged that the
4 Duchess Hohenberg should again at
tend the court ball On the eve o
j that function, the Arch-Duke Franci:
Ferdinand had a private audienc'
Il.