The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-02
COUNT is
HOSTILE TO AMERICA
BY LA MARaU1sE DE FoNrENoY.

BY LA MARQUISE DE FONTENoY.
OOUNT ADALBERT STERNBERG.
who has just sliced off the left
ear OF Count Joseph Karolyi, at
Marienbad. In a particularly savage
sabre duel, is one OF the most extra
ordinary figures in Austrian life. who
merits some attention in this country.
owing to his pronounced hostility to
everything American. the consequence
of stay OF some months In the United
Safes. He had challenged Count
Joseph Karolyi, who Is a son OF the
former Austrian ambassador in Lon
don, for having in the national legis-
lature at Budapest. spoken disparagtng-
~ of the Austrian army, as compared
with that OF Hungary.
Count Adnlbert Sternberg's cham
pionship OF the Austrian army Is all
the more noteworthy. owing to the
fact that some years ago he was not
only deprived of his commission as an
Austrian cavalry officer on the reserve
list, but was even made the object OF
O general order on the part of the
Minister of War to the effect that he
was incapable OF granting satistac-
ton. namely. that he was to such an
extent either dlshonored or irrcsponsi-
bile. that no one was under the neces-
sty of either challenging him or of
accepting his challenge-in one word.
that he was barred from the so-called
field OF honor" This general order
was issued by direction OF the En-
peror. and it is the only instance within
tho memory of the present generation
of the issue, either in Austria or any
where else in Europe, OF an official
general order such as this. which was
equivalent to sentence of social
ostracism.
/ In the summer OF 1909 this general
order was rescinded and his commits
sion was restored to him: largely due
to the efforts exercised in his behalf
by old Princess Pauline Mettcrntch.
who never made any secret of her be-
lief that the court called upon to in
quire into the charges of questionable.
conduct in connection with u gnmblins
transaction had allowed itself to be
unduly influenced by political prejudice.
and had condemned him unfairly. 1t
was thanks to her that a new court was
convened TO reconsider the matter.
which. dealing with 1t purely on Its
merits. completely cleared him.
The count who is u scion of one OF
the oldest and mos. nlustrious houses
OF Europe. had as one of his seconds
In his most recent duel, Prince Alfred
Liechtenstein, who is n brother in law
OF Archduke Francis Ferdinand: while
his other second was Prince Leopold
Croy, nephew of the Archduchess Isa-
bella. to whom Count Sternberg him.
SELF is likewise related. This furnishes
pretty strong evidence of the fact
thar he has fully recovered. not only
his social status, but also the good will
Of the imperial family. in spite OF his
former violent attacks upon tho latter
in the Austrian Legislature His reck-
lessness OF language there was sonie-
thing altogether phenomenal. and he
was In every sense of the word tho
"enfant terrible" OF the Parliament,
whose utterances were dreaded alike
by friend and foe.
Thus. early in the troubles of the eX-
Crownprinccss of Saxony. he took oc-
caston to champion her cause. openly
declaring that ii she fed from Ores
den TO Geneva. ii was because her posi-
ton a the court of SaXony had been
rendered altogether intolerable. and
that she was about to be consigned TO
a mad-house, by her fatker-in-law W,
King George. The x-crownprincess,
understand. IN the Memoirs which
have just appeared, lays stress on this
fact. proclaimed years ago in Parlia-
ment ty Count Sternberg. namely. that
she was driven to flight from Saxony.
Louise of Coburg, who. it may be re-
called spent years behind the bars of
mad-house. before being pronounced
by the most eminent mental alienists
at Paris. after her escape, to have
never been insane.
On another occasion the count as
sailed the imperial family of Austria
for refraining from settling out or
court the suit brought by Ernest Wall
burg, the natural son OF Archduke
Ernest, and of q woman OF the name
Of Laura Skublitz. and who. after being
reduced to earning his living as a
waiter in third-class restaurants at
Budapest. had fallen into the hands
OF unscrupulous men. who involved
him IN Il fraudulent attempt TO prove
that the archduke had been ecclesiasti-
cally married to his mother. The mar
riage certificate was shown to be i
forgery, but the whole affair, and the
way in which it was managed. caused
very unpleasant scandal which, ac-
cording TO Sternberg. could have been
easily avoided by the making, of some
modest provision for Ernest Wanburg
on still another occasion. he. like the
missing Archduke John published a
pamphlet Df extraordinary violence,
charging the Minister Of War and
the leading generals OF the army. with
Incompetence. senility. and general in
einciency; While there was scarcely a
debate in the lower house OF the nat
ional legislature at Vienna. which he
did not eniiven by an embittered at
tack upon somebody or something.
With all that. he Is extremely gener-
Gus, and 1t Is Just a easy to excite his
sympathies Is 10 arouse his anger lie
is very witty, very amusing. has an
extraordinary fund of anecdote. and
is IN many ways the counterpart OF
Deroulcde in France and of Don
Qu!Note" in Spain.
Mus the faie of he Roar