The Washington herald., 1912-09-11
Interesting News Gossip Gathered
In EUROPEAN Court Circles

II is an open secret in high oficiai CIR
cles Of the Austro-H Hungarian monarchy
that the heir TO the dual throne. Arch
duke Franz Ferdinand. 10 convinced thai
. terrible war between the European NJ
lions. tn other words. between the mem
bers Of the Dreibund and the Dual Aii'
ance is Inevitable, to settle once and fol
all the ever-cropping-out question Of 30
premacy. The Imperial Hapsburger con
sidsrs the present situation merely a.
armed truce-armed to the very teeth
That this 20, 10 evidenced BY his untirinl
efforts TO raise the efficiency Of the dua
has been appointed by his uncle, the aged
Emperor Franz Josef. SO as to be ready
at moments notice to march ints
battle.
FRANK Ferdinand has a hard time Of II
anyway. He meets opposition at ever,
step ard turn; not always that open op.
position Of the soldier in honorable war
fare. His nearest kin. the archdukes ant
the archduchesses, while obliged to ack.
nowledge his supremacy as their futurt
ruler. are not all friendly toward him
since he married the lady-in-waiting OF
one OF his aunts (morganatically. Of
course), and compelled his ultra-conserv'
ative and proud family to show her that
respect which. as his wife. never should
have been denied her.
Rarely has a princely woman beer
hated more thoroughly than is thii
Duchess Sophie of Hohenburg by the
male and female relatives Of her hus'
band. At this time the hatred has taker
the form Of q military strike against
the heir apparent with the object In
view to persuade the aged emperor that
the unlimited confidence he reposes In
Franz Ferdinand's military skill has
been misplaced. No doubt they will bs
as I take 1t. for anything
that smacks after a lack Of discipline
has no chance to make a hit with the
old ruler, while on the other hand
among the archdukes who, one aftei
another resign their military command
with studied demonstration, there II
not single one whose going would NEAR
K" (royal and imperiaD army.
Just the reverse. those who love Aus
tria and like to see that vast empire
once more at the head of the European
procession, say II quite openly that II
is the very best thing that could have
happened to the x and X" army tc
be rid of men OF doubtful sincerity: OF
drones as II were; of "Frondeurs." who
disgruntled and with q
chip on each shoulder.
As a matter Of course. Germany ID
following these Developments with the
interest they deserve. The syfnpathies
Of the Kaiser as well as Of the Ger
man people are all on the side of the
heir apparent. for Germany understands
that. above all. a ruler must be able to
depend upon his army.
The feudal archdukes and archduch-
esses never have forgiven the Duchess
Of Hohenberg her "unequality'' OF birth.
That. with all due respect to the H.
ustrious Hapsburg scions, is mere
''bosh." There are more and more fe-
male members OF the archhouse Of Haps-
burg wherefor some Of the archduchesses
have been obliged to look for eonsorts
outside OF the reigning houses. From
my personal knowledge alone can name
Z number OF them. The Princesses Salm.
Isenburg. Radziwill. and
Czartoryski all are Hapsburg archduch-
esses by birth. None of these houses,
though august and Of ancient lineage.
are royal" The Czartoryskis especially
are Of a very illustrious family. whose
fame is recorded repeatedly in the his
tory of their native Poland. Nor Is II
The first time that they intermarry with
q reigning house. But according "a
Austrian heraldry they belong to Tow
class OF the aristocracy Gas far as Aus
tria's peerage is concernedD. In fact.
iespite their princely title. they are not
OF as high a standing as the
house of Chotek. OF which the wife Of
The heir apparent is a descendant. In
The light OF these disclosures II would
- LA ~ -
imperial archduchesses Of Austria and
princesses OF Hungary to look down
md frown upon the wife of their future
Emperor.
Silesian society circles are full OF the
latest tidbit concerning the noble house
OF Schafygottsch, whose present head
the Count Hans Karl Won Schaffgottsct
OF Zuelzhoff. near Grottkau. has beer
placed under guardianship as a spend
thrift. The petition was filed by the
countess, his wife. who was a Baroness
Won Fuerstenberg. a daughter of ar
Prussia. But what Mrs. Grundy has
legal step was taken with or withou,
the consent OF the count.
In Silesia especially too great a gen.
erosity in the spending OF ones patri-
mony heretofore has never been locked
upon as a besetting sin among the aris-
tocracy. In Upper Silesia no grand
seigneur would consider il in keeping
with his exalted position to look twice
at a gold piece ere spending il. espe-
cially so among the landed gentry OF
the old school.
The Schaffgottsch case is Of more thar
usual interest. however. because OF tbs
attempt to safeguard a fortune that had
been accumulated In an uncommon man.
ner. The money belonged to the mother
Of the present head of the Schaffgottsch
family. who was Johanna Godulla. the
daughter of a farmer. Upon the land
Of this tiller of the soil ore was found
in such great quantities that It soon
made him the wealthiest mine owner in
the province and his only daughter one
Of the most courted .heiresses in all
SIlesia. King, Friedrich " of Prussia
her under the name Of Grzyc'
xix Won Schomberg Godulla, and soon
after she made what then was con-
sidered a most brilliant "partie" when
she became the wife Of Count Hans Ul-
rich Won Schafgottsch. Strange to re.
late, the former peasant girl fitted her
self to the role OF a grande dame with
so much Chic and grace that authors
made use Of her romantic career in sew.
eral novels. She was, however, very
prudent in the administration Of her in
heritance and so was her late husband
but this trait apparently has not been
to the present Count Hans
Karl, though even he, while a lieutenant
Of the Hussar Guards. showed no dis
position to throw away his patrimony
despite the fact that he served in one
Of the most expensive OF the Prussian
crack regiments.