The Washington herald., 1912-09-01
Europe's Grand Old Man.

Europe's Grand Old Man.
Emperor Franz Josef of Austria,
who has entered upon his eighty-third
year, has reigned almost sixty-four years
record time which is only surpassed
by Louis XIV of France. But it is safe
to say that not one of the worlds rul-
ers ever experienced difficulties rivalins
those which beset this venerable mon
arch on his often trembling throne.
Austria-Hungary is nothing but a
piece of ethnographical patchwork. A
number of European nations and sew
eral religions have contributed to per-
feet Franz Josefs realm, and Asia has
added certain powerful ingredients that
help to make the whole mass ferment.
Antipathetic races, divided and subdi-
vided, and antagonistic religions would
appear to defy union The task which
fell to the Emperor in 1913 was to
weld these heterogeneous elements into
semblanoe of a united whole, and to
change a hitherto absolutely despotic
form of government to suit modern
conditions and demands. We know that
he has succeeded. But whether his sue
cess will be lasting or will end with
his life is something which time alone
can disclose.
That his achievement is one of the
most notable ones in modern history is
apparent when it is considered what
troublous times Franz Josef has seen.
At the age of eighteen he received the
crown from the hands of old, defeated,
helpless Emperor Ferdinand. Loyalty to
the house of Hapsburg had almost en-
tirely disappeared. The many-tongued
empire was in revolt from the Tyrol to
the mouth of the Danube. Hungary, Bo-
hernia, the Italian provinces, even the
Germans of 'Ob und Unter der Ems"
and of the archduchies of ''Ober und
Nieder Oestreich" and the "Salzkam-
mergut" and the "Steyermark" had
risen, despite their favored political po-
sition.
In Vienna itself the citizens-the
most determinedly loyal subjects in the
whole world-had fought behind barri-
cades on the Stefansplatz, the Graben,
and the Ringstrassen. Russia had to
send several army corps to crush Hun
gary. then a nameless section of the
Austrian Empire, despite the great
Kossuth's heroism. But the tail proved
too heavy for the kite. After the bat
tie Of Solferino, Austria lost most of
her Italian provinces, and the rest of
them followed as result of the short
but disastrous struggle of 1866.
That fierce war between brothers"
wrecked the then German federation,
put Austria out of Protestant Germany,
and set Prussia on her feet firmly as
the head of a new Germany. Finally,
Hungary had to be given her independ-
ence, the Emperor, as King of the Mag
yars, being the link with Austria.
The aged Emperor-King has lived to
see his country go to war FIVE times.
While he has seen its prestige reduced,
he isifving to see it rise again. His
family life has been desperately tragic
Fate certainly has dealt him its hardest
blows, when his beloved Empress was
foully murdered by an anarchist, and
his only son and heir, Crown Prince
Rudolf, met a violent death, some say
by his own hand, others by that of the
avenging brother of certain young
baroness.
Franz Josef has strong sense of
duty, and the first Emperor William
used to say of him that he could ab-
sorb more work and more rapidly than
any other man he knew Only a man
of iron will could have passed through
the turbulent years he witnessed and
live to tell of it He has been patient
under adversely. He has shown endur-
ance in the face of great difficulties
which have confronted him in his-not
dual. but nultiple-monarchy.
His personality undoubtedly. is the
cornerstone of Austria Hungary, and
he fits. into a place which it will be
very dificult-perfaps impossible-for
his successor to fill Once the strong
arm of dearly beloved though strict
''Franzerl' is still in death, it is well
within the bounds of probability that
the map of Europe NAV be altered.