The Washington herald., 1912-11-10


Regent Lditpold. Prince Hsorss Of Bava-
ria and heir presumptise to the thfons
Of that kingdom. has ssparatsd from his
young wife. who II "a. aSnhAuehaa8 e
Austria and grandchild OF ths aged EN-
peror Frans Josef. or whether the domss-
dc differences Of the pair have been
patched up by command OF the vensr>
able head Of the imperial house Of Haps-
burg. to whom the princes father and
next regent (or King. II mad King Otto
should die) journsyed in his effort to
avert the calamity and scandal. does not
appear from the Vienna or Munich court
or society reports. The archduchees
seems determined not to return to the
beautiful Bavarian capital. the court lie
of which she calls .inexpresslbly dull"
(No wonder. after youth spent at gay.
dear. romantic, light-hearted Vienna and
its attnactions)
But IL this is a ''calAmity'' II, ID - yet
. good ways OF. For between, Prince
his fsthef. the heir apparent. and this
prince; himself q sexnagenarian. win not
become regent or ruler until his father.
the aforementioned senile Luitpold, the
present prince regent who has ruled over
classic Bavaria twoscore years, ever &nce
his nephew, King Ludwig II. committed
suicide. goes to his last accounts.
Prince Regent Luitpold's death 10
rapidly failing. Il IT, almost impossible
to rouse him from his constant drowsi-
ness. a feat that for long time has
been accomplished successfully by the
lacQueys and servants deliberately drop
ping breakable dishes upon the floor in
order to make a great noise. The Of
icial nondescript bulletins to the con-
trary Notwithstanding. the death Of the
aged ruler 10 Imminent.
And this certainty once more reopens
the question Of putting an end alto
sether to the regency. The cabinet and
leading crown dignitaries are urging the
proclaiming Of the sixty-year-old heir
apparent Prince Ludwig. not regent. but
sovereign. on the death Of his father.
the prince regent. and Of deposing Ot-
to, the King. who has been insane and
in durance for many years. having been
pronounced incurable as far back as the
time when his brother, King Ludwig II.
was on the throne. -r
1t is sad fate indeed. that has over
taken the House Of Wittelsbach.
e The aforementioned King Ludwig. in
1888. became a victim Of dementia that
finally led to suicide in a mountain lake,
his insanity being the result Of his over
fondness for music. especially Wagner
ian operatic music. He spent millions
for the erection of veritable palaces in
sut-of-the-way mountain glens. where
he would listen to the performance Of
itary grandeur.
Another NJ hia Ynany vyhins Was tho
creation in an upper story of his palace
at his capital, Munich, OF a garden with
an artificial lake and live swans for the
sole purpose Of having a tenor imper-
sonating Lohengrin, sing q real swan
song. OF course such ''doinGs' could not
be permitted to go on. The Inflated King
was placed under restraint, and one
morning while walking with his physi-
clan on the shore OF Lake Staremberg.
he jumped into the water. dragging his
companion, who tried to save him. with
him to the bottom. His brother and sue
cessor, King Otto, at that time already
a pronounced maniac and often violent.
their Uncle Luitpold uhe brother Of
their late father. Maximilian Of Lola
Monies fame). took the reins Of govern
ment as regent.
Perhaps he might have been persuaded
then and there to proclaim himself King
had he not feared the displeasure Of the
populace. who declined to believe that
their chivalrous young ruler was de-
mented. Many Of the lower classes in
sisted that their beloved King had been
a victim of Bismarcks intrigues, and
had been deposed by Prussian enmity.
When Ludwig committed suicide his
very death was laid at Bismarck's and
Prussia's door, and Luitpold, his uncle.
who took over the reigns of the govern
ment publicly was denounced as q
traitor to the house of Wittelsbach and
to all Bavaria. These were the reasons
why Luitpold allowed his insane nephew
Otto to be proclaimed King, and con-
tented himself with the lesser dignity
of a regent plenipotentiary.
But the venerable princes unselfish-
ness long since has been recognized and
all Bavaria worships him and admires
his patriotism. and there is no reason
why his son Ludwig should not ascend
the throne and be full-fedged King
instead Of a mere regent for a man
whe is violently and incurabiy insane.
Politically it will be a sad day for the
of German unity should this
prince be proclaimed King instead Of
being a ruler by proxy. He absolutely
hates Prussia, and his one desire is to
cut loose from the federation whose su-