The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-03-05
ROYAL HEADS
RECONC|LEO
MARRIAGE OF GERMAN ROYALTY
BRINGS ABOUT A STATE OF
AMiTY THAT HAS LONG BEEN
ESTRANGED.

the bethrothal of Princess Victoria,
the emperor's only daughter. to Prince
Ernest August, son of the duke, re-
calls previous attempt at recon-
Iciliation which came to nothing.
This occurred in 1903, when the en-
peror went to Copenhagen, to attend
the eighty-fifth anniversary of the
birth of old King Christian, whose
daughter, Princess Thyra, is the wife
of the Duke of Cumberland. This
royal visit had much more important
object than to improve the relations
between Germany and Denmark. It
was to ind wife for the German
crown prince, and the lady selected for
| the future empress of Germany. was
none other than Princess Alexandra,
daughter of the Duke of Cumberland.
| The emperor, according to the story as
! told to-day, had correspondent with the
Duchess Thyra. who obtained the con-
sent OF the duke to both the reconcilia-
| ton and the betrothal.
One result Of the reconciliation was
to be the agreement that Prince George
Wilhelm, the dukes oldest son, should
become Duke of Brunswick, from
which position the Cumberland family
was excluded by reason Of the-refusal
of the Duke of Cumberland to renounce
his rights to the throne Of Hanover.
Even with such a prize in view. how
ever, the duke, after reaching Copen-
hagen. gave way to his long-cherishei
hatred of Prussia. refused to meet the
emperor and returned to Gmunden
under plea that he had the measles.
This naturally enraged the emperor
He ceased speaking of the Duke of
Brunswick" when referring to the head
Of the Cumberland house and mention
ed him only by his older title Prince
of Great Britain and Ireland" OF
course this ended the project Of mar
rying the crown price to the Princess
Alexandria. A year later she married
Friedrich Franz, Grand Duke Of Meek
ienburg- Schwerin, brother of the Prin-
cess Cecilie, who later married the
crown prince.
True to his word spoken at the time
Of the Copenhagen episode, the en-
peror made no further attempt to i'm
prove relations with the Brunswick
house, but when in 1908 Prince Luit-
pold, the old regent of Bavaria, asked
for the appointment of Prince Ernst
August as officer in the heavy dragons
at Munich, he willingly consented.
1t was even expected that a recon-
ciliation between Hohenzellerns and
Cumberlands would occur at Schwerin
in May, 1910, when the emperor sud-
denly announced his intention of pro-
ceeding hither to attend the christen-
ing of the infant son of the grand
duke, The Duke and Duchess of Cum
ber1and were already there for the fes-
tivities, but when they heard that the
emperor was coming they left SEVERN
before he arrived.
The country Is still awaiting the |
publication of the details of the COM |
ing armament bilI-the third in as
many years-but though already has
been learned to make 1t certain that |
the government will ask for sum ex-
ceeding $25,00oO00.
which brought an increase of some &c.
900 men in the peace standing of the
army, called for about s1S,500, 600 a
year for FIVE years, and the coming
bill is expected to add from $4,000 to
$4,000 men to the army on peace
footing.
1t is believed that the government
this year will ask that provision be
made to retain the 10000 or $4,000
able bodied recruits who are excused
yearly from service because there is
10 place for them in the army. Prob
ably eighteen regiments, which now
nave but two battalions each, will be
illed out by the addition of a third
and it is proposed also to
strengthen the cavalry divisions.
What the attitude of the Reichsag ,
will be toward the new demands is not
Known, but is is certain that there win
,e some opposition. ,
That the movement in Germany to ,
preserve Wagner's "Parsifal' for Bay ,
euth for all time would not succeed. ,
despite the fact that the crown prince )
headed the. signers of the petition and ,
hat he VIZ he To IA :
t, had been generally expected and !
PREDICTED, but the majority against it
vas much greater than had been look :
ID for. Only five members of the thir- :
Y making up the petition committee :
# the Reichstag voted to report IA ,
-orably. .
The strongest arguments against a
special law were that comparatively
ew persons would be able to enjoy
he opera each year, and that it could
lot be protected in foreign countries.
The result would not be that it could
,e heard by opera lovers everywhere
kept in Germany.
The day following the committees
lecision Director Martersteig, of Peip-
lie, announced that he would stage
Parsifar' on January 4. 1914, four
avs. after the copyright expires. Otto
1ohse will direct the production and
ne pihiCiPoA IoIeS VIII De sung oyi \
lax Kruger and Frau Rueschel
sndort-
The decision Of the Belgium gov E
rnment to build a great canal from
Intwerp to Liege in order to supply :
hat port with Belgium coal in place =
( the English article, has been siezed .
pom in Germany as strong argu-I =
1ent for building the projected canal :
rom the lower Rhine along the DutchI :,
-ontier to the North Sea at Emden
1t is suggested in this connecticut !,
hat the Belgium canal be extended q
rom Liege to the Rhine thus max y
1g a great internal waterway from .
ntwerp TO Emden- At recent meet
lg of the budget committee of the :
russian Diet the minister of public