The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-29
LIFE OF ARCHDUKE
WAS ONE OF ROMANCE
francis Ferdinand Married
Against EmperOr's Wish: Re-
nounced Childrcn's Rights.
LONG 4 POLITICAL POWER
Much Of Governments Business
Was Under His Di-
rcction.
LONG A POLITICAL POWER


uron the death OF the Emperor's only
son the Archduke Rudolph.
Tho Archduke Francis Ferdinand wa.
horn at Gratz, in styria province. OF
which his father was Governor at the
tine on December Is. 1868. He was the
eldest son OF the Archduke Charles Louis
edos; of the three younger brothers of
Francis Joseph
Three children were born to the mar
rage NJ the Emperor and the Duchess
Elizabeth of Bavaria. the late Empress.
Tn" eldest or these was daughter, the
Archdu'hess Glsela the second son.
'ha late Archduke Rudolph and the
Youngest daughter, the Archduchess
Marie Valerie
Under the laws OF the Hapsbures the
eldest son was the heir TO the throne.
ard the Archduke Rudolph was educated
for his future responsibilities receiving
thorough training in both military
Ndalrs and statecraft. He was n man OF
liberal ideas and shared with his father
'Ae love and respect OF the people Of
Austria
Then came tho tragedy In the hunting
lodge at Meyerlng near Vienna. on jan
vary 20, 1889. The Archduke is said to
have killed himself In company with n
haroness, whose name was never author
itatlvcly known. The circumstances sur
rounding the suicide of the Archduke
have remained n mystery.
The wife OF The Archduke. Princess
Stephanie. daughter OF the late King
Leopold or Belgium. gave birth to no
son. Their only child was a daughter
Archduchess Elizabeth now the Princess
Windschgraetz. The Archduchess mar
red again. becoming the bride OF Count
l'onyay In 1900. and giving up thereby
her position In the Austrian royal family
Emperor Maximilicn Executed.
E,nNN rnrsa ~
Nchduke Ferdinand. who became the III
fated Maximilien. Emperor Of Mexico.
was executed in 1864, leaving no children
Upon the death OF the Archduke Rudolph
ihe Emperor Immediately recognized his
second brother, the Archduke Charlie.
Louis. as heir to the throne Charles
Louis, then So years old. declined the
succession, saying that he was too far
advanced In years He died in 1896
The succession then fell to Charles
l.ouls's eldest son. the Archduke Francis
Ferdinand
While his cousin. Rudolph. was being
educated for the throne OF a great empire
the tutors OF Francis Ferdinand, whose
prospects Of becoming Emperor seemed re-
mote indeed. were training him along
strictly military and engineering lines. He
hecame an expert within the narrower
confines OF his training however When
h" left his tutors he was commissioned Il
Lieutenant In the Fourth Dragons and
soon his name was gossiped about In con-
nectlon with the somewhat scandalous
affairs of the livelier military set. There
never, however, was the scandal attached
TO his name that became attached to the
name OF his younger brother. the late
Archduke Otto, and In later years most of
the stories OF his profigacy were dis
proved entirely.
The Archduke already was heir pre-
sumptivc to the imperial throne when he
contracted a morganatic marriage with
Sophie, Countess Chotek Won Chotkowa
ind Wognin
There was strong opposition among the
Magyars and the Slavs to the Archduke's
revocation OF his chldrens right to sue
coed to the throne which he made be-
fore the marriage. This opposition crys-
talzed in the Hunga rian. Reichsrath into
protests against permitting the house
hold laws of the Ihpsburgs to
override the Hungarian Constitu-
ton which does not recognize
morganatic marriages. 1t was suggested
by those who would like to see the
Countess take her position as Empress and
her eldest son become his fathers success
sor that a request might be made OF the
pnpe 10 relieve Francis Ferdinand OF his
oath There was no question but that the
pontiff had the power to do this should he
see ht and both Francis Ferdinand and his
worganatic wife not only were devout
Catholics but were the leaders in opposing
every tendency In their country toward
minimizing the church's power Further
more. the Duchess OF Hohenberg had made
herself the centre about which the highest
dgntarles OF the church in Austria gath
cred and her opinions and common sense
wisdom we're eagerly sought by them.
In recent years Francis Ferdinand had
taken over much of the detail of govern
ment from the aged Emperor. Francis
Ferdinand gave his attention particularly
IA 1ttar md z
lng the army in way that aroused the
admiration OF European military authori-
ties
The Emperor, however. on various Occa-
sons snubbed his nephew openly, the ac-
ton being construed as intended to dis
courage the ambitions of the Duchess OF
Hohenberg TO see her son become the heir
TO the throne. On one OF these occasions
when the Emperor deputized distant
cousin to represent him at the review or
the troops In the fall OF 1911 instead OF
taking the natural course OF allowing his
heir 10 be his representative. Francis Fer
dntnd showed his own spirit by spending
the day with Emperor William OF Ger
many reviewing the German fleet at kiel,
Francis Ferdinand was credited with the
ambition of restoring Austria to domi-
rau' place in European politics. He con-
sdcrcd the Emperor OF Austria as much
war lord as the German Emperor. Fur
h"rmore he had an ambition to make his
throne the moral protector OF Pan Slavism,
an ambition held also by the Car. The
fact that his wife was Slav and that she
nnquostonably exercised great influence
over him was felt TO have a strong bear
Ing ON this phase OF the future OF Austria.
u was generally expected that Francis
Ferdinand II he became Emperor would
turn for support rather to the Slavs under
rs soyereignty than to the German and
Magyar races.
The alliance with Italy received no sym
rathy from Francis Ferdinand He had
me national distrust OF the Italians and
ms feeling was heightened by his devo-
Ton 10 the Roman church, Nor was he
greatly In sympathy with Germany, the
thlri member OF the triple alliance. He
IA not look with equanimity upon the
"Scendcncy OF the Hohenzollerns to the
position OF influence once occupied by the
ianshurgs.
Linperor william evinced his desire to
WN me friendship OF the late heir APP
parent by his recognition Of the Duchess
81 llohcnberg as no other sovereign ever
i"ognized her. He had her seated beside
nm at the table on the occasion OF the
s' Of the Archduke and his wife to Pots
otm four years ago.
Francis Ferdinand was recoRnizod as