Evening journal., 1914-06-29

/
Aided BY Tragedy.
Up TO his twenty year Francis
Ferdinand had no idea that he would
become Emperor of Austria. The
Crown Prince Rudolph. the only son
Of Francis Joseph, was then heir.
when, to the CONSERVATION OF The
dual empire and to the surprise of
the world the Crown Prince met a
tragic death in what is known as the
Meyerling tragedy, the result OF an
Gncountenanced love for the Bar
oness Marie Vetesera., The mystery
OF the shooting at Meyerljng lodge
N which both the Baroness and the
Crown Prince were killed, has never
been cleared. It is said the Grown
Prince shot himself after the Bar-
oness had taken poison.
With the Grown Prince TINS re-
moved, the first choice as an heir
to Francis Joseph fell to his brother
the Archdnke Carl Ludwig but he ali
ready was an old man, and he do
clined the honors in favor of his eld-
est son, Francis Ferdinand. The title
of heir was never officially conferred
upon Francis Ferdinand, but from
ms tWenty-sixth year his training for
the throne was carried on. AT fhe
time OF Rudolph's death Francis
Ferdinand was in disgrace for some
escapade and lived away from Vienna
Under banishment. He was recalled
TO the Austrian court and under fbe
.uilioh OF MS uncle gave up his wild
lapils ana sought TO fit himself for |
ne responsibilities Of the throne.
but the plans OF the old monarch |
llsaln received a jolt when the Young (
Nrchduke fell in love with the Coun-
ess Chotek, a Bohemian lady in
Faltlng IN the household of the Arch
Iuchess Frederick The Emperor i'm
,iored and threatened, but Francis
ferdinand remained determined and
compromise was finally agreed TO.
nder which the Archduke obtained 4
imperial sanction to wed the Coun-
ess but only on condition that he
for his children all imperial
7 royal rights for his future wife
nd children.
Impress Killed BY Anarchist.
The assassination OF Francis Ferdi-
and and his consort recalls the fact
nat Emperor Francis Joseph suffered
ereaYement through the hand OF an ]
narchist. The Empress Elizabeth
as stabbed by Luigi Luccheni, an
-alian, on September 10. 1898, as she
as walking from her hotel at Ge-
eva to the steamer, and died of the
ound within a few hours. The aim
'ss and dastardly crime, coming on
~ OF many other misfortunes. and
blowing quickly the mysterious
cath OF the Empress son Rudolph at .
eyerling, won for the aged monarch
Ie sincere sympathies of the world
I'd arouse intense indignation {
Europe. a
Empress Elizabeth was the daugh- i
r Of Duke Maximiiian of Bavaria, q
I'd inherited the quick intelligence 4
I'd artistic taste displayed in gem i
al by members of the royal house j
Wittelsbach. She became an ex- 4
'rt rider and mountain climber and Il
4 freedom from conventions quite u
ten brought her into collision with
ennese prejudice. Her predelec- G
on for everything Hungarian won o
r the affection of the Hungarians,
hile Il alienated the Germans Ru- h
,lph was her only son. N
The oath Of renunciation was sub 81
ribed to by the Archduke three Il
ys before his marriage, June 2s,
90, in the presence Of the Emperor. ii
e princes OF the imperial family q
d OF the great dignitaries of the y
llm. 81
fe Won Favor. m
As the wife Of the Archduke, the w
untess became the Princess of Ho-
lberg and so thoroughly did she ~ ~
mage to ingratiate herself into the ~
ID graces of the Emperor that he is y -;
ID a rescript decreeing that the 81
ncess was henceforth 10 bear the ~
e of Duchess and be addressed as "a
ghness. n. n
indeed, the Hungarians were not
lined to accept the renunciation. n,
'anz Ferdinand" said the constitu- An
nal lawyers, "can renounee his own as
hts TO the Hungarian throne, but nj,
cannot renounce the right of his th
lorn eldest son, as this son-if Sl
re is one-will be Hungary's law th
future sovereign. The fact that in
stria won't have him as Kaiser an
sn't concern us. He is our King, ihs
nobody-except himself, when he
ws up-can renounce his right to I'll
succession" 1t was a paradox | 1
t while the Hungarians detested
M Ferdinand, as he indeed de-
ed them, they were thus in the no
on Of supporting the claims Of his
dren.
on Proved Happy. 81,
he union proved a happy one, and hoN
ae children were born to the cou- beh
raneis Ferdinand stroye earnestly den
1t himself for the task of govern
the dual empire, an undertaking nai
ch calls for great ability and di- the
macy. Probably influenced by his pet
,, he has been credited with lean .oN
toward the Slav or Czech rather sso
the German side, and il is said ~.
have been his dream to weld the M NJ
lous Slayonic elements more n.y.
ely together than heretofore. tbo
e was an authority on all matters X
nected with agriculture and took Off,
greatest interest in the cultivation chill
his own land. He was also well TO
Wn as sportsman, and was one bur
he best shots in Austria.
nth the death Of the Archduke and uN
wife it is thought that Archduke u
j Franz Joseph, Archduke Ferdi- ~
DIS 27-year-old nephew, will be-
e heir apparent. the rivalry which
prevailed for years between the
hess Of Hohenberg and Arch
hess Marie Joseph. the mother OF l.
Franz Joseph, being ended by WI WI
II COi