The Washington herald., 1914-09-13

tense hatred for the Austrians and. less
directly, the Germans Chief among
these Is the loss OF territory 10 Austria
and the enforced giving up Of Skutari.
which was so heroically won in the re-
cent Balkan war. The Queens two
brothers are in the midst of the present
fighting.
Then there is the most intimate loop
into the Russian court. The members Of
the MontenegTan royal family were pro-
teges Of Gar Nicholas III, and its
daughters were educated at the Russian
court. Queen Elena came near marry
ing the brother OF the present Gar, and
her betrothal to the Italian King was
arranged in Petrograd, il being suspect
ed that Count Witte, that subtle states
man. was thinking of the future in
bringing it about. Today sister OF
Queen Elena, Princess StanZa, is the one
intimate friend OF the Czarina and is
known TO WELD a vast influence in Rus
sia. The Princess Stanza is married to
the Grand Duke Nicholas NichOlaievitch,
leader of the Russian army and intimate
OF the Gar.
It is but natural that Queen Elena
should lean toward her own people and
the friends Of her youth. II is hut nat
ural that the Russian and MonteneCran
courts should hiring every influence to
hear upon her that the Cleverest men Of
the age should lend hand in directing
her influence.
The weight OF that influence is great
with Victor Emmanuel. She has a firm
hold upon the Italian people an appro-
baton which she has earned nv her
Inany admirable traits and acts Of char
ity For eighteen wears she has devoted
herself to winning her husbands people
For the first eleven Years after hHr mar
riage she did not even visit Montenegro.
thus demonstrating her -cnunciation.
She has borne the King a lusty heir to
the throne.
.Ihen the war cloud gathered Russia
carefully slipped Count Witte. her ablest
diplomat. her representative at Ports
mouth when peace was concluded with
Japan. into Italy that he might he at
the elbow NJ the Queen at this vital mo-
ment. Aside from his diplomatic skin
. ctrOgTad remembered Whites hand in
the happy marriage ~ Itsly's King and
Queen. France acted with no less nm
Outstanding Of the Importance Of the
Italian situation. The Theophile Delcasse.
former foreign secretary, the UnCom-
promising enemy Of Germarv. the man
who had brought about the alliance be-
tween France and ENGLAND, the clever
est diplomat in all Europe. thought it
this particular time.
Delcasss had played FOR ffteen years
the game OF estranGinE italy from Ger
many. II was through his maneUverinE
that the King and Queen. a decade ago
visited Paris and London and that thew
were shown such consideration ny those
great capitals as had rarely been hcaDed
upon the representatives of any nation
It was through the Queen that DeICasse
saw to II that her name was coupled
constantly with that NJ the Czarina and
with that Of England's venerable Queen,
thus paving her the subtlest flattery.
So il happened that two Of Eurnpes
greatest statesmen were at the elbow
of the Queen shortly after the great
trouble broke. that the way was paved
for their influence. that the nation had
already been half won. The world will
never know what means were used by
Witte and DelCasse during those dra-
matte days in Rome. Only the result
may be seen in Ttaly's remaining neu-
trail. There were plenty OF we'll ground
ed arguments that might be put in the
mouth Of the Queen There was the nat
ural friendship toward France and the
no less natural enmity for Austria.
There was the popularity OF the cause
Of the entente with the people. There
was the advantage OF prosperity through
neutrality or territorial acquisition
through taking the Part Of the allies.
There was the personal tie. through
Italy's Queen. to the allies and no such
tie to Germany and Austria. and rulers
are no less human and subject to fam
lily influence than common people. There
was French and Russian diplomacy.
played by its two past masters. against
German diplomacy. and diplomacy Is
Germany's great weakness.
With the Queen there was the one
weakness in the French Russian posi-
ton. Both Witte and Delcasse had left
themselves open to criticism in their
private lives and the Queen was a
stickler for domestic morality. In this
respect she had come to contrast the
German court, and particularly the life
Of the Kaiser, with the things she had
seen in Petrograd and heard Of in
Paris. and, because Of the Eaiser's
showing as a husband and father. tho
Queen would go no farther than insist
on neutrality. and neutrality is so far
the program.
Yet upon the saving Of Italy from the
alliance and the possibility Of her vet
Joining forces with the entente. may Ill
timately depend the issue of the war and
the future map of Europe. And in all
this result would probably have been
far different had the consort Of the King
been a German rather than a Slav prIn-
cess.