Yazoo City herald. [volume] (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1878-1976, 1914-09-11
Old in Years and Sorrow.

lHt ll<illlC war AAoAAS-7 "o-'~f-'f
paror of Austria, is the most pa
thetic. He is old in years, old IN
war, old in sorrows.
On the 9Th of this month he will be
"a years old, having been born in
Berlin on that day, 1880. That is
long lifepath for man to travel In
peace and serenity; how much longer
it must seem to one who has carried
the pack of adversely and eaten OF
the bread of bitterness.
He is the oldest living monarch IN
the world, having assembled the throne
in 1s4S, before many of the other
royal participants in this war were
born. His great age and his Ions
reign should have made him the
most courteously treated monarch IN
Europe, a nestor in international at
fairs. a referee in across-boundary
disputes. Wisdom should have come
from experience, and a softening
quality from his sorrows that would
have made him the ideal arbiter
For not only have war losses and
state affairs often filled him with
sadness, but tragedy has marked
him for her own in his family life,
First. when he was still young, came
the shooting of his brother, Max
MILAN, made emperor of Mexico by
the French who had interfered IN
that country. The story of the
young emperor's death shocked all
Europe, but touched his brother,
Francis Joseph, to the heart.
Francis Joseph had married Prin-
cess Elizabeth Amalie Eugene, cous-
in to the king of Bavaria, and the
second great tragedy came when
their son. Crown Prince Rudolph, was
mysteriously slain while visiting
at Mverling. The sorrow of it
bowed the emporer to the dust.
And vet fate had not dealt its
worst blow, for ten years ago, dur
ing the celebration Of their golden
wedding Jubilee. his wife, an old
woman-too old to be the object of
hatred-was assassinated.
After those sorrowful days the
aged and broken emperor conferred
his hopes on Archduke Francis Fer
dinand heir to his throne. A few
months ago a fanatical Servian youth
shot to death the archduke and his
wife while they were in Belgium. and
the old emperor was left desolate.
Is it any wonder that among his
subjects he is called the Emperor OF
Sorrcws7
y out of the killing Of the arcchduke
and his wife has famed up this war
that is devastating half the ocnti-
nent.
Europe was ready for var, the
powder train having been laid by the
preceding quarter of century of
militarism, the piling up of fleets
and armies. Emperor Francis joseph
only touched the fuse when he
issued his ultimatum to Servia re-
garding the punishment of the Serv-
ian assassin and the running down of
possible accompliGes.
Servia had already made explana-
ton and had done all that she could,
and when Austria continued to threat
en- she looked to her cousins in
Russia for aid. Russia began to mob
oliza her armies; the Kaiser of Ger
many, Austria's ally, saw tn moboli-
cation from afar and demanded the
reason. Then lltimatums went to
England and France, the call to, the
colors was sounded throughout the in
censed countries. and in twinkling
Germany and France, to whom were
gpeedily added the intrepid Belgians.
flaming with indignation at the vio-
lation Of their neutrality by the Ger
man Kaiser.
And today these countries. which
q month apo were peaceful fields and
scenes Of commerce end agriculture
and art and science, arc armed camps
Of vast battlefelds. where passion is
At high tide and The spirit Of mur-
der rides with an unchecked rein
And in his splendid pelaec in vi.
enua, Francis Joseph. i may be the
last Of TIE Hapsburg rulers, looks on
at the dreadful conflict and takes
stock Of his share Of the blame
If lie is responsible, then not only
the fifth end GROWING tragedy Of
life has come to him, but has come
staining red his cid hands that
soon must be folded forever away
from tho things or heart CONNER
cial Appeal. Aug. %.
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