The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1915-10-21

It is no diplomatic achievement OF
my own that / have now to record, but
the cleverest trick ever played in all
the annals of international relations,
and by no less a parsonage than his
highness, Prince Niklas of Montene>
gro, or Chernagara, as the inhabitants
of that barren district call their coun-
try.
Prince Niklas has always been, for
me at least, one of the most fasclnat-
ing personalities in Europe. 1t is the
complex nature of the man that ap-
peals to me, that is to say the many
characters that he possesses and that
crop out in him at unexpected mo-
ments. A warrior ruler, bearing the
scars of innumerable battles, poet
of high renown, chivalrous, ardent,
the hero of his little people, he is also
famed for his financial necessities ana
his willingness to accept monetary as
sistance from any quarter in which IL
presents itself.
The greatest coup of his reign was,
of course, the arrangement of the mar
riage of his charming and accom-
plished daughter Helena to the crown
prince of Italy, Victor Emmanuel, now
ruling as Victor Emmanuel III. BY this
master-stroke of policy he secured one
of the great powers as firm prop for
his rather unstable throne, and bound
the dynasty of Italy securely to the
wheels of the chariot of his own for
tunes
Ever since the marriage Victor EN-
manuel has allowed his father-in-law
certain fixed annual stipend. There is
nothing indiscreet in mentioning this;
it is a. matter of common knowledge
When war between Germany and
Austria, on the one hand, and France,
and England on the other was seen to
be inevitable, Niklas was in great per-
plexity.
Austria had also invaded Serbia
and bombarded Belgrade, the capital.
Montenegro, allied to Serbia by blood
and treaty, had not yet declared her.
self upon her side, as she was shortly
to do. And the cause of Niklas' heslta-
ton was that Italy, as the third part
ner of the triple alliance, was ex-
pected to take sides with her leu
tonic confederates If she did so, the
first fruits of the alliance would be
the invasion of Montenegro by Italian
troops.
OF course we all know now how
promptly Italy disavowed her RESPONSE
IN
ground that the triple alliance was for
defense and not aggression. We know
how ardently Italy's decision to re.
main neutral was greeted in France
and England. Still, the unprecedented
person may candidly confess that
Italy's game was very shrewd one,
and dictated more by fear of the Brit
ish fleet than by qualms of conscience.
Perhaps Italy might legitimately have
stretched a point in favor of her part
ners. So, at least, thought victor
Emmanuel III.
In those first days of the war Italy's
decision was awaited with the most
intense anxiety by all the warning ma
tons. And it is an open secret tnaI
King Victor was in favor of carrying
out. at any sacrifice, what he consld-
cred to be his treaty obligations.
Picture, then, the Quirinal. rent by
dissension, the Marquis oil San Glo-
vanni upon the anxious seat and lrres-
olute. Victor demanding war, AND his
own household, in the person OF his
gracious consort, frantically appealing
to him not to engage in a struggle
which must mean the invasion OF her
fathers little country. Upon this
scene enters old, rugged Prince NlKlas
of Chernagara, bent upon securing
Victor's neutrality.
7 cot the story of his exploit from a
friend of mine at the Italian court
one of the Black aristocracy, that is
to say. a sponsor of the Papal claims
who. with foot in either camp, OUR
inaI and Vatican, was not averse from
telling a. tale for the confound1ng OF
King Victor. Pietro Della Campagnas
clever italian mind was, in fact, the
first to penetrate the mystery OF the
Montenegrin cipher, before the dis
Vienna convulsed the Quirinal-aH ex-
cent King VictoT-with laughter. But
had better tell the story imperson-
ally-for the first portion, at any rate
You see the spectacle in the OUR
inal: Victor pressed on all sides TO
declare neutrality, and obstinately re-
solved to vindicate what he consid-
cred to be his country's faith, by join
ing Austria and Germany; Di San Gio-
vanni prophesying revolution should
he comply; and the beautiful queen
for the first time in her life at odds
with her husband. Enter. then, old
Niklas, who, with the suaveness OF a
father-in-law and the leverage OF q
fellow-ruler, demanded audience.
He got it, two hours after his arrival
in the large audience room in the west
wing of the QuirinaI, looking out down