Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-11-22

| born August Is, 1880, at Vienna, tbs
eldest son OF Archduke Francis and
nephew of Ferdinand /, emperor from
1895 to 1S4S. His father, a weakling
resigned his claims to the throne when
Ferdinand abdicated. and at eighteen
the young Francis took up the scepter
He reigned for sixty-eight years, all
but the first twenty of which. he also
was Apostolic King of Hungary.
1t is doubtful if in all history there
has been an active. authenticated reign
longer than that closed by the uedtn VI
Francis Joseph.
Traction says that a Pharash ruled Tor
ninety-nine years, and there Is the
more credible instance OF Rameses H.
Sesostris of the Greeks, whose reign Is
reputed to have covered slXty-seNeh
years.
But in recorded history there GER
tainly has been no reign equal IN
period of time to that of the Haps-
of France was nominally king for
seventy-two years. He actually occu-
pied the throne for little more than
half a century.
\ closer rival, and the only one OIL
modern times, was Queen Victoria, who
reigned for sixty-four years.
Reign Eventful as It Was Long.
Francis Joseph's reign was as event
full as it was long. From his imperial
vantage point he saw the French
monarchy go down, the second empire
rise and crumble, the commune flare
briefly, and the republic Of today rise
on it's ashes; he saw the black pinions
of the Prussian eagle stamped on the
flag of the new German emplre-latef
to tower threateningly over Austria II
self; he saw the papacy shorn OF It's
territorial demesne, while about 1t d
pickering family of petty principalities
was welded into united Italy; ne saw
Spain, once the greatest OF colonial
powers, lose the last of her depend
encies in two oceans; he saw Japan
opened to western civilization and later
defeat the sprawling colossus of two
continents; he saw the most absolute
despotisms-Russia. Turkey and Persia
-concede representation to the people
he saw at distance the United states
cement its federation with the blood or
a great internecine war, and he saw
his own brother prove that monarchy
could not take new root on American
soil.
In his own country he faced internal
from the moment he came to the
throne. BY the war of 1859 with
France and Sardinia he was forced to
cede Lombardy to Italy; by force or
Holstein to Prussia and Venice to Italy,
and by the revolt of kossuth, the Hun
garian patriot, he barely escaped hay
ing his dual empire cut in two
Personal Sorrows overshadow All.
But in human interest his personal
sorrows oycrshadow all. One after
another they came upon him. In 1853
the list of tragic incidents began with
an attempt upon his own life In 1861
his brother, the Archduke Macmillan,
after three years experiment as En-
peror of Mexico. was captured by the
army of the patriots and condemned
to death by 4 court martial. whose SEN
tence was executed
There followed the burning to death
of a niece in Vienna: a sister met SIM
liar fate in Paris, and cousin drown
ed himself in Stahrenperg lake, yet
these were but minor tragedies In
comparison with that which befeu the
ancient house of the Hapsburgs in
1889. when Rudolf, the imperial prince
upon whom the Austrians pinned their
hopes met death in mystery which
to this day Is not cleared.
Graves hold the secret Of that fateful
night at a hunting lodge in Meyerling.
There have been a dozen versions or
what occurred. One true story" re-
lates that the crown prince was struck
dead by BaltaZzi, a Hungarian cheva-
Iier who loved the Baroness Marie Vet
sera, and who was frenZied by finding
the girl and Prince Rudolf together in
the castle at Meyerling after the crown
prince had given his pledge not to see
| the girl again. Another, that the crown
prince killed the uncle of the young
| baroness when he came to rescue her
and that both of the young lovers COM
mitted suicide.
Tragic Death of Empress.
| Clouded in still deeper mystery, II
possible, was the disappearance that
same year of Francis Joseph's favorite
| nephew. the Archduke Johann Salvador
Heir to the throne at the death OF