The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-11-24
ng-leaders saved the aged nller's

ring-leaders saved the aged ruler's
life.
A similar anarchistic plot was
broken up in June, 1902.
Franz Josef was the hardest work
er among the mOnarchs of Europe. He
always arose early and labored late,
keeping close grasp on all the de-
tails of administration within his en-
| ire. The warning natiOnalities within
| his dominion were held together by his
personal popularity. He could speak
the language of each one, and all were
ready to forget their difference in
their desire to honor him when he
made his public appearances.
Despite his great age and many sor-
rows, Franz Josef enjoyed exceptional
ly good health up until a few years
ago. He was a great sportsman and
| was more fond of his horses and guns
than he was OF his crown.
When ex-President Roosevelt visit
ed Vienna on the return from his Afri-
can trip, he visited the show with the
Emperor us the latter's guest.
1t was in 1908 that the Balkan
States we're threatened with war, but
through the diplomacy Of the aged
Emperor, and the pressure Of the Eu-
rOpean powers, the war clouds disap-
peared, and left AuStria-H Hungary with
two more provinces-Bosnia and Her
zegOvina.
In May of the same year, the En-
peror celebrated the Diamond Jubilee
of his reign as ruler of Austro- Hun
gary. All the Austrian Dukes and
Princes and Emperor Wilhelm of Ger
many attended the festivities and paid
their respects to his Majesty.
The Balkan War Of 1912 and the
Second Balkan War Of the next year
both threatened several times to in
vOlve Austria-Hungary. The troops of
the dual monarchy were almost con-
stantly under arms and the war ex-
penSes were very great.
Then in June, 1914, the Archduke
Franz ferdinand, nephew of the En-
peror, and heir presumptive to the
throne, insisted upon visiting Serajevo,
the capital of Bosnia. Bosnia and
Herzegovina have large Servian ele-
ment in their population and the pam
Slavic propaganda was rife. The Ser
Wan ambassador at Vienna is said to
have warned the Archduke of danger.
but Franz Ferdinand insisted on the
trip.
\ bomb LAS thrown at the carriage
Of the Archduke in the streets of the
I Bosnian capital, but he managed to
escape its explosion. He went to the
municipal buildings and protested to
the city authorities at their hospitality.
Then he started through the town
again. Gavril Prinzip, an Austrian
youth, ran up to the carriage and
mortally wounded both the Archduke
and the Archduchess. who tried to
shield her husband. It was found la
ter that men with bombs had been
posted on other points iii the city and
the chance Of the Archduke's getting
out alive had been remote.
Nothing is spared me- cried the
aged Emperor when he heard of it.
The Austrians proved to their salts
faction that the bomb which killed the
Archduke had been made in the royal
arsenal at Belgrade and preparations
for war were followed by an ultima
tum to Servia. Servia yielded all ask
eel in the ultimatum with the excep-
ton Of one point, which sire offered to
submit to arbitration. Austria Hun
gary then declared war on her. Rus
STA came to her defense, bringing in
Germany as AuStria'S ally and France.
England, Belgium and Japan on the
other side, in the greatest conflict of
history.
Under all these burdens the aged
Emperor bore up. He is said to have
worked fourteen hours q day. despite
his 81 years.