Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-08-13
BLAME Dad LUCK
Of BAVARIA FOR
GERMAN REVERSE

treat of the Germans under the smash
ing blows delivered by the British and
French was not due to poor fighting
on the part of the Teutons, nor was it
because of the superior leadership or
numbers on the part of the allies. Any
one Of the many thousands of German
prisoners captured during the furious
lighting of the past week will tell you
the answer In their opinion the re-
cent reverses suffered by the Germans
are due solely to the proverbial ILL
luck that has followed the royal house
OF Bavaria for generations.
1t would be impossible to convince
the average German that there exists
a possibility of success for any army
fighting under the command of Prince
Ruprecht of Bavaria, despite the fact
that from the military viewpoint he is
one of the ablest leaders of the war,
as was proven when he stopped the
tide of advancing British on the Somme
last year. But Ruprecht is Bavarion
heir to the throne, in fact, and Ger
mans long ago came to look upon every
member of the Bavarian royal house as
a link" as the Americans put it.
Unluckiest of Families.
There is no disputing the fact that
the Bavarian royal family has long
been one of the unluckiest in all Eu-
rope. Every newspaper reader is able
to recall the i'll fate that has pursued
it's rulers for generations. The trag-
ic history of the family dates back
to the dreamer, King Ludwig IL.
From his earliest childhood Ludwig
showed signs of insanity. But it was
not until 1864, when he assembled the
throne, that his eccentricities began
to be noticed. He was nominally
succeeded on the throne by his brother.
otto, who proved still more mad than
Ludwig. The first symptoms of King
Otto's madness were visible during the
Franco-German war, when he called
out squad of cavalry to charge
straight against a stone wall, which he
insisted was a body of the enemy's in
fantry.
During the life time of King Otto the
country was ruled under the regency OF
his uncle, Prince Luitpold, who died in
1912. in his 92nd year. Less than
wear later the mad old King Otto was
deposed and was succeeded on the
throne by his cousin, the present King
Ludwig, father of Prince Ruprecht, who
is commanding the German division
that has borne the brunt of the allied
onslaughts in Flanders during the past
two weeks.
Bayarian Curse Follows.
The Bavarian curse seems to have
extended to the present heir to the
throne. He has been unfortunate in
lis military career and extremely un-
happy in his family life. His wife was
= sister to the present queen of the
Belgians. and was celebrated through
cut Germany not only for her wonder
full charms as a woman, but also for
her love of music and art and the help
she gave her father in scientific Ia
bors.
Ruprecht and the lovely Princess
Gabrielle came together at Florence in
March of 1900, the engagement was
nublicly announced at Easter and they
were married in July. The welded life
of the royal couple, begun happily and
full of that happiness which the pres
ence of children can give, was not so
happy in other ways, and it came to
a gloomy end when the crown princess,
broken in health, depressed by family
bereavement and by the death of her
three year old son, and tired Of her
troubles. died suddenly at Sorrento
Italy of paralysis of the heart in 1872
III these twelve years, there had been
five children, one of whom in 1906
died still-born. The first child, Luit-
pold, born in 1901, grew up, under
the mothers wonderful maternal care
into a beautiful boy, and was taken
away by diphtheria three years ago, af'
ter his father had gone to the front
The other children were Irmingard
who died a baby; Albert, born in 1905
and still living, and little Rudolph
born in 1909, whose sudden death II
1912. was the final blow to his up
happy mother.