The Washington times., 1918-10-06

allure Death Is Said to Have Be
fastened by His Brutality.
T HE cruel persecution of the pretty
young Grand Duchess Marie AIDE
laide, Of Luxembourg, by the Kaiser
and his agents is one Of the most heart
rending tragedies of the war-one of those
tragedies which make a plain American
with red blood in his veins swear that he
will put an end to the horrible system of
military autocracy forever.
The maiden tribute Of ancient Athens
to the Cretan Minotaur was not a more
dreadful sacrifice Of girlhood than the
treatment of the Grand Duchess and all
her five little sisters by the Kaiser.
After the Germans had virtually robbed
the Grand Duchess Of her little country,
kept her practically a prisoner, brow
beaten her and insulted her in many ways,
they committed the browning outrage Of
endeaVoring to force husband upon her.
The Kaisers plan was to have German
Prince marry the young Grand Duchess,
control the country in the interests of Ger
many and raise family who would con-
tinue that policy. The Grand Duchess had
fought all the other attempts to enslave her
with great spirit, and this one she rejected
with all the force Of her soul.
Now the Kaiser has given up his plan Of
bullying the little Duchess out of her rights
and has resorted to ruse and treachery
The astonishing news has just been Of
hcially given to the world of the betrothal
of the Princess Antoinette of Luxembourg,
third sister Of the Grand Duchess and the
Crown Prince Rupprecht Of Bavaria.
This reveals the scheme by which the
Kaiser and the German militarists propose
to secure control Of the Grand Duchess and
her territory.
Even II there were no political intrigue
behind it this match would be an outrage
upon humanity, for the Crown Prince is a
brutal selfindulgent man Of fifty, while
the Princess is an innocent little girl of
eighteen. But the match is evidently part
of deep-laid plot.
If the Grand Duchess does not marry, the
succession to her throne will pass to her
next sister and to her sisters children.
Between herself and the destined bride
there are two other sisters, the Princess
Charlotte, aged twenty-three, and the Prin-
cess Hilda, aged twenty. When these two
sisters are eliminated the bride of the
Bavarian Crown Prince becomes the heir
to the duchy. No one who is familiar with
Prussian imperialist methods doubts that
the Kaisers agents are capable of eliminat-
ing them. Indeed, there are thousands of
Bavarians who take that view Of Prussian
methods, for they believe that their TO-
mantle, II eccentric, King Louis was falsely
represented as insane in order that he
might be removed from the path of Prus-
sian imperialist designs.
In the veil Of mystery which has hung
over Luxembourg since its seizure by the
Germans there is much uncertainty as to
what has happened to the Grand Duchess
and her sisters. The Princess Antoinette
is in Munich, and therefore under the con-
troll Of the Germans, and particularly of
the BaVarian royal family, to which she is
10 be announced. No doubt the doctrine of
invincibility has been ham,
mered into her little head.
Reports have stated at various times
that the Grand Duchess and her two SIS
ters, Charlotte and Hilda, saddened by the
conditions that surrounded them, intend to
enter converts, but this has been denied on
behalf Of the girl ruler.
II is certain, however, that unless the
United States and the Allies take the settle
ment Of all such questions entirely into
their own hands, a gloomy fate awaits the
Grand Duchess Marie Adelaide, her sister
and her people.
We have evidence that The German I'm.