The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-09-07

tuss Peace Letter.
A few months ago several official or
semioficial denials were made regard
Ing charges against Emperor Charles
OF Austria and his wife, Empress Zita.
What these charges refer to Is becom-
Ing known by degrees. The Aus
trian censorship has so far prevented
full statement reaching the wires In
neutral countries, but the news Is fl
tering through of a scandal In the inn
perial palace which Is likely to lead
to q divorce.
The empress Is accused Of shield
ing and projecting the Italians. The
disaster on the Pave was the result of
= plot engineered by Empress Zita, the
people believe. In Vienna the excite
ment Of the people knows nj bounds.
When the emperor appears in the
streets he Is received with catcalls
and curses. Recently q man ran after
the automobile In which the ruler was
driving. calling out: "Ffe upon thee.
Parma -
Empress Zita Is q daughter of the
house Of Parma, one OF the royal FAM
lilies formerly reigning over parts OF
Italy Zita's brothers are accused OF
betraying Austria There is no end of
denials coming from official sources.
These denials. proclaimed even from
ministerial benches In parliament,
show the seriousness Of the situation
caused by the reports, rumors and Cos
sip affecting the imperial family. While
some OF the reports no doubt are ex-
t~ravngant the Austrian people insist
that where there Ia smoke one is
bound to find fire.
Divorce Thought Imminent.
The first Swiss newspaper which
prints anything about the scandal In
the Hofburg. aside from the official de-
malls which were cabled to all parts
Of the world. Is the Thurgauer Eel
tung. It says:
According to semioficial and press
reports coming from Vienna, there are
minister rumors and accusations re-
guarding the imperial family afioat in
Austria and Hungary. In these ru-
mors e n are mentioned which are
said to have taken place In the i'm
periol palace. These scenes are al
legged to be the forerunners of a d.
vorce that would sever the marital re-
1ations Of Charles and Zita. The
great mass Of the people hold the Inn
perial couple responsible for the de-
feat suffered on the italian front. EN-
peror Charles ana his wife. Zlta. are
aid to have forbidden the use of
sliding gnses and fame throwers for
the offensive in Italy. italian prison
err Of war are receiving preferential
treatment, Il II charged.
~0ther members Of the imperial
family are not spared. They also are
accused Of being implicated In dark
plots. Two brothers Of Empress Zita,
Princes Sixtus and Xavier of Parma,
r singled out ms most dangerous o
~Gplratorx. The fact that they were
IN the enemy's country during the war
and the part they played In the affair
Of the emperor's peace letter are being
brought up against them.
The excitement is growing In VI
emma. II Is reported. leading to an In
cident In the streets OF the capital
where = IA ran after the imperial au-
tomoblle. shouting: 'Fie, Parma = The
emperor was at that time being driven
from his palace at S~choenbrunn TO the
Hofburg. Finally the reports and ru-
= became so widespread and dan
gerous In their character that both
governments, In Vienna and Budapest,
were compelled to publish denials and
corrections In the newspapers. Be-
oide1. the charges were oficially denied
a. the Hungarian parliament, and DR..
von geydler, the Austrian premier, re-
ferred to the accusations In a speech
delivered at q reception to the Aus
trian deputies and at a meeting at the
Vienna city hall.
Allies Blamed for Gossip.
- semiof1cinl announcement sent
out By the Vienna correspondence bu-
rear says the reports concerning the
imperial family were disseminated by
the eufente powers as part Of q propa-
Gnn6o offensive. for the purpose of
Ge6fing unrest and disturbances In the
monofehy. In the Hungarian house of
depu1les Prime Minister Wekerle made
! Vigorous speech In which he denied
~ truth Of all aspersions cast upon
~ emperor and empress. He called
"a theee reports false. lying. impossi-
md u~nfhlnkable. His remark
a. m enthusiastic ovation pledg.
- 1oyolty to the imperial couple on