The Washington times., 1920-12-19

Francis Joseph died when he had seen the
worst and was succeeded b. a grand
nephew. Karl, the nephew of his murdered
nephew.
Ksri's father, Archduke Otto, was unfit
to succeed to the throne and died insane
after life Of the widest excuses.
A everybody knows. the Austrian EN-
Dire was broken to fragments in the war
and the Hapsburg family dethroned.
Vienna. once . splendid. gay world-capitsl
of 100000 souls. 10 DOW ruined city
with IT. palaces falling into ruins and
grass sproutipg between the pavements
OF it, bouievards.
Austrian princes and princssses whom
knew % the gayest and most reckless
spendthFifts Of Paris and the Riviera, OWL
ers Of palaces and castles, OF galleries Of
old masters and stables full OF horses. an.
now reduced to absolute beEgsry. Some
have starved to death, others have sought
employment as servants or at any occupa
ton that would keep body and soul q
gether.
During the long period when Francis
Joseph sat ON the throne many members
of the House of Hapsburg ran away from
was the Emperor's cousin, the Archduke
John, who consortp' with the lowsst char.
acters IN Vienna md frequently became
intoxicated In the society of common
thieves. Finally His Imperial Highness
dropped his rank and title, assumed the
name Johann Orth" and shipped o. u
common sailor. He sailed tor South Amer.
lea, left his ship at Rio de JsusiTo snd
was lost to the world forever aftevWaFd.
There were persistent rumors that the
Archduke John returned to Austria about
the time that Crown Prince Rudolph be-
gap his intrigue with the Baroness Marie
Vetsera. They said that he travelled be-
tween Vienna and Budapest in disguise
and approached the Grown Prince In be-
half Of certain conspiystors with the offer
OF the Hungarian throne. Who can say
that anything wss impossible in that
drama Of intrigue and crime?
SIN another member OF the Hspsburg
family affected by the hereditary madness
was the Crown Princess Of Saxony, origl-
hally the Archduchess Louise Of Austria,
also cousin OF Emperor Francis Joseph.
Most people remember that she ran
away from the court Of Dresden with her
children's young French tutor. After that
she eloped with some one else, steadily
descending In the social scale.
A brother OF Louise was the Archduke
leopold Ferdinand, to whom I have AZ
esdy referred "A revealing some of the de-
ais Of Crown Prince Rudolph's death.
The Archduke Leopold Ferdinand also re-
n0pnced his imperial rank, assumed the
name Leopold Woelfiing'' and went away
TO Switzerland with q handsome actress
There they Joined 0 back to nature" cult
and fyod IN the woods without artificial
clothing and nourtshsd themselves on
nuts, fyuits and roots. Even here the
curse Of the Hapsburgs seemed to pursue
the Archduke, for his companion grew
weary OF him and left him. "a ..s
The amazing ill-fortune OF the Hapsburg
family seems to have extended Its innu
ence even TO America. A few years ago
there was an interesting young woman In
New York known as Alma Vetsera. She
believed that she was the daughter Of the
Grown Prince Rudolph and his unhappy
sweetheart, and so did many other per
sons who knew her. AS a child she had
been sent from Europe to a Montreal con-
vent to be educated.
From an agent who sent money 6or her
support she learned that she was . daugh-
ter 'of the Crown Prince and that the old
Emperor provided the money for her sup
port. During the greater part OF her life
she received large income from an IN