Evening star., 1923-04-30
Hapsburg Coins Hold Favor
In Northern Africa Despite Italians

been resumed. Indeed. it was III con-
nection with this matter that Tile
Austrian premier recently visited
Rome and conferred at considerable
length with Premier Mussolini
How these Austrian dollars managed
to secure such a hold upon the popu-
larity of the natives of northern Africa,
of Arabia, Abyssinia-even elsewhere
in the orient-is a rather curious piece
of history. In the early part of the
eighteenth century the trade of both
Spain and of the Republic of Venice
in the Mediterranean, WAS reduced al
most to the vanishing point. and the
Austrians, quick to see the opportunity
started in to acquire it by every means
in their power
The Levantine trade of the Austrian
empire received for a time great ex-
tension, and. gradually acquiring all
that commerce OF the countries bor-
dering on the Mediterranean. ii nat
urally followed that the Austrian coins
that is to say, the silver ones-be-
came a favorite legal tender. They
pleased the natives and secured a hold
on their confidence and favor which
has endured ever since, although Aus
tria has long ceased TO maintain any
trade worthy of the name with these
dusky-inhabited countries.
x X x x
King Georges bestowal OF the SCOT
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the Duke of York, on the occasion ot
his wedding in Westminster Abbey last
week has naturally attracted attention
to this great order of Scottish chiyalry,
which, though ranking in the British
empire second only after the Order of
| the Garter, is nevertheless very much
older in date of creation. For whereas
the Order of the Garter was founded
only in the reign Of King Edward III
the Order of the Thistle goes hundreds
of years further back.
According to that wonderful old
Scottish historian John Lesley when,
Hungus King of the Picts was at
tackled by AthelstaH King of the
West Saxons he called to lis as
sistance Achaius King Of the sScotk
who joined him with 10000 of his
subjects. On the eve of the battle
the enemy endeavored to surprise
King Achafus and King Hungus bt
creeping farefooted across the ap-
proaches to their camp. ThiStles
abounded there as elsewhere in Scot-
land. and the enemy. treadfng on tn est,
thistles with their bare feet, and with
their naked legs torn, by the thorns
could not refrain from .uttering howls
OF pain and OF dismay, with the re-
suit that the Picts and the Scots we're
awakened in time from their slun-
bers, and not only beat back the
enemy, but inflicted upon them
most signal defeat.
X X n X
From that time forth, namely FROM
the tenth century, the thistle became
the national emblem and chosen
flower of Scotland. and to this day
the arms Of Scotland are emblazoned
with the spiked involucer which
speaks to all the significant words
Memo, me impune lacessit" (No ono
touches me with impunity), which Is
the motto of the Order of the Thistle.
The latter is believed by all good
Scots to have been founded to COM
memorate that battle and that victory
over the invader. Indeed. the golden
collar of the order is composed OF
links in the form of thistles, and the
order has always been known as the
Most Ancient Order of the Thistl4
an order which is restricted exclu
sivelysto Scottish peers and to princes
of the reigning house by virtue Of
their Stuart ancestry, and which has
never included any foreign sovereign
or foreign prince Or foreign Statesman
or military dignitasy An it's ranks.
/ u