Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-18
THREAT OF DUEL GIVES
LAUGH TO DIPLOMATS
SUMMERlNG IN CAPITAL

Continued from First Page)
has taken Summer quarters Mt Will
Jamestown, Mass. leaving only col.
ored attendant in charge of the Of
fees here. no additional light could he
thrown on the challenge which the OK
archduke is supposed to have tele-
graphed to Count Szechenyi. Accord
ing to Alfred Neuhardt. the arch
dukes secretary. who yesterday made
public the correspondence which he
says caused the trouble, the archduke
has become financially embarrassed,
after two months of travelling in this
country, and on his secretary's advice
communicated to the Hungarian Min
listers secretary his desire to negotiate
a loan from friends in New York, so
that he would not be thought an inn
poster. The Minister'S reply, says the
secretary, said:
Il received today your takloss tele-
gram. You must say to your friends
in New York that they must not send
money to you through the Hungarian
legation"
"Takloss" means without tact-in-
discreet" according To the archduke's
secretary, and his highness, offended,
wired back:
Il received today your offending
telegram. 1t is very difficult for me
TO answer it because you were before
the war only a 1akai' of my family.
But | will say that n duel can be ar
ranged and | slap in your face my
fighting glove"
The word "lakai" meant that be
fore the war the minister was a serv-
e. H..
that incensed the Hungarian staff.
No one in diplomatic circles here
takes the challenge" seriously. In
more than one quarter the opinion
was expressed that it was nothing
more than "a Hollywood publicity
stunt"
Archduke Leopold. according to in.
formation obtained here, is a citizen
Of Austria and the proprietor of the
ToScana Garage in Vienna. To become
n citizen of Austria, it was necessary
for him to renounce his allegiance 10
the Hapshurgs, and accept the new
constitution of the Austrian Republic.
CIings to Title.
Since his soiourn in the United
States, it was said he has repeatedly
disclaimed that he is an Austrian
citizen and calls himself "Archduke"
Leopold, a title which has been
abolished
The American public would not
pay any attention to him If he came
here as an ordinary citizen" one
legation attache said today, so he has
been calling himself 'Archduke.' Con-
sequently when he applied to the
hungarian legation for relief. he was
denied. for in Hungary he is regarded
as n traitor"
1T was explained that in Hungary
the members of the Hapsburg family
are still recognized as such, but the
government refuses to recognize any
member Of the family who has recog-
nized the Austrian republic.
So ArchGuke Leopold or Mr.. leo
poId, whatever his citizenship really
is. appears 10 have gotten into hot
water SO far as his relations with
either legation is concerned.
So long as he calls himself "arch.
duke the Austrian legation will not
recognize him as n citizen. and so
long as he is an Austrian citizen. the
Hungarian legation will not recognize
HIM as Archduke Leopold. So that's
that.
AS for the duel. there appears to he
another side IN that. TOO. The cere.
MONIES attendant upon a duel are
very formal and he rules very strict
IL IS necessary, before . d0el can be
fought, for the honor of each con.
testapt 10 he unqucstioned.
If the duel is To he fought in Hun.
gary. n council of inquiry would he
conducted 10 determine whether each
participant is lin full honor" so to
speak. According 10 diplomatic cir
Giles familiar with dueling ethics. a
Hungarian court would hardly per.
init Count Scecheuyi to engage in n
duel with one who is regarded as
traitor"