Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-18
BY COUNT CARLO sFoRzA,
Former italian Minister of Foreign -Anairs
and Ambassador to France.

IL Giles and in French conversation
of dramatic literature and the
theater Nine out Of 10 smart dinner
parties in Paris begin with the soup,
and 90 on with the fish, discussing the
play of the day.
one Of the most discussed Of the re-
cent French plays was the romantic
drama, Napoleon w" The author is
Maurice Rostand, the son of Edmond
Rostand, who some 20 years ago wrote
"L'Aiglon," another play on another
Bonaparte.
There was never Napoleon w on the
French throne. Napoleon III, father OF
the prince imperial, abdicated after the
defeat of Sedan. in 1870, and at that
moment there was no place in France
for q third or fourth Napoleon. The
last one had been a SUFFICIENT disaster.
His son went quietly to England with
his mother, the Empress Eugene. In
1872 he entered the Military Academy
at Woolwich. and in 1875 he was grad
uated seventh in the commission class.
Being a FTeuchman, and being pre-
tender It was impossible for him to
enter the British army in the ordinary
way. But at that time England was
engaged in a small colonial war, some
where in rather unknown Zuluiand.
Prince Wants to Join Army.
When the Zulu War began to 60
wrong, the French prince asked to be
allowed to join the army. The Tnike
of Cambridge. then commander in chief
of the British army, suggested that he
might 20, but on his own account. He
was to receive special letters for Lord
Chelmsford, commander in chief Of the
forces in South Africa, allowing him to
follow the operations. He sailed from
Southampton February 81, 1879. His
mother. the Empress Eugene. was there
to see him OF; and while still in South
symptom she received the following tele-
gram from Queen Victoria:
"Je vous prize, chere Soeur, d'agreer
Repression de tous mes voeux pour
votre fils bien-aime qui part accom-
payne des bons souhaits de Ia nation
entiere. Que Dieu lie benisse ct lie
garde."
A few weeks after his arrival In the
British colony the prince accompanied
q accommodating party to point nearer
the enemy. The party. consisting OF
the prince, Capt Carey, who was in
command, and six soldiers, of whom
one was Frenchman named lie Tocq,
were surprised while resting in kraal
without having taken proper precau-
tons.
When the Zulus were detected the
party waited until the order to mount
had been given and then fired and
rushed. Capt Carey and four Of the
party, including lie Tocq got away. A
were killed. The princes horse took
fright, and, unable to mount, the prince
ran beside 1t until 1t broke away from
him. Then, single handed, he fought
seven or eight of the enemy-"like a
lion at bay" as the Zulus said later on
and fell with Is or more wounds in
front.
Political Plot Silly.
quarters Of the commander in chief.
dead"
And you, sir. you live?" was the ter
ffble answer Of Lord Chelmsford.
These are the facts, from which
young Rostand, evidently haunted by
the fame his father won by mag
lining IN "L'Aiglon" the life OF Napoleon
II. has resorted to a perversion Of his
tory which Is evidently absurd No
Dumas, no Hugo. would have dared to
take such liberties with facts. The
younger RoStand has imagined that the
prince felt himself withdrawn from his
mothers heart, that he felt the void of
his life, and wanted to do something:
and that In this something Queen Vic
torta and her callous government saw
the occasion to lay an ambush for the
French pretender and have him re-
moved from the scene. since Napoleon
may always develop into danger or
into menace for Albion.
The political part Of the plot Is too
silly for words. In England they have
had sense and dignity enough to re-
30 rxf,, y d.
The truth is that the news OF the
prince tmperial's death was received in
England with CONSERVATION. The
Queen telegraphed to the prime minis
ter, Lord Beaconsfield: Stunned and
horrif1ed at the news. Poor, dear En-
press. her all is gone"
A few days later the Queen went to
see the Empress at Chistlehurst. After
the visit Victoria wrote in her diary:
1T is heartrending and most touch
ing to see her. She is so uncomplain-
ing, so gentle resigned and not accus-
ing any one, but utterly broken
hearted"
Queen Records Journey.
In July, 1879, a few weeks after the
first visit, the Queen went again to
Chistlehurst and thus she recorded the
visit In her journal:
"She (the Empress) then repeated
again all the circumstances of his wish
ing to 60 to South Africa. How. when
he had first mentioned 1t. she tried TO
dissuade him In every way, and had
even thought OF writing to me, In order
to beg me to prevent it. But when she
saw how bent he was upon 1t, saying to
his mother that he had no object In
life, 'Je ne suis pas homrne de plaisir,
that he cared for nothing Of that kind
nor for going out into society, refusing
endless invitations, 'Je ne peux rien
faire dams mon propre pays'-what
should he therefore do?-she felt she
must no longer stand in his way. When
he was refused he was in perfect
despair.
lies pleurs jaiTlissaient de ses yeux.
1ui qui ne pleurait jamais,' and In an
Swer to her question, what was the mat
ter, he replied, On ma refuse Seeing
this, though the Empress was at hrst
delighted at the thought OF his not be-
ing able to 60, she became alarmed at
this state Of despair he was in. and went
herself to the war ONCE, unknown to
any one, to ask If nothing could stfIl be
arranged for him to 60 in some way or
another. She then turned to me, say
ing amid her tears, 'Vous ne croyez
pas que J'aurais pu faire autrement, que
de lie latS5er part1r'? assured ner tnab
I thought she had done quite right"
Besides authentic documents like this
one I have quoted, all the relations OF
Queen Victoria with Napoleon III and
the Empress Eugene are sufacient to
prove the grotesque absurdity OF any
suggestion that the Queen feared the
Prince Imperial or had political reasons
for Wishing him out Of the way.
Some Basis or Truth.
Such knowledge is public property.
Nobody In France, not even the crowds
that cheered Rostands play, had the
least doubt.