White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1929-02-22
FIGHT TO PUT SONS
ON VACANT THRONE
Rival Widows Battle for
Crown of Hungary.

Paris.-A bitter, undercover strug-
gle is on between two branches Of the
Hapsburg family for the unoccupied
throne of Hungary. Two widows head
the rival factions. Each is scheming
to place her son on the coveted throne.
The two women are the former EN-.
press Zita, widow of Emperor Charles,
and the Archduchess Isabella, widow
of Archduke Friedrich
The sons In whom the two women
have centered their ambitions are the
sixteen-year-old Prince Otto, the
crown prince. and his thlrty-one-year-
old cousin, the Archduke Albrecht.
The strife between the two women,
their sons and their fractional allies Is
just far enough beneath the surface to
keep out of the news.
News Almost Broke.
Two months ago it almost broke in
to the headlines. November 20 was
Prince Otto's sixteenth birthday. The
'legitimists," champions of Otto's
candidacy, have long been chatting with
Impotence, and had decided that on
that day they would take destiny in
both hands and proclaim Otto king.
They almost did it. But there were so
many obstacles in the way that cooler
heads prevailed, and the birthday
feast was reduced to the proportion
of quiet, intimate rejoicing
True, Hungary, according to her con-
stitution. is a kingdom without a king.
True that Otto is the legitimate heir.
True that monarchists are in control
of the cabinet, that they have ma
jority in parliament, and that they
command the army. Within the coun-
try there was little to prevent the
legitimists from carrying out their
project. But without, there was the
rub. The peace treaty declares that no
Hapsburg shall accede to the Hun
garian throne, and CZechoslovakia,
Poland, Rumania, and Yugo-Slavia are
Hapsburg Is crowned. Another obstacle
is that Empress Zita, who is fiercely
DESTROYS of making her son king, has
no money with which to finance the
preliminaries. In any case 1t was de-
cided that the time for Otto Is not
yet ripe"
A Hapsburg May Reign Again.
Give Austria time to merge herself
with Germany. Hope that Croatia
will continue in her mood of seces-
sion and in seeding will weaken Yugo-
Slavia. Let Rumania founder a
while longer in the confusion of u
weak regency ruling for six-year-old
king, and the time may come when
even Hapsburg may be king again
Between the devil and the deep sea
are the legitimists. If they enthrone
Otto now, the allies will surely de-
throne him again within month. If
they do not enthrone him now, the
rival faction of mOnarchists may pro-
claim Abrecht the favored candidate,
and may edge Prince Otto out of the
running.
Albrecllt, too, has the Hapsburg
handicap. But his mother has plenty
| of money. She has saved almost all
of her great 'pre-war fortune. His
supporters believe that, though he is a
Hapsburg. he is far enough removed
from the direct line not to be nbso.
lutely taboo. They believe that II he
were made an elected king the allies.
though they might dislike 1t. would
not go to war to dethrone him.
Another COUSIN of Prince Otto has
recently thrown CONSERVATION in both
camps with sensational declaration
that, despite his titles, Albrecht is
not Hapsburg. He Is, according to
this statement the ilegmimate son
Of the Archduchess Isabella and IL
handsome Hungarian army officer to
whom Albrecht bears striking re-
semblance.
This charge Is made by the Arch
duke Leopold, who challenges Al
brecht to prove by blood analysis
that he is genuine Hapsburg.
From these bare facts, Invested Of
the tangle of intrigue which sur
rounds them, 1t is apparent to the
most sluggish imagination that the
vacant throne Of Hungary waits I'M
easily.