Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-29

VET. strangely enough, not all Of the acts OF
this supreme siren we're unworthy: She
found the time and had the interest TO estab-
l,sh the great porcelain works at Sevres and
the Eeole NElitaire, school for the education
of cadets for the army from among the sons OF
the IMPOVERISHED nobility. From this school
in its 81 wears of existence there were 70 Issue
many of Frances best military Leaders, among
them an Enperor-Napoleon the great cooeaAA
tapestry works were enlarged and capltan1eo
through her efforts, and she was q sincere
generous and sympathetic patron ana pene-
factress of the artists and hterateurs OF tne
dav. This operated as a powerful cultural fnfa4-
ence in a time Of universal social degeneTacy.
But what Of his most Christian majesty the
King Louis XIV? Perhaps the least said OF MN
the better. weakling from birth, ms one
object in life was 10 cater TO his Wnlms ana
fancies and the exertion of governing his conn-
try was to one Of his disposition an tntolerane
bore. On questions of state he was rarely able
to make decisions of his own, and he was only
too glad to defer to others. When, therefore,
fate led to him the ravishing de Etioaes, en-
dowed with brains and ambition, and being
corsummate actress, able to keep nm amused
she became the embodiment of great political
force-a force, however that was to De potent
for the undoing of France.
Charles VI of Austria, having no male heir,
endeavored through sort of family contract
entered into with the Diets of the various HapS-
burg territories and guaranteed by the leaning
states of Europe to secure the succession to
his throne through his female descendants
and to insure the integrity of the Austrian
dominions. This compact or instrument, was
called the Pragmatc Sanction.
The Oldest daughter of Charles, Maria
Theresa duly succeeded him on his demise in
174O, but almost Immediately Frederick II OF
Prussia, without any real right, but on the
@nlo f<.G
through an act of brutal aggression proceeded
to make war on Austria in order to despOil her
of the Silesian territory on his southern border.
This was another instance of where treaties
or agreements became merely scraps of paper
when the lust of conquest gained the mastery
over men. Drawn into the war with Frederick
were France, Bavaria, Saxony and Spain, while
England allied herself with Austria After eight
years of weary, costly struggle, the conflict,
which is known as the War of the Austrian
Succession was ended by the signing of treaty
of peace at AK la Chappelles in l748.
But no real peace was established. Frederick,
triumphantly clutching in his iron fist the
bloody trophy of SileSia, torn from Austria was
highly content, but no other state, let alone
Austria, was satisfied with the fortunes of war.
AnimositieS smoldered, grievances ranked, and
throughout Europe there prevailed nothing more
enduring than a sort of unstable armed truce.
1t needed but a spark to again set roaring the
flames of war. ...
Strangely enough tn spark was emitted in
far-away America. 1t came in the blast from
the rifles of handful of provincial skirmishers
led by the young surveyor soldier, George WASH
ington in the backwoods of Pennsylvania in 1854
The renewed conflict is known as the Seven
Years War; in its American phase 1t is called
the French and Indian War. This was the
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