Evening star., 1938-02-24
By M. w, FODOR.
Chicago Daily News Correspondent

Chicago Daily News Correspondent.
VIENNA, Feb. 24.-The Albanians
who have long desired to see queen
properly installed in the palace of
their self-crowned King, Zog /,
should have their wish gratified in a
few weeks. The mountain chieftain
who fought his way to leadership first
as a warrior, then as premier and
finally assumed the kingly role has
found fiancee in beautiful Countess
Geraldine Apponyi.
The fact that the countess Is q
Roman Catholic while Zog is a Mos
lem is the least OF the obstacles to be
surmounted in bringing about the
royal match.
The chief obstacle for more than
10 years was the love affair of Zog
with the Viennese dancer, Mile.
Frances Janko. It was in the sum-
mer of 1924 that Msgr. Fan Noli.
formerly archbishop Of the Albanian
Church in Boston, Mass, succeeded
in ousting the four regents and Prime
Minister Pandel Evandjeli in Albania
Among the ousted members of the
government the most important was a
young fighter from Malta, the then
only 28-year-old Achmet Zogu tnow
King Zog ~ Achment, then min
lister of interior, escaped to Yugo-
slavia and came to Vienna an exile.
Met Young Austrian Dancer.
Here he lived in the Grand Hotel
and he occasionally visited Cabarets.
In the Trocadero he met young
dancer, Mile Frances (FranziskD
Jsnko. and fell Immediately in love
with her. When, q few months later,
sAchmet Zogu become premier Of
Albania he asked Mile. Janko to come
to Tirana
The father Of Franziska was a
gardener who lived in q small house
in suburb Of Vienna. She had two
sisters, one was married to an Aus
trian railway engineer, the other, IL
years older than Frances, a spinster.
This sister accompanied Frances to
Tirana. There the two sisters lived
in the home Of Achmet Zogu, even
when in 1928 he became King Zog I.
This relationship lasted until about
1885, when suddenly Mile. Janko re-
turned to Vienna She had three
fine Mercedes automobiles and Zog
bought her two huge houses in the
as compensation
for the break between them. The
break, however. did not mean the end
of Zog's affection for Frances.
But when the Kings mother, Prin-
cess Sadiye, died there was no woman
in the house to act as royal hostess.
Moreover, the various Premiers pes
tered the King to marry and to see
that the Matt dynasty, which he
founded, should have worthy sue
cessors.
Hoped to Wed M0hammedan.
Thus in 1885 the King parted with
his love and started to look for q
suitable match. In the beginning
he hoped to marry 4 Mohammedan
princess. The relatives Of the former
Sultan Of Turkey did not come into
consideration, but Zog hoped that one
OF the sisters of King Farouk of
Egypt would be a suitable match for
him. This match would have been
ideal, not only because the bride
would have been a Mohammedan,
but also because the Egyptian dynasty
was of Albanian origin through its
founder, Mehemet Ali Pasha. But
none Of the Egyptian princesses were
willing to leave the gay life of Cairo
for the seclusion Of the small palace
in Tirana, desolate Balkan village.
When the plans to marry = Mo-
hammedan princess failed, Zog COM
missioned his intimate friends to look
for suitable bride among the aristo-
cratic houses Of Austria or Hungary.
He probably could have got an Italian
countess or even princess. but. know
Ing the anti-Italian sentiment of 1
large section Of his population, he re-
Trained from 4 match with an italian
lady. His conditions were that the
fiancee-elect should be tall, good
looking, young and from an ancient
house-at least a countess. Money
was Of no importance. When the Al
banian court promised $4,000 to the
person who carried through such a
match the aristocrats OF Vienna and
Budapest busted themselves for
months In trying to induce their
cousins and nieces to marry the King
of Albania.
Stunned Albanian Capital.
But all the countessee in Vienna