AUSTRIA – HUNGARY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 415, 26 January 1909, Page 6

AUSTRIA - HUNGARY.

THE EMPEROR'S JUBILEE—AND :.' AFTER. :,-...■'■' In the "Daily Mail" of December 2 a "diplomatic correspondent ■"• '■■'■ writes:—Thb Emperor Francis Joseph, :who: ; to-day cele-brates-the sixtieth anniversary, of his.ac'ces-: sion to the thrones of Austria and Hungary, is not only one of the most dignified; figures onthe great stage of European politics, but also a personality, of many endearing ■ quali-; ■ties. The welfare of-his people, and the peace, of the world lie : very near', his heart,-for - to: him who has gone ...through-so'-, much -bitter experiences, war,, with, all-its attendant; miseries,.'must 'be'especially/'abhorrent..- '; ■-'He. has-been; spared,-, it'.•■would.; seem/ scarcely/any tragedythat.can befallaman; His dearest': brother,- Maximilian, went to Mexico, thinking, to establish';a' Hapsburg dynasty as, Emperor of - that', country, but;. .left, to his fafeby Napoleon III,; he was shot down ,by revolutionary insurgents.': ; Another brdther, the Archduke - Ludwig 'Victor/ lost. his reason, and is kept, iii close confinement in; achateau -near Salzburg;/'-His 'Only, son, Rudolf, already so popular and so promising;. and'towhom he hoped one day to handoverthe successjori, committed ~ suicide in the; prime of his youth and strength Jin circumstances peculiarly tragic/ .His wife, the Empress Elizabeth, fell stabbed'by. an: assassin's, dagger-a few minutes later. •:'-.';' ; ;.:.;. _ • These; are.only the.: most conspicuous mis- ■ Fortunes'' of a life remarkably :.sad, but-; calculated.to force sobriety of: thought on any man and cause him, to: shrink'.from the responsibility of iaflicting on others the evils, miseries/and horrors which,war brings in'its train.--/ .-■ ,•;.-. ,/-:./ :.- '■: : ..; ;.'lf,■'moreover,:in his■ private:life the Emperor Francis Joseph has been peculiarly unfortunate, it-must .be .admitted-that he has been no less.so as. a- monarch.;;./-:. A;Troubled; Past.// '//,-.'/./"/-. \ . When he ascended the.-'throne as a .mere' boy of eighteen, in 1848,' after the abdication of the Emperor Ferdinand—called "The Good-hearted,"; for he had no other claim to remembrance by posterity-rAustria and Hungary were in the throes .of-.revolution, the'., youthful Emperor was to give his _ consent to - ; many' executions/,, and' even to invoke; the aid of Russian; troops for the subjugation of the Hungarians, before, he could/consider., himself, established- on /his. ; throne; "A period of : ten years' calm ensued/ but .in 1859 -Napoleon -wantonly war and,.after -inflicting several'defeats on herarms,' seriously lowered Austria's prestige ; in Italy.- >■■'-; //.■;.'-:'--;-/ .:/'.;/;/ ''■•'' / ,- -;- /In 1866 Prussia -struck': her -great blow at the'Hapsburg dynasty,,'and' a'-'short but de-' cisive -• campaign -deprived'"Austria; of ;; .her preponderance in Germany' and; of 1 : her fair Italian provinces; -; ■''//•/.; 'i ! /;■;-/ -'.-v .:.' In :■ internal; affairs the Emperor .-Francis Joseph has been more kindly- treated- -by fate. Although/keenly jealous of,'his prerogatives, he has-in : the 'end- always' -yielded/to/,the ]ust demands of -his. peoples/and 'has'earned' a reputation for. keeping' fajth .with, them, since, once 1 ' a .concession/has':'been' grainted he', has allowed, ho. -attempt'/at/'any withdrawal or/restriction Of; its', benefits.- ./-/:". - - _ He:fought.ilong/-against'';'the.-'.'Hungarian demands. for; self-government,-/'bnt- when 'it had .'been .granted-; observed/its '/prbvlsions' loyally., ■:'■ Since .Austria, has ..'been, given a Constitution he has acted cpnscientiou'sly.as a constitutional monarch'/ £k that terms-is understood;'"in Austria, -where;. : it: mu?t- be .admitted 'really-- self-governing- institutions' on /British., lines /are; unknown," and, indeed, possibly"'beypnd;'the/average; intelligence' of, :her ,citizens'; .-; ;./.|/./ ;/■":';;■:•-//■;'/'■ :. Francis; Joseph'has never, been;'kn'own'■' 'to show/partiality, for - any/one. .'of/the ' many nationalitiesicomprised' in -his;dominions, ; and ; although a staunch//and '/almost, /'bigoted Roman Catholio.he' has shown himself just to the: adherents of all; other: religions/ , In the; early ;ninet\cs, - for -example/.-after: much heartburning, be : ultimately 'J gave; his' consent! to the present; civil /marriage laws of Hun-1 gary, - which, permit/;marriage: between the followers '/of differing" religions',- and no; attempt, :to./npset:; these /laws has : ; ever been countenanced by/him./ ;/'v/;//■'■'•/ '/ Recent Events_in /Austria.' '/ ; ./// /• It, is /fair',' to'/say /that; the/Emperor - .has never .willingly' broken -a pledge '.:that he has once;given.;:; •/■;'/.- //■; ';'■.-.",-;'•■/■ /; ■ /..- / This/assertion can/be maintained, in "spite of/what has happened during the .p>st few. weeks, by one, who understands; the' circumstances, attending .the ;Imperial,proolamation /on the''annexation: of Bosnia/and.'/'Herze- ; govina. -It is.unjust to.throw;on : ,the Em-/peror-Francis' Joseph.:the'-responsibility ; for, ; this,affair,.which}has;revived.the worst tradi-; I tions. of: Austrian./diplomacy,/ is creating a- !■■ feeling;;of,' ; unrest - throughout!,'. Europe, and . still, seriously ■ threatens her -peace.' • >."■:■ :■';■■'■;' : Though still, active, healthy" for;: his '• age, : •andwjth fair prospect, of, some .'years, of life,--the: burden otitis seventy-eight'years' begins toweigh; on the : and .he is now almost -unconsciously, led ■ to, do -things, whioh he would'certainly never have, done on'his; owninitiative.,; He : has, never:, been/ perhaps, a .man'of great;determination,/aiid though still Emperor;and.nominally all-powerful, he:has',' during the -last few; years, lost all' his old and trusted -advisers, and lias -become gradually ; surrounded by men who ■ render, him lip-ser-vice only,' and whose eyes are' already turned towards'his successor/:.■ >/' I; '"■■ •; : Baron Beck arid Baron Bienerth, the last :two Prime,Ministers:of Austria,' havebott .been; of the/ Archduke-Ferdinand's -choice. ; So,- too,, are the new;- chief' of '/the ■ General Staff Hotzendorf and Baron Aerenthal,; the Minister,,for 'Foreign' Affairs of 'the- Dual Monarchy, ' who'withholds from -the Emperor'sknowledgo u the-real extent of the displeasure which Austria's action'. has aroused in Europe./;. '-,;-; --:/;..;■-■-•;-• •Thus we have the main features -of the aged _ monarch's. -character — simplicity, straight-forwardness,-, devotion/to duty, ab-,' solute iand. unswerving loyalty..-to -engagements,; even; those entered'into/against his ' personal inclination. ■ Now'he;stands near the close of.his life,-a-pathetic yetinoble figure,' looking forward into' a future darkened by problems, by new and conflicting policies; by. ominous rumours arid; disputes. What of the future? :.What : .will : ''be the' part in if for Austria to.play? v. / /-;,- :- : /. /■: The Power of the /; ■ The/actual position rinisi;.'cause''every dip;winatist to' look-anxiously into the future.: Happily the plan for inducing Francis Joseph, to,vacate his 'throne prematurely by addicatidn.on the occsasiori of His jubilee was frustrated,:mainly owing: to the" personal un-. popularity: of the Archduke; Ferdinand; but humanly speaking; the -day cannot be .very far distant when,the: Emperor-.will cease to reign. -What will happen then it is difficult ',to--foresee. The Archduke,-if .he succeeds, ,will no doubt; assume the -name borne by ,I<rancis I. and aim at following in the footsteps of that absolutist monarch, whose reign was. a succession of wars against Napoleon/1. /He will govern with a : hand of iron undisguised by any velvet glove,-and will ;press .forward relentlessly ./art aggressive ■policy., j _ ./.'/ /. ■ The. entire organised, forces 'of'Ronie'' will be behind this new Emperor/, arid will guide his hand, while the Jesuits will bo omnipotent in the Hofburg at Vienna, : aided by'-:-the Archduke's morganatic, wife,- ■'wjuKowes' to them.the present Emperor's saribtibn'to.her marnago. .- -■ -:• ,'•' .What will, follow then? --Will Austria/and Hungary separate as it has so often i been predicted? Will the-German.-'and'' Italian portions of the Empire; attempt to break away? Who can tell? The Hungarians will certainly not tolerate unconstitutional interference T from Francis Fordiriarid"; '■■' but Vthe conditions. are different - in,' Austria'■ Thereaiv berment of the;: Austro-Hungarian'/ Empire from within will be, offered by- the bureaucracy, which, from sheer; numbers ,has grown uito'a power to be reckoned'with in' the btate,- and, rigorously chokes' of popular' life m Vienna. ; However, discontented the people may ..grow, revolt against established authority is not likely to meet with much silccess in these future days while -the power of this preponderant bureaucracy, backed by a highly disciplined army, is vast and increasing.: . •/.■ : , .'/■'.''/■ .-,;,,, -'Yet the time may.come when tho'statosmen ■of Europe will wonder whether Bismarck really had so much foresight as- he was credited with when he coined the-phrase, If there had been no Austria it would have .been necessary to kvent her."