OBITUARY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1368, 20 February 1912, Page 5

OBITUARY.

COUNT VON AEHRENTHAL.

By Telesrapli-Press Association-Copyright ■ Vienna, February 18. Count von Aehrcnthal, the Austro-Hun-garian Foreign Minister, (lied at ten o'clock last night. The Count who had been unwell for eonie time, bade farewell to his colleagues and the members of his family in the afternoon. Ho was cheered on reading Emperor Francis Joseph's letter decorating him and eulogising his faithful and distinguished services. Count, Leopold lierchtold, ex-Ambassa-dor at St. Petersburg, has been appointed Count von Aehrenthul's successor as Foreign Minister. Ho is married to the Countess Karolyi, n dnughter of a former Ambassador in England.

THE MAN WHO SET EUROPE ABLAZE. THE CRISIS OF 1908. Count Alois Lcxii yon Aereuthal, the man who was responsible for the successful coup of 1908 by which Austria-Hun: nary annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina, hardly looked a. diplomatist or a statesman. His appearance suggested rather a university professor more interested in theoretical and abstruse problems than in. practical affairs of. State. Ho had a worrying defect of the eyes, and the spectacles which he wore when at work in his sanctum at the Ballhausplntz in Vienna, added to his cautious, slow manner, his suave tone of voice—these all accentuated his prof&ssional appearance. Count Aerenthal was a descendant of an old German family, which had been residont in Bohemia for several centuries. His father, in the seventies, took a leading part in Austrian politics, and was for many years member of Parliamentand a representative of the Bohemian Grossgrundbesitz. He was instrumental at one/ time in preventing tho disruption of the Liberal eloment of (hat party. . Count Aerenthal, who completed his studies at Prague and Bonn, tegan his diplomatic career in Paris in 1877. The following year ho was transferred to St. Petersburg, where he remained for ten years, i In 1888 he was called to Vienna by Kalnoky as on Tinder-Secretary. He was again sent out to St. Petersburg as i Counsellor of tho Embassy, and in 1895 ivent as Austrian Minister to Bucharest, whero ho only remained one year. In IB9G he returned to' St. Petersburg, this time in tho capacity of nn Ambassador.

• Count Aerenthal became Minister for Foreign Affairs after the resignation of Count Goluchowski. lioth that resignation / and Baron Aerenthnl's appointment caused great surprise in political and diplomatic circles.

Why should the Austrian Ambassador to Russia have been selected as the successor of Count Goluohowski in preference to other diplomatists and politicians of equal, if not superior, ability? The answer before long was clear to everyone. Count Aeronthal was selected because of his clearly-defined foreign policy. He was the man to carry out Count Kalnoky's great scheme in the Balkans. Those who knew the baron expected important] developments in the Near East from the very day of his appointment. Count Aerenthal early showed His practical good sense as Foreign Minister by Hie schemo of railway building initiated bv him for Iho furtherance of AustroIlungarian trndo in Macedonia; but this —as were nil other schemes for ameliorating the condition of the- Balkan Slateswas rudely checked by the sudden, albeit bloodless, revolution which took place !n Turkey during July of 1908; and it was it this moment that he showed himself a nan of initiative and decision. The entire liplomatic world had been taken by surprise, so well had the Young Turks kept ;heir secret; and it, has never been shown 'hat Vienna was one whit better informed khan the rest of Europe. Nevertheless, between July 30 and October 1. Aerenthal had matured his plans, • calculated to a nicety the forces of opposition and support, and had assured himself of his ability to secure a substantial advantage to- his country on his own terms. An bffensivo and defensive arrangement with Bulgaria was necessary, and was accomplished. It was the only weak link in tho chain; but it did not break, and Bulgarian independence was proclaimed almost simultaneously with tho annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Hapsburg Crown. How accurately Aerenthal had gauged the capacities of tho Powers of the Triple Entente events conspicuously revealed. M. Isvolsky travelled to Paris and he travelled to London. Wherever ho went, newspapers were full of I those "compensations'' which Russia would demand, particularly of the "question of tho Straits." London lalk«<l of a conference; the British Foreign Office actually issued a programme; there could be no recognition till a conference Had settled a number of questions which so notable a disturbance in the halance nf power had naturally opened up. Small warships were sent to the iEgenn—"a mark of sympathy with Turkey'in her severe trial," said "The Times," "which will, no doubt, be duly appreciated at l Constantinople." The Turks continued to flatter Great Britain and to express '.gratitude/ , till, at the end of a fort night, it became plain that no ono was Roing to stir a finger in their behalf, that a conference was unlikely even to assemble, and that a general recognition of the altered state of things would follow in what may be styled the usual course of diplomatic business.