AGED EMPEROR DEAD

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2936, 23 November 1916, Page 5

AGED EMPEROR DEAD

THE PASSINC OF FRANCIS JOSEPH OF AUSTRIA

LONG REIGN DARKENED BY TRAGEDY

By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright (Extraordinary.) (Reiner's Telegram.) (Rec. November 22, 7.55 p.m.) _ London, November 22. ilie Emperor Francis Joseph of Aus-tria-Hungary is dead, at tlio age of 86. Australian-New Zealand Oable Association. (Hoc. November 23, 1.30 a.m.) • London, November 22. •Tlie news of tlie death of tho Einporor iVancis Joseph was only received in London after the papers had gone to press, though, rumours of his serious condition had been circulating in Amsterdam, Paris, and London a'fter mid L night. Inflammation of the right lung was detected on Monday night. His temperature was above normal, but the heart was strong. Tlie Emperor had continued at work throughout the day, so no particular anxiety was felt untij Tuesday morning.

The news of the Emperor's death in Vienna made ail intense impression on the population. The newspapers published special editions, and a Cabinet Council was immediately convened. Count Tisza, the Hungarian Premier, has left Budapest for Vienna. The successor to the throne .'(the Archduke Charles) has been in Vienna for some time.

BRIEF BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH The Austrian Emperor has twice previously, since the war began, been reported to be either dead or in a dying condition. These reports were probably based on the then rumours of the state of his health, and were no doubt the anticipations of enterprising newspaper correspondents, whoso zeal outran their discretion. There was a good deal of irresponsible "kite-flying" in the earlier 6tages of the war, and as was explained in The Dominion in an interesting artjcle entitled "Reporting the War fro-n tho Desk-side," the strict conditions or the censorship and the difficulty .of obtaining news from the enemy's countries, led to a great deal of matter being passed through the news services "on the chance that it "might be true." Into this class must be placed the previous reports of the Austrian Emperor's death, or expected demise. There does not appear to be any reason in tho preselit case for doubting the authenticity of Router's telegram. Recent reports of the sta,te of his health have justified tho anticipation that tho end of the aged Emperor was near. His life was darkened by a scries of disasters to his Empire, and tho Royal House of Hapsburg. His brother, his wife, and his son, were torn from him-by violent deaths, and the culminating tragedy cf bis long reign was the assassination, at Sarajevo, on June 28, 1914, of his nephew, the Archduke l'rancis Ferdinand, heir-presumptiVe to the throne, with his consort, the Duehess of Hohenburg. This crime served as the pretest for the launching of the longprepared schemes of the Teutonic Jsmpires for a European war. The late Emperor signed the decree that authorised tho declaration of war upon Serbia, and tho sequonce of events that followed is fresh in the public mind. Francis Joseph I was born on August 18, 1830. He was tho son of tho late Archduke Francis Charles, and succeeded his uncle, Ferdinand I, as Emperor of Austria on December 2, 1848. He was crowned King of Hungary on Jnne 8, 1867. The beginning of 1 his reign was marked by important events. Hungary was in a state of rebellion, which was quelled by the help of Russia. His Italian dominions were saved by tho genius of General Radetsky. Tho Emperor made strenuous efforts "to prevent the Crimean War, and refused to join France and England. After the Austro-French War of 1859 he was compelled to sign tho treaty of peace of Villafranca, by which .Lombardy was ceded to Italy. In 1866 lie lost the Duchy of Holstein, obtained by the convention of Gastein, and in the same year, as tho result of the war with Prussia, Venetia also. That year was fatal to the supremacy of Austria in Germany, the contest being decided in favour of Prussia by tho treaties of Wbolsburg and Prague respectively. "?Tio Turkish provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina wore, by tho Berlin Congress of 187S, placed under the administration of Austria-Hungary, and annexed in 1908. In 1834 tho Emperor Francis Joseph married tho Princess Elizabeth.Amalie Eugenio (daughter of fclie DuTco Maximilian Joseph of Bavaria), who was murdered by an Italian anarchist at Geneva in 1898. The Now Emperor. The Archduke Charles _ Francis Joseph, who, after the assassination at I (Sarajevo, succeeded his uncle, the lato

Archduke Francis Ferdinand, as HeirPresumptive to the Hapsburg throne, was born on August 17, 1887. He is the eldest son the late Archduke Otto, the younger brother of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, and of tho Archduchess Maria Josepha, sister of the Duke of Saxony. His father, who died of an incurable disease in November, 1906, had been a brilliant officer, and was the handsomest of the Hapsburg princes. His mother, the Archduchess Josepha supervised his education with tho utmost care, and sought as far as possible to correct any unwelcome tendency that he might have inherited. He grew up a shy, simple youth, indistinguishable from the mass of young Archdukes, and, scarcely appeared in public until his marriage on October 21, 1911, to the Princess Zita of Bourbon Parma. This marriage, which the Emperor promoted, was ex-

'tremely popular ill Austria, both on account of the you til of tlie Arckducal couple mid of the winning character of the bride. It was hailed, moreover, as affording a promise of an eventual return to a more direct line of succession than the transmission of -the Crown' from uncle to nephew. This promise was fulfilled in November, .1912, by the birth of their-son, the youthful Archduke Francis Joseph Otto. | , . .