LUXEMBURG'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 48, 21 November 1918, Page 5

LUXEMBURG'S COURT

A PEOPLE BETRAYED

PRINCE RUPPRECHT'S BRIDE

The Amsterdam "Telegraaf" recently published an article showing how tho Grand Duchess of Luxemburg's young sister became engaged to the Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria—who is old enough to be her father—after a visit by Count ITertling, the German Chancellor. Luxembou'rgers, says the writer, who are strongly opposed to their pro-German Court, mid vow not to become Prussian, were astounded to hear the news in '-iew of Germany's violation of two treaties io respect Luxembourg's neutrality. "Germany,'' he continued, "established garrisons there; requisitioned railways, post; and telegraphs; expelled the Ministers of foreign Powers from the country, and by so doing deprived Luxembourg of even the appearance of independence; and abolished the immunity of her people's representatives, She keeps exports so slrnetly under supervision that the country is at a standstill, interferes in dispute.! between Luxembourg employers and workers; stretches a network of es.pionage over the whole country; arbitrarily imprisons, condemns to death, or deports civilians known for their freedom of thought, ar.d action—in a word, treats Luxembourg as conquered territory, and Luxembourgers as a conquered people. Tho Grand Ducal family alone does not share the people's feelings. Its sympathies are openly for the intruder. During, an years of its government the dynasty of the Nassauers, has forgotten no-, thing and learned nothing. It always remembers its foreign origjn, turns in back on the essential character of 1 uxernbourg, and, as it is German, has surrounded itself with Germans. The Luxembourg people have always be-on angry at H'is foreign camarilla's insulfcg anegane'e and anti-patriotic zeal. The Press opr.-ised it, various deputies laised the subject, and the Minister of State ,(M. Paul Peyschen) made a discreet renresentation. to the Court. In ia'in. The family of Nassau continued to seek its advisers outside the country. Invaders Helped, "When the first German gangs streamed over the country these wonderful representatives of a so-called neutral Court ivere soon sauntering the streets of tho capital, showing tne wuy to the intruders' advance guard and fraternising in Merl camp with German officers. The Grand Duchess did not dismiss them. They retained; their titles and salaries, and /the unusual spectacle was .observed of a Luxembourg courtier fighting in tho ranks of tho cowardly army which had murdered Luxembourg's independence. On August 30, 1914, Luxembourgers could seo how their p'rincess,' standing >.t the entrance to her palace, surrounded by her mother and her sisters, humbly greeted the German Emperor, who condescended to pay her a visit—one might have said a. fief paying homage to her liege lord. And William was so gracious as to express his exalted Imperial satisfaction! A rumour was current in Luxembourg at about the same time that the Grand Duchess was secretly betrothed to one of the Kaiser's sons, a fantastic rumour indeed, as the Grand Duchess is too strict a Catholic to agree to marriage with a Protectant Prince, even the son of a Kaiser. But it was a most significant, rumour, as indicating the very close relations openly existing between the Courts of Berlin and Luxembourg. •

"Shortly after, one of the Grand Duchess's sisters was present at Karlsruhe, accompanied by her aunt, the Grand Duchess of Baden, at a parade of German troops. This after the fall of Antwerp! Through an indiscretion of a Luxembourg post effica official, proofs exist of the sympathy, exchanged telegraphically, between the Kaiser and the Ijirand Duchesses. It is also know with what triumphant joy the Grand Duchess Maria Anna hastened to inform one of her daughters that Felix, one of the relatives of the Grand Ducal family, 'was the first to enter Przemysl' (in Galicia). It is also no secret that (ho relations between the Luxembourg and Geirman Courts have never been more regular or hearty. The Princesses and Grand Ducal mother take every opportunity of making journeys to Germany.

19 to Marry 50. "Luxembourg papers of a week or- so ago announced that the Grand Duchess bad returned from Cologne, where she had passed some days. Thu Crown Prince of Bavaria and the Grand Duchess of Baden are favourite guests at Berg Castle, and a well-informed person asserts that the Grand Duchess never makes an important decision on political affairs without first consulting the German Chancellor, Count Hertling. Now comes the crowning act of this scandalous procedure. The Grand Duch'ess has abandoned all reserve, and has openly gone over to the Court of the enemy. It is old Hertling's skilful hand which 'has steered her thither. One can easily aen that in difficult moments Gorinnnys experienced Chancellor would not withdraw himself from his grave anxieties and come to Luxembourg to bandy empty compliments. The result surpassed the . worse anticipations. The Grand Duchess Maria Adelaide, head of the ruling princely House of Luxembourg, baa given the hand of .her sister Antoriia to one of the princes who violated 'her country, and has oppressed her people! She makes herself accessory to the German crime. But when one' reflects that the.bride does not number 19 summers, and that her betrothed is about 50, and a widower with a son to boot, one must assume that love itself cannot serve as an excuse for this alliance, which can |be nothing but the result of. a political calculation. It is an-assur-ance given by the Nassau family in case the chances of war should turn. Luxembourg is welded to Germany by dynastic bonds and condemned after the war to enter the federation or at least the political sphere of Germany. "What avails it that the Grand Duchess in 19U solemnly protested against the violation of her country? Her acts contradict her 'words. Does it avail that in her Speech Irom the Throne on November 10, 1911, she declared that she shared all her people's thoughts and feelings?- He.r assertion throws her ignorance or duplicity into greater relief. Never lias a princess worse understood her subjects, or taken less account of their sympathies and antipathies. The Grand Duchess betrayed her people by treading' underfoot their feelings, honour, and interests. She betrayed the Allies, by conspiring with their enemies. Her people and the Allies will remember this at the approaching day of the, great, settlement."