England's Traitor Dukes

Horowhenua Chronicle, 30 October 1916, Page 2

England's Traitor Dukes

LIVING ON ENGLAND, FIGHTING FOR GERMANY.

(By J. J. BOSDAX, in Boston "Globe.")

The thiird Duke of Cumberland is King Edward's brother-in-law. He is also a distant cousin of the present King c:f Britain, Moreover, he is a distant heir to the British Throne. And lastly, he is now fighting against England, and is a major in the Prussian Army. The Thike of Cumberland who is popularly known in England as the "Traitor Duke" of England, is more bitteir against England 'than a Prussian colonel. The Duke of Cumberland's son, Prince Ernest of Scliles-wig-Holstein, only four years ago married the only daughter of the German Kaiser.

Besides many other mawiage ties the "Traitor" Duke of Cumberland is a direct lineal descendant of King George 111, and a second cousin of the present King of England 1 . The Duke of Cumberland is an old man. In case of his death his son, the son-in-law of the Kaiser becomes, heir-presumptive to the British throne—of course, if the present King and other descendants of Queen Victoria ara eliminated. If a bomb dtropped from. a German Zeppelin should exterminate the.Royal Household of Great Britain, then, under the British constitution. the British Parliament is bound to send for the "Traitor" Duke of Cumberland in Germany, or upon his death, send for Prince Ernest of SchleswiijgTMstein, sotf-in-law: of the lGermian Kaiser.

This is not a distant dream or an improbable fancy. Neither Germany nor England has regarded as a joke this probability of the (Duke of Cumberland and 3ms son becoming heiir-presump-tives to the British throne. More than one influential German newspaper has in the past called: the attention of their readers to the possibility iof extermitna-faiiig the present Royal Family and then demanding the British throstle for either the iDu'ke of Cumberland or his son. Nor is England less concerned regarding the Ihike of Cumberland and his remote probable ©laiim on the British throne. That there is a considerable element of British public opinion greatly excited over the "Traitor Duke'' of Cumberland and his future claims oan be unmistakeably seen from a recent interrogation of the British Prime Minister rin the House of Parliament.

Swift McNeil, a member of the House of Parliament, inquired of the Prime Minister in the House of Commons cm June 27tli, where.it was not a fact that the Duke of Cumberland, Earl of Armagh and Prince of the United Kingdom, a tiraiiitor in airms against the British Empire, was also in line succession to the throne of England under the Act of Settlement, and what steps would be taken to deprive him of the position under these provisions. The Prime Minister abstained from giving a direct answer to the question. The debate became heated. • He was repeatedly pressed for a definite answer, but to each and every question put to him by; vairious members of the Parliament his answer was evasive. Finally, Dr Lynch, an Irish member, shouted impatiently: "Are these tierman adventurers being sheltered; because of their Royal relatives?" "I am not sheltering anyione," retorted the British Prime Minister. He said: "If these persons could' be deprived of their royal titles by th'e strobe' of the pen I should not hesitate "to advise His Mafjestey to do it." But the Act of Settlement cannot be altered' without legislation, and) the possibility of the succession of the I>uke of Cumberland is so remote as to be virtually non-existent. .Therefore it does not appear that legislation On this subject at the present moment would serve any effectual purpose." The Prime Minister's answer did not satisfy (Mr McNeil, his interrogator. He said: "Is the right honourable gentleman aware that this gentleman and his son are both in arms against ns, and that he has written a letter to'the German Emperor congratulating him on the great German victory at Jutland? Is he to be retained. Act of Parliament or no Act of Parliament, in the possession of honours greater than were ever granted' to the DnJie of Wellington, while humble men, on the merest suspicion, of treason, are dismissed from their places?"

These remarks we re applauded, by the members of Parliament. Behind all these interrogations addressed, and indignation expressed on the floor of the British Pariamen't, lay the fact that there is a more powerful public indignation throughout the British Empire, For many years the British public funds have been squandered to the tune of £200,000 per year upon these traitor dulces and other relatives of the King. Indeed; the popular British mind considers that so long as these relatives of the British King are allowed to retain their titles, even while serving in the enemy armies against England, after the war they migh leg-

ally reclaim their unpaid pensions. Hie Duke of Albany, the cousin of the King is also in Germany, fighting against England. His allowance from the British Treasury is £6000. And this is not all. For a hundred years hundreds of thousands of pounds ' "T<» been paid out of the British Trea- - Bury to support the Royal relatives of the King of England, many off whom are total atangers to British soil. Not satisfied with fighting against England in the ranks of the German armies, Duke Ernest August of Brunswick, son of the Duke Cumberland and the Kaiser's son-in-law, has made many visits to the British camps many visits to the British prisoners in Germany in an attempt to induce them to join the Irish Brigade in Germany. However, according to the Socialist organ of Berlin. Sir Roger Casement would have nothing to do with the n.postate princes and dukes. This same royal relative of the King of England went to Brussels with the German a'rmy and was quartered at the royal palace of the Belgian w King at Laeken. where he gave some jovial dinners and made speeches against England, while still claiming his right to £6000 per year from the British Treasury.

Among; ottiTs tlieie ift Karl Edward. "Duko of Snxe-Coburg-Go-tha, and also Duke of -Albany. Karl of Clarence, and Baron Arklow. He, too, is leading tile Germans against the British, in unite of his "Rnglifih upbringing and education.