COLUMN FOR WOMEN

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 106, 7 January 1915, Page 7

COLUMN FOR WOMEN

THE MAD EMPRESS. VISIT FROM THE GERMANS One of the dramatic episodes of the invasion, of Belgium has just been told by a refugee from Mnlinec, who arrived at Rotterdam, writes Mr Rene H. Feildeman, the special correspondent of the London Daily IDxprees, under date October 31. He claims to have been an eye-witness of what he tclated. One morning, just outside th<e village of Bouchout, the German* passed a beaujtiful Bhateau surrounded, by a. stately garden. The Austrian flag was hoisted over the house, and two gilt royal crowns adorned the top of the entrance gate. The German offic er ln charge, a b" tain von Schmitz, was rather puzzled, especially by the flag, and at first he believed that some rich Belgian had simply hoisted the Austrian colours to escape being plundered by the Germans. He rang the bell, and a servant in red silk livery appeared. Answering the captain’s summons, the man said: “ This is the dwelling of Her Imperial Majesty the Empress of Mexico.” The German officer, ignorant of history, thought it was a farce, and ironically ordered the valet to show him up to “ Her Majesty.” however, could not be done, as the Empress had been an invalid for the last 50 years, and receives nobody except her master of ceremonies and her ladies-in-waiting. .. Still much amused, and believing the Belgian servant was making a fool of him, the officer demanded to see the master of ceremonies. That gentleman was brought out accordingly, and Gaptain von Schmitz exclaimed, roughly: “Do you know that to hoist the Austrian flag over this Belgian chateau is an offence to the German army? You will have to be punished for this piece of insolence?” The master of ceremonies replied that if German officers were ignorant of history, it was not his fault nor his business, but the castle was the hous'e of the former Empress of Mexico, who had been the wife of the Archduke Maximilian, brother of the Emperor oi Austria, and that they were justified, therefore, in hoisting the Austrian flag. Captain von Schmitz, taken aback by the energetic attitude 9! the official. apologised, and was taken through the magnificent gardens of the pla c e There he saw in the distance an old lady with white hair, dressed very simply m black, slowly walking with the assistance of a servant, and escorted by another elderly lady. It washer Majesty Captain von Schmitz asked to he allowed to present his respects to her, but the master of ceremonies explained her tragic story, which the German officer apparently heard for the flrM time. He was astounded to hear that the former Empress of Mexico had been mad even’ since her husband was shot at Queretaro in 1864. It was aLei the poor lady had thrown a plateful of cakes at the head of Pius IX. that she was interned at the Chateau of Tervueren, near Brussels, and when she set it ablaze a few years later by lighting up her bedroom curtoms, she was sent to Boudhot. Tervueren and Bouchot both belonged to the late King of the Belgians, Leopold II. » the brother of the Empress. The Relay invalid knows nothing of the events 0 fthe last half-century» and refuses to believe that her husband, whom she loved dearly, is dead. She lives in complete confinement, and her madness now ts quiet and cairn. When the Germans finally moved on to Brussels, they fixed a large poster on the castle gate, widen reads as follows: “This house is the property of the Belgian Crown. Her Majesty the Empress of Mexico, Archduchess Maximilian of Austria, sister-in-law of Emperor Fracis Josef, our illustrious ally, lives in it. I request German soldiers who pass here not to ring this bell,and leave the place untouched.”

WIFE DESERTIONS

The Premier of New South Wales recently had his attention directed by | the Agent-General to numerous cases of wife desertion, men emigrating from England to Australia and disregarding their family obligations. Upon receipt of Sir T. Coghlan’s dispatch, police investigations were instituted in the State, and the Inspector-General reported as follows: “As the AgentGeneral observes, the evil has new reached large proportions, and with these deserting husbands and fathers, and the large number or English criminals now serving sentences here, we have some most undesirable additions to our population. It may, therefore, j be considered that the time has arriv- j for seme action to be taken.” The j Agent-General, in his dispatch, wrote: | “As far as I can see the majority of these cases of desertion have been quite deliberate, the intention to desert being in the minds of these persons before leaving this country. In many cases these individuals pose as single men, and marry Australians, thus inflicting injury and wrong upon our women.” The Premier was informed that the police have traced a number of these deserting ’husbands, and compelled them to contribute to,the support o.f their wives. The Inspector-General is of the opinion that no very great difficulty lies in the way of devising effective means to compel the deserters to accept their responsibilities, and his representations have been sent on to the Federal Government.