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diff --git a/old/69834-0.txt b/old/69834-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 0a2562d..0000000 --- a/old/69834-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5665 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Seven years in Vienna, by Anonymous - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Seven years in Vienna - Seven years in Vienna - -Author: Anonymous - -Contributor: Newspaper Illustrations, Ltd. - -Release Date: January 19, 2023 [eBook #69834] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Charlene Taylor, Charlie Howard, and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was - produced from images generously made available by The - Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SEVEN YEARS IN VIENNA *** - - - - - - SEVEN YEARS IN VIENNA - - - - -[Illustration: THE GERMAN EMPEROR AND THE EMPEROR OF AUSTRIA, DRIVING -IN VIENNA, IN 1908.] - - - - - SEVEN YEARS - IN - VIENNA - - (_August, 1907-August, 1914_) - - _A RECORD OF INTRIGUE_ - - BOSTON AND NEW YORK - HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY - 1917 - - - - - _Printed in Great Britain._ - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER I. - PAGE - KING EDWARD AT ISCHL--THE PARTING OF THE WAYS 1 - - - CHAPTER II. - - THE EMPEROR’S ILLNESS 11 - - - CHAPTER III. - - ARCHDUKE FRANCIS FERDINAND 18 - - - CHAPTER IV. - - COUNTESS CHOTEK 27 - - - CHAPTER V. - - VIENNA 37 - - - CHAPTER VI. - - SALONICA 44 - - - CHAPTER VII. - - KAISER WILHELM IN VIENNA 53 - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - AFFAIRS IN TURKEY 61 - - - CHAPTER IX. - - THE ANNEXATION 67 - - - CHAPTER X. - - PRINCE EGON FÜRSTENBERG AND COUNT TCHIRSKY: HOW THE KAISER - “WORKED” VIENNA 76 - - - CHAPTER XI. - - THE “GREAT SERVIA” IDEA--SERVIAN ORGANISATION 84 - - - CHAPTER XII. - - ALBANIA AND MACEDONIA 92 - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - THE BALKAN WAR 101 - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - KING FERDINAND OF BULGARIA, THE VAINEST MAN IN EUROPE 111 - - - CHAPTER XV. - - THE PRINCE OF WIED 120 - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - THE KING OF THE BLACK MOUNTAINS 132 - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - EMIGRATION PROMOTED BY GERMANY--SOCIAL QUESTIONS IN THE DUAL - MONARCHY 139 - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - THE AGRARIANS AND THE SHORTAGE OF FOOD 147 - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - COUNT LEOPOLD BERCHTOLD AND COUNT STEPAN TISZA, THE MEN WHO - DECIDED ON WAR 157 - - - CHAPTER XX. - - AUSTRIA-HUNGARY AS A MILITARY AND NAVAL POWER 171 - - - CHAPTER XXI. - - ARCHDUKE CARL FRANCIS JOSEPH 180 - - - CHAPTER XXII. - - AUSTRIA-HUNGARY FACED BY REVOLUTION OR WAR--THE FINANCIAL - FACTOR 192 - - - CHAPTER XXIII. - - THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN CONSTITUTION 203 - - - CHAPTER XXIV. - - WHO MURDERED THE ARCHDUKE? 211 - - - CHAPTER XXV. - - WHY GERMANY DECIDED UPON WAR 222 - - - CHAPTER XXVI. - - DIPLOMATIC METHODS: A COMPARISON 231 - - - CHAPTER XXVII. - - PUNITIVE EXPEDITION OR WORLD-WAR? 244 - - - CHAPTER XXVIII. - - WHAT WOULD ENGLAND SAY? 255 - - - CHAPTER XXIX. - - AUSTRIA’S AWAKENING 263 - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - - _From Photographs supplied by Newspaper Illustrations, Ltd._ - - The German Emperor and the Emperor of Austria - driving in Vienna in 1908 _Frontispiece_ - - _facing page_ - The Duchess Hohenberg 24 - - The Archduke Francis Ferdinand 24 - - Baron Aehrenthal 46 - - Prince Max Egon Fürstenberg 78 - - King Ferdinand of Bulgaria 114 - - King Nikita of Montenegro 114 - - The Prince of Wied 126 - - Count Berchtold 168 - - Count Tisza 168 - - Archduke Carl Francis Joseph 184 - - Princess Zita of Parma 184 - - - - -SEVEN YEARS IN VIENNA - - - - -CHAPTER I - -KING EDWARD AT ISCHL--THE PARTING OF THE WAYS - - -It was mid-August in 1907. King Edward of England, who had been -undergoing a “cure” at Marienbad, was expected at Ischl, where the -Austrian Court was in residence. The whole place was hung with -flags that were put up at the last moment, as the “Gem of the -Salzkammergut,” as Ischl is often called, is one of the wettest spots -in the country. The local trains brought large numbers of peasants, -in their picturesque costume, who wanted to take advantage of the -opportunity of seeing the King of England. Other “peasants,” in -badly-fitting costumes, also came down in the Vienna night express. -Their white knees, left bare beneath the short leather breeches, -plainly showed that they were not accustomed to wearing the Styrian -costume. The peasant girls eyed them dubiously; one suggested that a -little walnut-juice would improve matters, while their little brothers -whispered “police.” The real peasants crowded around the station, -and watched the red carpet being laid, ready for royalty. They then -turned to see Emperor Francis Joseph drive up to the gates. He arrived -twenty minutes before the train was expected, as usual, for being -a great stickler for etiquette he always feared that some accident -or _contretemps_ might delay him, and the visitor reach the station -before the host. He dreaded nothing so much as a breach of etiquette -or good manners, and was willing to take any trouble to avoid even the -possibility of such a thing. The train from Marienbad steamed into the -station, the monarchs embraced; their intercourse had always been most -cordial. The King respected the simple old man, who had until then -guided the destinies of his country with great astuteness; while the -Emperor of Austria esteemed the statesman, for in Austria-Hungary and -the Balkans King Edward was reckoned as the most skilful diplomatist -of his time. As the Imperial carriage, with the gilt wheels, drove -through the streets, the people cheered heartily. King Edward was -the most popular of foreign monarchs in Austria, and the minimum of -precautions were taken for his safety. In spite of this the Austrian -police, ever watchful, took stock of every fresh arrival in the place -for days before the King appeared. On the morning of the visit they -ascertained what persons would be seated in windows commanding the line -of route, and carefully watched the houses that might harbour anarchist -or other assassins. The uninitiated suspected nothing of all this. The -long line of firemen that lined the streets looked like members of the -local brigade. It was not suspected that they were specially trained -men, who knew how to act and to co-operate at the right moment with -the “peasants,” also members of the same highly-organised force. They -all stood apparently careless and inattentive. Presently a carriage, -in which a spare, tall, pock-marked man was seated, drove through the -street. He was the Emperor’s private detective. His appearance always -heralded that of the monarchs, and the firemen braced themselves for a -combined movement, either to the right or left, forwards or backwards, -as previously arranged. The police behind helped with the work, and -just as the Imperial carriage flashed by, everyone in the crowd pushed -forward, sideways, or backwards, as though by accident. Any intending -assassin would have lost his place at the front, and have missed the -golden opportunity, through this clever manœuvre of the police. These -precautions were always taken for every Royal visitor, for although -Emperor Francis Joseph himself was accustomed to stroll about the Ischl -woods, and went hunting in the forests quite unattended, he took care -that his guests were exposed to no risks. - -Everything went off as arranged, although there was a strained feeling -in the air, partly due to the thundery weather. It was known, too, that -King Edward was on a diplomatic tour throughout Europe, and the people -knew that meetings of monarchs in summer are often of great importance, -even when they are unaccompanied by their Ministers. Emperor Francis -Joseph is practically a despotic monarch, for the Austro-Hungarian -Constitution exists merely on paper. He alone decides the foreign -policy of the country, and determines whether there shall be peace -or war. Thus he is in a position to make decisions for his country, -without consulting his Ministers. Austria-Hungary had long been quiet, -almost to the point of stagnation. Her statesmen had been fully -occupied in paying off the burdens incurred during the last war, and -were now delighted that, after a succession of deficits, they could at -length turn out Budgets with surpluses at the end of the financial year. - -There was trouble with Servia, it is true, Austrian machinations had -deprived Servia of an outlet to the sea. Servia, being a pastoral and -agricultural country, wished to sell her products, and Austria, the -natural market, was closed to her. - -The Austrians, who were very short of meat, promised to take over -Servian meat, but the Hungarian agrarians, or large land-owners, who -wanted to keep up the prices of their own products, managed to prevent -this. They appointed veterinary surgeons to examine imported meat; and -by unjustly condemning the Servian meat at the frontier, they succeeded -in preventing its import. This line of conduct caused much greater -discontent among the Servs than a downright refusal to admit their -products would have done. They naturally objected to being cheated by -their powerful and unscrupulous neighbours, and the friction caused -by the “Servian Pig” question was continual. Otherwise the Balkans -were strangely, almost uncannily, quiet. There were no massacres to -report, no bands who roamed the country and committed depredations. -It seemed that the two monarchs could have nothing to discuss. As the -Emperor brought the King back to the Hotel Elisabeth in the afternoon, -the faces of both monarchs could be seen very plainly in the blaze of -the sun that was pouring down with great fierceness. Emperor Francis -Joseph looked much older than he had done that morning. His face was -drawn, the fine lines on the parchment-like skin were deepened. It did -not need any unusual acuteness to see that something had gone wrong. -King Edward walked up to his suite of rooms with something weary in his -step. The Emperor, freed from the restraint of the King’s presence, -returned to the Imperial villa, his slight frame shrunken to half its -usual size, his soldierly bearing gone. - -All Ischl went home to dress for the gala performance at the tiny Court -theatre. It was always difficult to get tickets at the bijou theatre -when members of the Imperial family were expected; on the night of King -Edward’s visit it was impossible to obtain them. The police excluded -all foreigners by careful manipulation. By evening it was already -known in Ischl that the Emperor and the King had quarrelled violently. -Attendants, posted behind doors, ready to spring to attention, -overhear many things. They could give no details of what the subject -under discussion had been, but they said that Emperor Francis Joseph -had lost his temper in the presence of a foreign King, and although -outbursts of this kind were common enough within the family, it was an -unprecedented thing in the presence of a stranger. They knew that the -occasion had been no ordinary one, and that the future policy of the -country had been under consideration. - -Just as the curtain went up for the performance of some light musical -comedy, the sort of play that is at its very best in Vienna, the -thunderstorm that had been threatening all day long, broke outside. -The rain rattled down on the roof of the theatre. The real heroine of -the piece, who had been brought down from the capital on purpose, was -a dazzlingly beautiful woman; she laughed, danced, and pirouetted all -over the stage. She was the very embodiment of Vienna “cheek.” Just -at the end of the first act--royalty never sees a piece through when -on State visits--she abruptly turned her back towards the Imperial -box. She was lightly clad, even for the Austrian stage, as she tripped -laughingly to the front, and carried out her instructions. A thrill -went through the audience. Would the King understand? His British -phlegm stood him in good stead. He remained in his seat, although -he was sufficiently acquainted with Austrian manners and customs to -comprehend the somewhat heavy witticism. Only when the curtain fell did -he rise and leave the theatre. “What was the meaning of the insult?” -asked all Ischl. “What did it portend?” They learnt the answer just -seven years later to the very day. - -The people about the palace discussed the incident at the theatre. They -understood that it was meant as a hint to the King that his presence in -Austria was not desired, if he came to discuss politics. As a private -friend and a brother monarch he was always welcome. He had attempted -to show the Emperor that the close alliance with Germany was not for -the good of Europe. Not merely that, but Austria-Hungary herself would -imperil her existence as a great Power if she allowed herself to become -merged in Germany. The aged Emperor, who had long been accustomed to -depend upon Germany for assistance against the Slavs, would not listen -to the King. He was perhaps aware that his policy was wrong, but being -obstinate, like all the Habsburgs, he would not acknowledge it. He did -not intend to alter his policy at the eleventh hour, in any case. If -there must be a change let his successor see to it. King Edward made -due allowance for the Emperor’s age, but it is doubtful whether he ever -again made any direct effort to turn Austria from her fatal path. She -stood at the parting of the ways. Her Emperor chose her destiny that -summer day in Ischl. Diplomatists and Ambassadors took up the King’s -task; they repeatedly pointed out the disastrous consequences of the -close alliance with Germany. Instead of discussing the situation with -Italy, Austria-Hungary informed Germany of what was happening. Instead -of keeping the balance equal between Italy and Germany, Austria-Hungary -really concluded a partnership with Germany; the Triple Alliance -degenerated into a Dual Alliance that kept up an understanding with -the third partner. Italy was quick to realise this. So long as Russia -and France were allied, and occupied a position that was a set-off to -that held by Germany and an Austria that had not given up her liberty -of action, European peace was assured. Great Britain and Italy were not -bound to their Allies to any great extent. - -The result of the meeting at Ischl soon made itself felt. Italian -diplomatists began to back out of their obligations towards Germany -and Austria-Hungary. Their policy of “cooling down,” at first barely -perceptible, took form somewhat later, at the renewal of the Triple -Alliance, when Italy promised very little in return for the many -“benefits” heaped upon her by Germany. Great Britain, aware of the -danger of the centre of the European chessboard being occupied by one -vast State, stretching from the North Sea and Baltic to the Adriatic, -was more inclined to listen to advances from France and Russia, and -to deliberate upon the advantages of a closer contact with Germany’s -enemies. The suggestion made by France, that Great Britain should -introduce conscription, prevented the understanding becoming anything -more. France pointed out the necessity of preparing for an aggressive -move on the part of Germany, but Great Britain would not even -consider a proposition so far from her theories of government as was -conscription. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -THE EMPEROR’S ILLNESS - - -The Austrian Court returned to Vienna as soon as the first snows on -the mountains round Ischl gave warning that the summer season was at -an end. Emperor Francis Joseph, who is a strenuous worker, and carries -on the business of State daily, whether in residence in Vienna or in -the country, began his life as usual. On certain days of the week he -held general audiences, and received anyone, high or low, aristocrat -or peasant, who wished to present a petition. He was always up at 4 -a.m., and had got through most of his State duties by 8 a.m., when -he began to receive Ministers and others. In the month of October -it was suddenly announced that the Emperor was ill. The news caused -great consternation, as the monarch had never been ill in his life. -He had been confined to his room for some time as a young man after -an attempt made on his life, when he was stabbed in the neck, but he -had never had the slightest ailment since. His life was carefully -regulated by the Court physician, Doctor Kerzl, a military surgeon, a -rough doctor of the old school, who had grown old with the Emperor. -Members of the Imperial family frequently tried to have a younger and -more up-to-date man appointed as Court physician. They considered -that the Emperor’s health was so precious that its care ought not to -be confided to a man who had gained his experience with the Army. The -Emperor, however, stood firm, and the results of the somewhat draconic -treatment have certainly justified his decision. The Emperor sleeps -on a camp-bed, eats the heavy Vienna food with relish, and is always -accustomed to drive in an open carriage without his military cloak. It -is probable that he took the chill during the drive. - -Specialists were summoned to the Emperor’s bedside, and they found -that the Royal patient was suffering from inflammation of the lungs. -He, however, refused to go to bed. Crowds of people went out to the -summer palace of Schönbrunn, where he was staying, and waited under -his window until he appeared to reassure them, when cheers rang out -and echoed along the arched corridors beneath the palace. The anxiety -felt by the common people was shared by everyone in Austria-Hungary, -and the one hope of high and low was that the Emperor might live. -This was not so much on account of his personal popularity, although -this was great, as because of the dread of the future. The heir to -the throne, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, was the most hated man in -Austria-Hungary. The Emperor’s death meant that he would succeed to -the throne. The Emperor himself felt a profound hatred for his heir, -and it was a matter of common knowledge that he was filled with a firm -determination not only to recover from his illness, but to outlive his -heir. Day after day the struggle went on within the white walls of -Schönbrunn Palace; the daily papers spoke of the Emperor’s illness as -a slight cold, for the monarch was not satisfied with reading extracts -from the official organs, as was his ordinary custom, but insisted -upon having all the papers, opposition organs as well as bounty-fed -periodicals, brought to his room. He wished to find out whether the -doctors were telling the truth about his illness. The three specialists -came to the conclusion that he could not recover; Doctor Kerzl alone -stood firm and said that he would get well again. The Emperor refused -to take to his bed, having a superstitious horror of lying down in the -daytime. Kerzl supported him in this, and it is probable that he owed -his recovery to it. The disputes among the doctors were unseemly, and -the specialists insisted on calling the family to Vienna. Archduchess -Gisela, the Emperor’s elder daughter, arrived in great haste, and his -younger daughter, Valerie, also appeared on the scene. Both women -are very pious, and they immediately wished the Emperor to receive -Extreme Unction. The Archbishop of Vienna, with a retinue of priests, -actually came out to Schönbrunn to administer it, but they were met -downstairs by Frau Catherina Schraatt, who told them that it would -frighten him to death, and induced them to return without carrying out -their mission. Archduke Francis Ferdinand arrived at the capital. He -and his morganatic wife, Duchess Hohenberg, established themselves at -the Belvedere Palace for the season. The Archduke, a man who lacked -refinement and who was utterly devoid of tact, immediately began to act -as if he had already succeeded to the throne. Statesmen, fearing that -the Emperor would never recover, were afraid to oppose him, and he got -an insight into affairs of State during the Emperor’s illness that -enabled him to assume a position that he never gave up afterwards. The -Habsburgs were obliged to look on while Duchess Hohenberg, then merely -Countess Chotek, took a position that would never have been conceded -to her had the Emperor been in his usual health. Kaiser Wilhelm, ever -watchful, began to count on the possibility of the Emperor’s death, -and the friendship between him and the Archduke dates from this epoch. -Kaiser Wilhelm did not like the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary; -he recognised the fact that he would have to deal with a determined -man, who knew exactly what he wanted and would refuse to believe -the flattering assurances that satisfied Emperor Francis Joseph, -who, although still in full command of his mental faculties, was -beginning to feel the weight of years. The Emperor was never so acute -a man as his heir; the Archduke, too, had a wife whose intelligence -was remarkable. Countess Chotek was ambitious, and her husband was -accustomed to following her advice in State affairs. Kaiser Wilhelm -therefore shared the wish of the Austrian people, that the aged Emperor -might long be spared to them. Week after week went by. People from all -parts of the monarchy sent the Emperor quaint remedies, charms, and -specifics of all kinds to cure his illness; several officials were -engaged all day in writing to thank the senders, who were not even -aware of what ailed the Emperor. When it was finally announced that -he was out of danger there was great jubilation throughout the realm; -the people poured scorn upon the specialists, and acclaimed Dr. Kerzl -as the saviour of the country whenever they could catch sight of his -rough, honest face, bronzed by exposure upon many a battlefield. The -Emperor had given his attendants great trouble during his illness and -convalescence, as he had refused to allow anyone to enter his rooms -except Dr. Kerzl, his soldier-valet, who slept upon a rug in the -antechamber of his bedroom, and the sentry, who always paced to and -fro outside the Emperor’s bedchamber, and watched through a spyhole, -cunningly made in the door, for any change. No woman was allowed to -enter the suite of rooms during the night hours, the patient saying he -preferred an orderly to nurse him. - -Gradually the Emperor recovered his powers. He was never the same man -again; his vigour was gone, and, although he was little changed in -appearance, his grasp upon affairs had weakened. The Archduke, who -disliked Vienna cordially, remained in town, a thorn in the Emperor’s -side. The latter, however, could find no pretext for dismissing him to -the country. Councillors, already anticipating the probable demise of -the reigning monarch at no distant date, advised the Emperor to consult -with his heir and to try to inculcate the inexperienced man with some -of his statecraft. The Emperor was induced to bestow some powers upon -the Archduke, although much against his will, and a new era in the -history of the country began. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -ARCHDUKE FRANCIS FERDINAND - - -All Europe was asking one and the same question at this epoch: “What -kind of a man is the heir to the throne?” - -They got the answer that he was “a little-known man,” and this was true -to a certain extent. The Emperor, an old autocrat, never allowed any -member of the Imperial family to take a leading part in public affairs. -They were expected to do their duty in opening charitable institutions, -presiding at _fêtes_ in provincial cities, but in both Vienna and -Budapesth they found it advisable to keep well in the background. -Whenever a young Archduke became too popular, even in the ballrooms -of Vienna, he was promptly banished to some out-of-the-way place, -ostensibly on a mission, but really as a punishment for presuming to -court popularity. - -This was well understood among the Habsburgs, who, as a rule, did not -care for Court life. Most of the Archdukes lived on their country -estates, where they enjoyed almost regal power for nine months of the -year, merely coming to Court to pay their respects to the monarch at -the New Year. - -Archduke Francis Ferdinand was very fond of power and very ambitious, -but he did not care for playing the _rôle_ of heir to the throne when -he had reached middle age and was at the height of his powers. He -therefore remained in the country for the greater part of the year. - -This did not increase his popularity. People grumbled at the sadness -that hung like a pall over the Court. They said that it was merely a -resort for military men and officials, and wished that young life could -be introduced to restore Vienna and Budapesth to their former gaiety. -Archduke Francis Ferdinand had laboured under great disadvantages -since sudden and unexpected events had made him heir to the throne. -His attendants and the Court officials summed up the position in one -sentence: “He has never been trained for a throne.” He was entirely -lacking in tact--a quality which, if not a natural gift, must be -acquired by painful experience by personages who will one day occupy -a throne. He spoke no languages except his own. He had, of course, -some knowledge of French and Italian, and was learning Hungarian; but -he was not in a position to carry on delicate negotiations in French. -He had a bad record even for an Austrian Archduke. His youthful -career had been full of incident, and his doctors had been compelled -to put a sudden stop to a course of youthful dissipation by sending -him on a voyage round the world. He was reported to be suffering from -consumption in its preliminary stages, and it was said his only chance -of life was a complete change of climate. The Archduke, who was an -artist and well acquainted with ancient and modern culture, started -off on the Imperial yacht for the East with nothing but pleasurable -feelings. His favourite study was ethnology, and he made a collection -of objects of great interest during this voyage. They were to be seen -in one of the galleries of the Hofburg, which had recently been added -to the main block of the town palace. The Archduke converted the new -part into a museum, as the Emperor had forbidden the architect to fit -the new building with lifts or other modern appliances. Lifts he hated, -and firmly refused to enter one even when he was having his portrait -painted by an artist whose studio was on the sixth floor of a Vienna -house. - -The Archduke, who was intensely modern, decided that a palace without -lifts and proper heating appliances was not fit to live in, and -promptly converted the new gallery into a picture gallery and museum -without waiting for the Emperor’s advice or permission. - -The aged Emperor and his heir clashed in every direction; they were -diametrically opposed in all their tastes and convictions. Both were -pious to an exaggerated degree. The Emperor disliked the Jesuits; his -heir consorted with them constantly, and listened to their advice in -matters of State. This alone would have been sufficient to prevent the -Emperor from ever wishing him to succeed to the throne. The Archduke, -too, although so pious, had contrived to estrange both the Church -and the Emperor by one act of boyish folly. As a young officer he -was stationed at a depôt in the depths of the country to learn his -profession, far from critical crowds. One day he was riding across the -fields, when some peasants, carrying the mortal remains of one of their -fellows, crossed by the footpath. The Archduke, in a fit of youthful -exuberance, set his horse at the bier and cleared it at a jump. The -priest protested at the act of sacrilege. The story reached the ears -of the Emperor, who never forgave him. Although the Archduke was not -careful of the feelings of the Roman Catholics, the non-Catholics in -the country believed that he would be capable of persecuting them with -a rigour such as had been unknown since the Middle Ages. At the time of -the Emperor’s illness the Liberal papers prophesied in their leading -articles that he would build up martyr fires around the Cathedral -of St. Stefan, in the centre of Vienna. They said he would show the -utmost relentlessness in burning or hanging his Jewish, Protestant, and -Mahommedan subjects, all of whom were accustomed to a wide tolerance, -based on indifference to them and their doings. The Archduke was -bitterly hated in Hungary; it was commonly reported that his life was -not safe in that part of his future kingdom. He gave colour to these -reports by his strange conduct. When he went down to Budapesth he did -not put up at an hotel, as was customary. He remained all night in -the royal train, which was run up the line to a siding, no one being -aware of the exact spot at which it had drawn up. This confession -of fear and lack of confidence in the loyalty of his subjects did -the Archduke great harm. The alternative explanation, sometimes -advanced, that the Archduke, who was known as the meanest man in the -kingdom, merely wished to save an hotel bill, did not improve matters. -The hotel-keepers looked upon members of the Imperial House as most -desirable guests; they never overcharged them, for the advertisement -was worth a great deal to them. Archdukes who neither commanded a -palace to be prepared for their coming nor put up at an hotel were -naturally not popular with anyone. Archduke Francis Ferdinand crowned -all his other delinquencies by his marriage. Instead of contracting -an alliance with some powerful reigning house, he made a morganatic -marriage with a lady-in-waiting. Countess Chotek was a Bohemian -aristocrat, it is true, but she was not a peer of any member of the -House of Habsburg. The Emperor allowed the marriage to take place, -and when all the circumstances are taken into account, especially -the ease with which persons whose existence was disagreeable to the -Vienna Court were removed, it can only be concluded that the Emperor -approved of the marriage. He evidently did not wish the children of the -Archduke to come to the throne on account of their father’s tendency -to tuberculosis, which was reported to have gone to the brain. It was -common knowledge that the Archduke was accustomed to fly into fearful -rages. Whether this habit, which is common to all the Habsburgs, was -owing to epilepsy, or some obscure brain disease, it is difficult to -say; but the Emperor evidently shared the common feeling that it was -some obscure affection of the brain, and shared the doctors’ opinion -that the Archduke’s descendants ought not to come to the throne of -Austria-Hungary. - -Archduke Francis Ferdinand, who was always short of money, tried to -engage in business, and, as usually happens with men of his position, -made a sad failure of it. Instead of leaving the management of his -estates to stewards, who would only take their customary perquisites, -he engaged in business transactions himself. He was badly swindled, and -gained a reputation for meanness which was richly deserved. His varied -excursions into the realms of speculative business were attended by no -better luck. He dared not associate himself with eminent business men, -so he summoned a number of companions to his side who were difficult to -shake off. With them he embarked upon business of an illegitimate kind. -His only excuse was his complete lack of understanding of all matters -relating to business. - -[Illustration: THE DUCHESS HOHENBERG. WIFE OF THE ARCHDUKE.] - -[Illustration: THE ARCHDUKE FRANCIS FERDINAND.] - -Neither Archduke Francis Ferdinand nor his morganatic wife had the -tact or sense to hide the impatience with which they awaited the aged -Emperor’s death. The “parrot” story, as it was called, went the round -of the Vienna _cafés_ at this period. A bird of very rare plumage, -evidently the property of some aristocratic personage, was found -straying in the public gardens of Vienna. A gardener promptly caught it -and took it round to the police, where lost property of all kinds was -deposited, until its owner could be found. The sergeant in charge put -the bird in a cage and forgot all about it. Shortly afterwards he was -startled to hear the parrot begin to discourse with great fluency when -it had become used to its surroundings. It referred to various members -of the Imperial family in terms of the very scantiest respect. “That -old cat Valerie” was its delicate way of referring to the Emperor’s -younger and favourite daughter. “Peacocks, sluts” were terms of abuse -applied to Archduchesses who either overdressed or neglected their -toilettes. The sergeant became pale with fright. It was _lése-majesté_ -to listen to such words, and the penalty might be death. When the -parrot broke into a steady stream of talk, with a kind of refrain, -“He’ll live to be a hundred, Sofie,” in an exact imitation of the -gruff tones of the heir to the throne, who was evidently referring to -the Emperor, the sergeant felt that any further eavesdropping would -be dangerous. He picked up a cloth, threw it over this utterer of -high treason, and carried the loquacious bird to the chief of the -police. The cloth was removed, and the indignant parrot, unused to such -treatment, began worse than before. The sergeant was dispatched in all -haste to find a very thick black cloth that might be calculated to damp -even the ardour of an Imperial parrot, and, carefully wrapped up, the -bird was sent to the Belvedere, where the Archduke and his wife were in -residence. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -COUNTESS CHOTEK - - -Countess Chotek, afterwards Duchess Hohenberg, the morganatic wife of -the late Francis Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, -was a most remarkable woman, and her history is perhaps the most -romantic that was ever written. She belonged to an impoverished -Bohemian family, which ranked high among the ancient aristocracy of -that nation. She was brought up very quietly and was accustomed, as a -girl, to ride in the tramway in Dresden, where her father held a post -in the Diplomatic Service. Her dresses were very plain, even for an -aristocrat. The peculiar charm that she possessed, however, made her -an object of much attention. She was a big blonde, as stately as an -empress, and at the same time a woman who knew how to make herself -agreeable in conversation, as her life had given her an intimate -knowledge of men and things that was unusual in a woman belonging to -a noble family, in Austria-Hungary, where the little aristocrats are -convent-bred, and never encouraged to form opinions of their own upon -the current topics of the hour. She was very ambitious, and intelligent -to an extraordinary degree. She was a woman who knew just what she -wanted, and who would not have hesitated to use any means that were -necessary for the attainment of her object. She made her entrance -into the Austrian Imperial family in a very subordinate position. -She became lady-in-waiting to the beautiful daughters of Archduke -Frederick, the richest of all the Archdukes. Her life in his family -was probably not disagreeable, but decidedly monotonous, as the family -spent most of the time on lonely country estates in Hungary. Archduke -Francis Ferdinand frequented the Vienna palace, on the Albrecht Platz, -where Archduke Frederick lived when in residence at Court. Everyone -believed that he was about to marry one of the Archduke’s daughters, -and the match was regarded as a good one. The girls had large dowries, -and relationship between the heir to the throne and the branch of the -family to which they belonged was very distant. It is probable that -the Archduke had some such arrangement in his mind when he visited -the house. He, however, fell violently and irretrievably in love with -the lady-in-waiting, a woman in the early thirties, and regarded as -long past marriageable age in Court circles. The romantic story of the -marriage is well known, but the fact that the Archduke, in marrying -the lady-in-waiting, made an inveterate enemy of Archduke Frederick -was never appreciated at its proper value abroad. In Vienna itself -the gravity of the position was well understood. No better-class -tradesman in Austria would allow such an insult to his daughters to go -unrevenged, for the Austrian father is very jealous of his daughters’ -reputation. No young man is permitted to visit at a house regularly -without having the clearest “intentions.” At the Court this unwritten -law is much stricter than among the people. The Archduke, in selecting -the lady-in-waiting, was casting a slur upon the Archduchesses she -attended. Fortunately, there were several girls, and as he had never -singled out any one of them for particular attention, there was no -open rupture. It is certain, however, that the Archduke behaved in a -very ungentlemanly way, and that his conduct was totally lacking in -delicacy. Archduke Frederick never forgave the insult, and the other -members of the House of Habsburg sympathised with him in his wrath -at the incident. Indeed, the outraged father had plenty of occasion -to remember it. His daughter, Archduchess Isabella, who had hoped to -become the future Empress of Austria, made an unfortunate marriage -later on. Her parents, by way of settling the incident of the heir to -the throne, and laying the ghosts of rumours that still hung round -the girl’s name, arranged a match with Prince George of Bavaria. -The Archduchess, who hated the young man, actually set fire to her -wedding-dress on the eve of the marriage, hoping that it would be put -off, as she had nothing suitable to wear. - -Incidentally, she set fire to the palace, and a valuable collection -of pictures in the adjacent museum was threatened. The marriage took -place on the morrow, a dress having been hurriedly contrived for the -occasion. The girl fled from her husband on the wedding journey, and -afterwards became a Red Cross nurse. For these misfortunes the Archduke -was regarded as primarily responsible and they served to make Countess -Chotek still more detestable to the Imperial family. - -On his marriage Archduke Francis Ferdinand renounced all rights to -the throne and to any dignities or privileges belonging to members -of the House of Habsburg for his heirs. He and his wife withdrew into -obscurity, where a family of beautiful children was born to them. -This led Countess Chotek to dream of altering the laws of succession -and securing the throne for her eldest son. With this ulterior object -in view she came to Vienna at the time of the Emperor’s illness, and -tried to force her way into Court society. Her rank entitled her to -be received at Court, but not to be admitted into the magic circle of -the Austrian Imperial family as one of themselves. The etiquette of -the Vienna Court is the strictest in Europe, and is based upon that -ruling at the Spanish Court. The members of the Habsburg family are -all extremely simple, but they permit no liberties to be taken either -with themselves or the family. Countess Chotek, as she was then, -appeared at the Court ball unannounced. She intended to surprise the -Master of the Ceremonies, and force him to allow her to enter with -the Archduchesses. The old man did not lose his presence of mind. He -met the difficulty in a very clever way. The married Archduchesses -walked in first, each with her cavalier, selected especially for the -honour. After the long procession of handsome, stately dames with -flowing trains had passed into the brilliantly-lighted room, the young -Archduchesses who were presented at Court for the first time were led -into the hall, each on the arm of a handsome young officer. Eight -girls, dressed in simple muslin gowns that barely reached to their -ankles, and looking very childish, as none was more than eighteen years -of age, came next in the long procession. The Master of the Ceremonies, -who had detained Countess Chotek, found her a place, on the left arm -of the last cavalier, the youngest of the Archduchesses occupying the -post of honour on the right. Countess Chotek entered the ball-room -inwardly raging. Everyone noticed the insult, as the other ladies all -had a cavalier to themselves. The next morning the Vienna newspapers -alluded to the slight which had been put upon the wife of the heir to -the throne, and said that the Master of the Ceremonies should have -remembered that the Countess was a woman, and have refrained from so -pointed an insult. Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife left Vienna -the next day as a protest, and this was the last occasion upon which he -tried to force his wife upon the Court. - -Kaiser Wilhelm, whose emissaries always kept him well informed of every -event, big or little, in Vienna, heard of the incident. Now was the -time for him to interfere. The Archduke, who had always turned a deaf -ear to blandishments from Berlin, would now be accessible. The man -who was too strong to care to hear flattery of himself would lend a -willing ear to any defence of his beautiful wife, who had been grossly -insulted. The Archduke became more deeply attached to his wife every -year; the inconveniences to which he was subjected for her sake only -strengthened his affection. When, therefore, an invitation for the -Archduke and his wife came from Berlin it was gratefully accepted. -Kaiser Wilhelm, whose wife, the Empress, has never been allowed to have -much voice in things, placed Countess Chotek in the place of honour, -and, what is vastly more important, caused the fact to be chronicled -in the German and Austrian papers. The Archduchesses in Vienna raged -inwardly, for Countess Chotek, the “scullery-maid,” as they were in the -habit of calling her, was being received with Royal honours, and the -rank accorded to her in Berlin was such as would be given to a future -Empress. Kaiser Wilhelm won a warm friend by this clever manœuvre, -which incidentally cost him nothing. - -The Archduke did not come to Vienna on representative occasions after -this episode, but he kept in close touch with the Foreign Minister, -Count Aehrenthal, who looked to him for guidance instead of to the -Emperor. The War Minister went to the Archduke’s Bohemian palace when -he wanted large estimates passed, and induced the Archduke to exert his -influence in this direction. Meanwhile the favourite occupation of the -Archduke continued to be gardening, and this taste took him all over -Europe. The Court Chronicle never spoke of the Archduke. An accidental -paragraph in some foreign paper would reveal the fact that he and the -Countess were in Holland, attending sales of bulbs. He even went to -England incognito on several occasions to visit far-famed gardens. It -is doubtful, in the light of later events, whether all these journeys -were connected solely with gardening, although the Archduke was a -passionate horticulturist. Countess Chotek always accompanied her -husband, and when, in the early spring, he went to Miramare, near -Trieste, or to the fairy-like island of Brioni, she and the children -went too. The Archduke spent his time in superintending the building of -small swift cruisers, in inspecting wireless telegraphic installations -on the coast, and in keeping the naval experts employed at high -pressure. He was the first Archduke who was interested in the sea, the -aged Emperor caring so little for marine affairs that he did not even -possess a naval uniform among the large and miscellaneous collection in -his wardrobe. - -Countess Chotek, like many not born to the purple, made mistakes of -a kind that did not add to her popularity. Her husband had great -possessions, and owned art treasures of inestimable worth, but they -were far from being a source of revenue. In fact his income was not -sufficient to keep them up properly. His wife had brought him no -dowry. His growing family was a source of expense. Thus ready money -was a scarcity in the family. Countess Chotek tried to economise on -her personal expenses, instead of leaving it to her stewards, who -understood where a woman of that rank can be mean and where she must -be munificent. She became involved in many discreditable _affaires_ -through her stinginess. One of these was a dispute with a cabby at -Salzburg. The Countess committed an unheard-of indiscretion--she took -a one-horsed cab. No lady, _en toilette_, can ride in a one-horsed -cab in Austria. If really poor she can ride in the electric tramway, -but for some occult reason the cab is taboo. She must either take -a fiacre with a pair of dashing steeds, or a motor-car. Countess -Chotek not only hailed a one-horsed cab, when a row of handsome and -well-fitted fiacres stood by, but refused to pay the fare the cabby -demanded. He had recognised the lady, and naturally thought that she -would stand imposition, as ladies of the Imperial family never go -about unattended, and the only explanation to his unsophisticated mind -was that the Countess was on clandestine business of some kind, and -should be blackmailed for it. To his astonishment she marched him off -to the police-station herself. The police condemned the unfortunate -cabby to a fine, but the Countess Sofia was felt to be in the wrong. -What had possessed her to ride in an “Einspanner”? An elopement with -the groom or automobile chauffeur was quite an ordinary incident among -the aristocracy and speedily forgotten, but such a mistake as going in -the wrong kind of cab was more than a misdemeanour, it was a lack of -_savoir vivre_ that the country could never forgive. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -VIENNA - - -If you ask an educated, reflecting Austrian under what form of -Government he lives, he will reply, “The Emperor of Austria and King -of Hungary is an absolute monarch; we live under a despotism tempered -by carelessness.” And he will laugh flippantly. “So long as one man, -the Emperor, has the right to decide whether there will be peace or -war, without appealing to his Ministers, the Constitution is a mere -mockery. We owe the only liberties we enjoy to the slackness in the -administration of the laws of the realm; we have no rights.” “How is -it that the country has never demanded its rights?” “Those who ask -awkward questions in this country are hanged or exiled.... Those who -wish to remain here keep a still tongue in their heads.... We are -talking treason now, and there are spies everywhere.” Other Austrians -belonging to the intellectual class explain that the men in power -encourage frivolity systematically, and provide amusement for the -people to prevent their thinking or reflecting. Certain it is that -Vienna before the war was the chief centre of gaiety in Europe. - -In spite of the sombre shadow cast over the Court, the city lived for -amusement. It was the only thing that the Viennese really understood. -In Advent things are relatively quiet; there is the same round of -gaiety as later in the year, but the toilettes are sombre, and -everything is on a less magnificent scale than in Fasching, the time -between the Court Ball--when the Emperor opens the real season--and the -beginning of Lent. The winter of 1908 was particularly gay. There was -skating all day and dancing all night. Light sleds carried the girls to -balls when the snow had frozen hard and horses, in their spiked shoes, -could not get any grip on the slippery paving-stones. Others went in -the electric tramway, which ran even when the temperature was far below -freezing-point, and the drivers were provided with astrachan masks and -goggles, to prevent their eyelids freezing to their cheeks. There were -balls every night given by different societies and corporations of all -grades and degrees, from the artists’ ball to the chimney-sweeps’ -dance. No one ever dreamt of staying at home during Fasching. Such -details as lack of dress, money or chaperones made no difference. If -you had no dress you borrowed a domino and went to a masked ball. The -balls often lasted far into the next day, sometimes only closing at -four in the afternoon. Everyone can dance, and did dance through the -festive season, except small children, who were learning their steps -at the dancing-school. Many began to dance and skate before they were -firm on their feet, their parents so dreaded their not being skilled -in the things that “really mattered.” Old men did not stay at home; -they sat in a favourite café, where a table was reserved for them, ever -since they had been saluted as “Herr Doctor” for the first time by the -waiter who judged that they had reached manhood. The rule universally -accepted, and put into practice by rich and poor alike, was: “Enjoy -yourself while you can, you never know what the morrow may bring.” In -the case of the Viennese it only brought new varieties of enjoyment. -No considerate employer expected his staff to turn up in full numbers -after a _redoute_. Sleep was rare in the season. Many young men never -went to bed at all night after night; they left the ball-room at dawn, -took an ice-cold dip, and repaired to the next café, where they drank -cup after cup of strong black coffee, to enable them to keep awake -during office hours. The employer said nothing so long as the work was -done. - -After the ball it was the rule to visit the music-halls and night -cafés, and this continual gaiety left no time or inclination to discuss -politics or criticise rulers. Everyone was contented and satisfied -with things as they were. They made no excuse for their frivolity. In -fact a man who showed no disposition to join in the round of gaiety -immediately became “suspect.” An officer had more chances of making a -career for himself if he were a good dancer and could pirouette his -way into the good graces of the commander’s aged wife than if he spent -hours over maps and plans. His brother officers wondered why he wished -to investigate things.... Was he selling information to Russia? - -At this epoch winter sports were beginning to become a factor in the -life of the Austrians. Some girls asked their fathers to give them the -money ear-marked for balls to spend on ski and a winter outfit. In -the middle classes the innovation was not regarded as an advantage. -Winter sports cost more than balls. The girls were inclined to become -too emancipated, and their mothers spent anxious hours wondering -whether they had not taken cold or met with accidents. In the upper -classes winter sports and dancing were combined. The Austro-Hungarian -aristocrat is accustomed to an outdoor life, and the lower classes, -too, went ski-ing in the mountains just outside Vienna. The Government, -quick to see that it would be an advantage to have soldiers trained to -use skis for the army, encouraged winter sports, put on cheap trains -and extra trams to enable the people to go in for it thoroughly. - -The army of dressmakers, shoemakers, florists, and others who live by -manufacturing articles for the ball season naturally disapproved of -winter sports; but it is doubtful whether the new fashion really made -much difference to them, for the ball-rooms seemed as full as ever. - -There were large numbers of strangers in both Vienna and Budapesth; -curiously enough they were almost without exception people from within -the Empire or from the Balkans. Vienna was always the capital of the -Balkans. The women came to shop there, girls were sent to finishing -schools in the capital, and it was a kind of Mecca to which men from -far-off places in Rumania dreamed of coming once in their lives. The -Balkan kings visited Vienna, and reaped credit with their peoples -from having sat side by side with the Emperor, the great stickler for -etiquette, the arbiter of rank for the East. - -Such was Vienna, and such were to a lesser degree the provincial cities -of Austria-Hungary, which all modelled themselves on the capital, when -Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany and the heir to the throne, Archduke Francis -Ferdinand, decided to embark upon an aggressive policy. The Archduke -fondly believed that the idea originated with himself, and that he was -right in taking advantage of the temporary disablement of the aged -Emperor to strike a blow for his country’s aggrandisement. He did not -see that he was doing an unwise thing in listening to the counsels of -a neighbouring monarch, whose interests were by no means identical -with those of his own country, and acting on these promptings, without -consulting the Emperor. Count Aehrenthal, the Foreign Minister, was -a creature of the new _régime_, and he took his instructions from -the coming man. Changes of policy for the Dual Monarchy are usually -announced at the meeting of the Delegations, an assembly of members -of the Austrian and of the Hungarian Parliaments, who are delegated -by their fellows to represent them at the meeting. The Delegations, -which sit in Vienna and in Budapesth alternatively, vote supplies for -all objects common to the two countries, such as the army and navy. -The small check that the Austrian and Hungarian Parliaments can put on -their rulers lies here. The members of the Delegations, however, were -men who had axes to grind and seldom interfered with the programme -announced by the Foreign Minister. - -It was at a meeting of the Delegations in Vienna, in the winter of -1908, that Baron Aehrenthal announced the fact that Austria-Hungary had -embarked upon an aggressive policy. The days of quiet and tranquillity -were over; the country intended to join in the march forward. It only -sought commercial expansion, it is true, but it was prepared to face -all and any consequences. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -SALONICA - - -Aehrenthal sketched a programme of commercial extension in the Near -East. The first step to be taken was the building of the Sanjak -railway. The Sanjak is a narrow strip of barren land which was at that -period occupied by Austrian troops. Aehrenthal now proposed to build -a railway through the Sanjak, with the terminus at Salonica. This -railway would give Austria-Hungary the control of the Balkans as far -as trade questions were concerned. Salonica would virtually become -Austrian property, not by the force of conquest, but by the natural -sequence of events. It had long been plain that the Turkish Empire was -crumbling. None knew better than the Austrians that the hour for the -final dissolution of the Turkish Empire had come. It therefore behoved -Austria-Hungary to anticipate her rivals and to secure the most -important port--Salonica. The building of the Sanjak railway would -have shortened the route to the East by many hours. Many statesmen in -Austria-Hungary did not approve of the Sanjak project. There was an -alternative and much quicker route over Albania. If a railway could be -built from Durazzo or Vallona across to Salonica, two days could be -saved on the route to the East. Many statesmen favoured this plan. The -Sanjak was a death-trap, they said; the line would run through gullies -among mountains where enemies could command it. Besides the danger of -enemy forces in case of war, the wild bands of half-civilised folk -in the Balkans must be considered too. They might plunder the train -at any time; it would be very easy to hold it up between the steep -defiles. In Albania there was flat, fertile country that would be -vastly more suited for railway building; it could, besides, be opened -up with advantage. The only trouble with regard to Albania was that -there was a treaty between Austria and Italy regarding any occupation -of that country. If Austria took northern Albania, as she hoped to do, -Italy was to have the southern part. Vallona, the best harbour on the -Adriatic, lay in the part claimed by Italy. - -Thus Austria-Hungary hesitated between two alternative schemes. The -German element in Austria was for pushing towards Salonica over the -Sanjak. The idea had come from Berlin, and had been carefully suggested -to Austrian diplomatists by the Emperor’s advisers. Aehrenthal -announced it publicly at the Delegations, and waited to see what effect -his audacious move would have upon Europe. The Greeks sitting in the -café in the Fleischmarkt in Vienna were the first on that memorable -night of the Delegations’ meeting to catch up the words, “To Salonica.” -“Salonica is Greek,” they said. “If it is wrested from the Turks, it -must fall to Greece.” Twenty-four hours later Europe said what it -thought of Austria’s plans of expansion. The old Emperor, Francis -Joseph, who had probably listened in a semi-comatose condition, as -he frequently did, to the report made by his Foreign Minister on the -Sanjak railway, summoned him to Schönbrunn in haste. There, in his -characteristic way, in language so plain that there was no mistaking -it, and that would have done credit to a Vienna cabby, the Emperor -forbade any thoughts of a forward policy. He had had misfortunes enough -in his long reign, he said. If any innovation was to be made it could -be undertaken by his successor; for the rest of his life there would -be quiet. He understood that Russia was aghast at Austria’s plans of -aggression, England was furious, and France asking what it all meant. -The announcement made at the Delegations might be regarded as unspoken. - -[Illustration: BARON AEHRENTHAL.] - -Strange to say, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, the heir to the throne, -agreed with the Emperor. He considered that the forward movement in -the Balkans planned by Aehrenthal was ill-judged. He was aware that -Kaiser Wilhelm and the “German” party in Austria desired to open the -road to the East. The Archduke, however, took a much clearer view of -the political situation than the Kaiser and his advisers. He grasped -the very obvious fact that Italy was not a willing member of the Triple -Alliance. She was only waiting for an excuse that would sound at all -plausible to break loose from her bonds. Why the Archduke should be -keenly aware of a fact that was never even suspected by Kaiser Wilhelm -is not easy to say. Perhaps the intensity of his hatred enabled him to -read the national character aright, for the Archduke hated Italy with -a bitter hatred. He possessed estates in Italy, and considered that -the Italian Courts of Justice had treated him unfairly in a series of -law suits he had had about his property there. Moreover, there were -differences of temperament between the Austrians and Italians. Francis -Ferdinand was essentially a “German” Austrian--that is to say, an -Austrian with leanings towards Prussian methods, who wished to have -the Austrian army reorganised on Prussian methods. There was something -in the Italian character that roused the Archduke’s anger; both he and -Kaiser Wilhelm felt the rage, often manifested by the savage for things -he cannot understand, at Italy and Italy’s methods. This common dislike -for Italy which possessed both men was doubtless due to a remarkable -and startling change in the Italian character. During the last twenty -years the Italians have organised themselves on German lines; the -Italian of to-day has all the efficiency of the Prussian without his -cumbersome methods. When Kaiser Wilhelm went to Italy unexpectedly -to visit his friends there, he found hydroplanes that excelled those -at home moving about in the limpid waters of the Adriatic. He went -to Miramare, swelling with anger. Both he and Francis Ferdinand were -sufficiently intelligent to take in the position at a glance. Italy -was like a child that had stolen a march upon the world in a night by -attaining to her full stature while the others slept. Both raged at the -unexpected turn things had taken. While Kaiser Wilhelm was anxious -to keep Italy as an ally, because Germany and Austria-Hungary had so -small a coast-line, Francis Ferdinand, with much truer insight into -the interests of his country, said, “Fall upon Italy unexpectedly and -crush her.” Kaiser Wilhelm realised that the Austro-Hungarian fleet -would only be of use if it could emerge from the Adriatic. Bottled up -in the inland sea by the Italian fleet it was a negligible quantity. -He did not comprehend the bitter hatred felt by every Italian for the -ancient oppressor, the Austrian. He probably knew little of the ways in -which Italians in Austria were persecuted, in spite of the existence -of the Triple Alliance. The Government went about its work in a very -wary manner, and incidents which would have opened his eyes were -carefully hushed up. It is probable, too, that the Austrians deceived -the Kaiser as to the attitude of the Italians. Every Austrian knew in -his heart that there could never be anything but war between the two -countries. The manner in which they habitually alluded to the Italians -was sufficient to prove their intense hate. The Italian subjects living -in Austria reciprocated this sentiment in full. Whenever they found an -opportunity of paying back some of the Austrian hate for them, they -availed themselves of the chance. Archduke Francis Ferdinand always -used his influence to prevent Austro-Italians rising to power. He had -officials in Trieste removed from their posts merely because they were -“Italians.” Their places were taken by Slavs, who regarded the Archduke -as their protector. As a matter of fact, the Slavs were the only people -in Austria-Hungary who respected and liked the heir to the throne. -The Germans despised him. The Hungarians frankly detested him, and -the Italians execrated him. The Bohemians, the Croats, and the Serbs, -all Slav races, regarded him as their representative. In the racial -contests for place and power in Dalmatia, in Istria, the Slavs who -wished to oust the Italians from their places appealed to the Archduke, -and immediately got what they wanted, while the Czechs, who were in -deadly antagonism with the Germans in Bohemia, had a powerful advocate -in Countess Chotek. When the German officials tried to introduce the -teaching in German instead of the Czech language into elementary -schools in Bohemia in Czech districts, the Archduke stood by them and -prevented any encroachment by the German element. - -Thus Emperor Francis Joseph and his heir agreed, although from -different motives, in preventing the plan of the building of the -Sanjak railway being pursued. Kaiser Wilhelm, who had taken no part -in the disputes that were raging in Vienna, was glad that the idea -of Austria-Hungary’s embarking on an aggressive policy should be -ventilated, but did not wish her to take any course that might lead to -war either in the Balkans or with Italy. Neither country was prepared -to embark on an aggressive world-war. Kaiser Wilhelm encouraged -Austro-Hungarian statesmen to contemplate a series of wars with poor -and helpless neighbours, such as Italy, Montenegro, and Servia, but -he was really thinking of executing his projects, of placing Germany -“über alles!” He knew that this idea of aggressive warfare would render -it easier for the German party to obtain the armaments required for -the coming struggle, while public opinion in the country would become -accustomed to the idea of a policy of expansion. He cared little -that the Archduke was preparing for a _coup_ upon Italy when he was -contemplating a blow in the opposite direction. The necessity for -realising his plans made Kaiser Wilhelm regard all means justifiable, -even the deception of his allies. - -The storm raised by the Sanjak railway project gradually calmed down, -and Count Aehrenthal, baulked in his plans, retired to the background -to work out fresh plans for Austro-Hungarian aggrandisement; while -Archduke Francis Ferdinand, still sore at the Court Ball incident, -sulked upon his magnificent estate at Konospischt, in Bohemia, where he -superintended his wonderful collection of exotic plants and tried to -forget Vienna the dusty, that was so bad for his lungs. - -Kaiser Wilhelm became increasingly aware that the immediate necessities -of the situation rendered it important to gain Archduke Francis -Ferdinand to his side. The Kaiser was painfully conscious that neither -the aged Emperor nor his heir had any real regard for him. They were -inclined to look upon him as an upstart in many ways. The Kaiser’s -sudden excursions into realms that they regarded as distinctly not -regal annoyed them. What need had the Emperor of Germany to seek -distinction as a writer of plays? By such tricks he brought down the -whole level of royalty. All the Habsburgs are eminently dignified, and -Kaiser Wilhelm always seemed something of a royal mountebank to them, -with his strange longings after artistic fame, his childish wish for -popularity--a matter of the most complete indifference to his brother -monarch in Vienna. - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -KAISER WILHELM IN VIENNA - - -Vienna, startled for an instant by the events connected with the -meeting of the Austro-Hungarian Delegations, soon sank back again -into complete apathy as regards foreign politics. The Sanjak railway -was forgotten and everyone was thinking of how the short time between -Easter and the “Derby,” the final event of the Vienna summer season, -was to be spent, when news came that Kaiser Wilhelm was about to visit -Vienna. He proposed to come to celebrate the aged Emperor’s jubilee -and to bring his whole family with him. The Viennese considered this -most tactless. Emperor Francis Joseph had lost his only son in a -drunken brawl, and now his professed friend wished to remind him of -the fact by bringing a family of handsome young men to accentuate the -contrast between the lonely old man and the Kaiser in the prime of -life, surrounded by his six sons. The Kaiser secretly planned another -“honour” for the Emperor. All the Federal Princes were to arrive in -Vienna before the Kaiser and to await him on the platform. The Kaiser -arranged for them and their retinue to reach Vienna separately and -almost in secrecy. No receptions were to be given them on arrival. He -only broke the news to the Emperor privately when all the arrangements -were complete and some of the Princes already on their way to Vienna. -The Emperor thereupon lost his temper, which had already been sorely -tried by the proposal to bring so many Imperial Princes. He sent a -message to say that his health would not allow of him receiving anyone -excepting the Kaiser. The Kaiser had to abandon his plan, which was -to have the Emperor of Austria and the German Federal Princes grouped -together on the little platform at Penzing, awaiting his arrival “like -the rising sun,” as the Vienna papers put it, and allow the Emperor to -do homage to him among his vassals, thus recognising him as overlord of -all the German-speaking peoples. - -The Press said what it thought of the Kaiser’s overweening ambition, -and he was very surprised. The Austrians were not so stupid as he had -thought. They had grasped his plan to make himself the man of the hour -instead of leaving the first place to the monarch whose jubilee was -being celebrated. - -Wilhelm’s fertile, restless brain had hardly abandoned one project -before it conceived another. He left his bevy of handsome sons at -home, but took his only daughter with him to Vienna. The heir to the -Austrian throne, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, had made a morganatic -marriage; his children could not succeed. Archduke Carl Francis Joseph, -the son of Archduke Otto, who had lately died a horrible death, would -be the next heir. Why should Princess Louise not become Empress of -Austria and Queen of Hungary? There was the little difficulty about -religion, but that could be managed. Louise and her mother, the -Empress, were informed that they would be allowed to accompany the -Kaiser. It is likely that the ladies had but small notice, for Princess -Louise wore skirts that were perfectly appropriate to the palace at -Potsdam, where she ranked as the greatest tomboy of the family, but -they were decidedly too short and too tight for the Austrian Court, -where ample petticoats are _de rigueur_. A tall, thin girl, looking -absolutely irrepressive, stalked up the platform by her mother’s side. -Distracted ladies-in-waiting had attempted to teach her the Austrian -Court curtsey--a most complicated manœuvre that takes years to learn. -They also tried to instil some ideas of the strictness of the Austrian -Court etiquette into her mind. She was the terror of the palace at -home; the ladies-in-waiting stood in great awe of the spoilt child. -They trembled when their turn to attend upon Her Royal Highness came -round. They feared what would happen when she got to Vienna. The change -from the free and easy manners of the Berlin Court to the unchangeable -rules and regulations of Vienna was enough to upset a more placid girl. -All the bowing and smiling upset Princess Louise, whose education had -been very “Protestant.” She put out her tongue at one of the stately -Archduchesses--behind her back, it is true, but the incident did not go -unnoticed. She dropped a bouquet that had been presented to her because -the weight annoyed her. The Empress of Germany looked dismayed at the -dismal failure. She had some idea of the Kaiser’s plans, and was aware -five minutes after the special train had pulled up on the platform -that the project had fallen through. Wilhelm, who is not by any means -sensitive, had not marked the by-play. The look on the horrified -face of the Empress should have warned him from committing a further -error; but he was always quite oblivious to atmospheres. He turned -round and, with a rough shoulder movement that was visible to everyone -on the platform, he actually “shoved”--no other word can describe the -movement--the Princess towards the young Archduke. The Princess, well -used to her father’s abrupt manners, smiled at the young Archduke, -who rose to the occasion in a manner worthy of the traditions of his -family, which is celebrated for its fine manners. But Kaiser Wilhelm’s -matrimonial plans had failed before they were really made. All the -women were against it. The Habsburgs objected to the presence of a -Protestant in their midst even though she might forsake her religion. -They knew that anything so foreign to themselves could never preside at -the Court of Vienna. Their opinion was shared by their guest, who hated -the gloomy Hofburg, and cared but little for Schönbrunn, where the -strict etiquette rendered the mother of the future heir to the throne a -mere puppet in the hands of attendants, who would not even allow her to -educate or control the destinies of her children. Princess Louise put a -final seal upon any possibility of negotiations being renewed by her -very decided conduct during the subsequent proceedings. Vienna was full -of stories of the strong-mindedness of the Kaiser’s only daughter. It -had had experience of strong-minded Princesses in the past. It wished -for nothing more of the same kind. Kaiser Wilhelm had lost. - -Baulked in his matrimonial schemes, he now turned to the political -situation. Emperor Francis Joseph was irritable. The visit, although on -a much smaller scale than had been originally planned, cost him much -money, and, though he had been extremely generous in his youth, the -Emperor had become strangely parsimonious in his old age. He grudged -the great expense that was invariably entailed by the Kaiser’s State -visits. The programme usually included some expensive outing. Sometimes -five miles of road had to be improved up to the royal automobile -standard. At another time Wilhelm would take a fancy to go shooting -after his stay in Vienna, and could not be induced to accept the -simple life that was the joy of the Emperor of Austria when among the -peasants. The hunting-box, the whole forest, had to be brought up to -the standard of an American millionaire. The Habsburgs, whose claim -to rank was too ancient and too secure to need any artificial pomp -to keep it up, rode through the deep forests on small, hardy ponies. -The Emperor of Germany required a road, and insisted upon its being -cut right through the forest. He was never secure of his position. -Beyond all these minor inconveniences he expected to be treated with -the utmost ceremony, and considered that it was incumbent upon the -frail old monarch in Schönbrunn to fetch him at the railway station, -to take him to his rooms along the chilly corridors of Schönbrunn -Palace, and to expose himself, in season and out of season, in order -to magnify the importance of his guest. It was further reported in -Vienna that Kaiser Wilhelm, ever penurious, had come to borrow money -from the aged Emperor--one of the richest sovereigns in Europe, if, -indeed, not the richest of all. All these things did not endear -Emperor Wilhelm to the Viennese. They showed their feelings by -refusing to get out the best bunting and by cheering their Emperor -frantically when alone, and pointedly refraining from any exhibition -of enthusiasm when the visitors passed. The people, too, perhaps, had -a true perception of what Kaiser Wilhelm sought, and recognised that -he was really patronising the old Emperor, suggesting that it was -time he took a back seat in a dozen insidious ways. Kaiser Wilhelm -hoped Archduke Francis Ferdinand would be easy to manage, but was not -convinced of this. Emperor Francis Joseph watched the growing intimacy -between his heir and the Kaiser with great misgivings. He knew that -toils were being wound round the Archduke, who believed that he could -accept obligations and not be called upon to pay for them. The aged -diplomatist at his side knew better. The experience of three-quarters -of a century had taught him the true inwardness of things. It was vain, -however, to utter warnings. He was not even discreet. When in a fit of -rage--such as attacks all the Habsburgs who are epileptic--nothing was -sacred. A man who was not able to control himself could not be trusted -with secrets that might imperil Austria’s relations with Germany. Thus -things drifted. Germany obtained increasing power in Austrian councils; -the only man who could lay a restraining hand upon his heir was old and -weary and unwilling for anything that spelt change or unrest. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -AFFAIRS IN TURKEY - - -It was clear to everyone who followed the course of events in the -Near East that the dissolution of the Turkish Empire was at hand. The -race towards ruin, that had gone on slowly before the introduction -of the telegraph and telephone, now began to suit its pace to the -times. Corruption of every kind was the order of the day in Turkey. -Nothing could be obtained without bribery. Every kind of enterprise -was stopped by the extortions of the tax-gatherer. Any man who was -known to possess ready money was plundered by corrupt officials. The -system of land-tenure prevented the peasants from putting any money -into improvements. The great mineral wealth in Turkey and the subject -lands could not be touched, for the law said that only the surface of -the land belonged to the proprietor; all mining rights remained the -property of the State. Mining engineers who came to search for hidden -wealth were murdered by the peasants, who feared that the Government -would confiscate their land. Men who went down to Turkey to do business -always spoke of the necessity of adopting quite other methods than -elsewhere. Money, even in the case of respectable firms, was not kept -in the bank, where it would fetch interest, but distributed among a -number of more or less distant relatives. Thus the stranger had no -means of discovering whether his customer could pay or could not pay. -The latter always had a clear case for the Courts, and could prove -absolute penury whether the necessity arose in connection with taxation -or with a tiresome customer. At the same time all business there was -done on the credit system. The European agent, therefore, never dealt -direct, but depended upon the local agent, who had a profound and -up-to-date knowledge of his customer’s financial standing. The fact -that no man could be forced to pay made tradesmen very honest, and -the Turk, even before the revolution, had an excellent reputation for -uprightness throughout South-Eastern Europe. “The Turk is a gentleman; -he always pays,” they said in Austria and in Hungary. Just as large -transactions were carried out in the latter countries without the -interposition of any legal man, and sums running into thousands passed -from hand to hand in small notes to avoid the heavy stamp duty, so -the Turk transacted business without documents, always keeping to his -word. The Austrian and German agent who overran Turkey and dumped his -least marketable goods upon the people, felt he was dealing with a -kindred soul, but, to avoid all risks, he fixed his prices to allow -for long waiting, and also to cover any unavoidable bad debts. He had -a serious competitor in business in the Balkans, and was gradually -being routed from his long-established haunts by the Italian “drummer.” -The Bohemian textile manufacturers had been accustomed to regard -Turkey and the Balkans as a kind of dumping-ground for bales of goods -that had not “taken” colour properly and for wares that showed some -deficiency. The arrival of cases of excellent wares from Milan at about -two-thirds of the price of the Austrian article naturally damaged their -market very considerably. It is certain that much of the friction -between Austria-Hungary and Italy was due to the growing keenness of -competition in trade upon the Balkans, and just at this period it was -getting very active. - -Turkey hung thus, like an over-ripe pear, the wasps swarming around -her, her Sultan Abdul Hamid committing crimes that cried to heaven, -when the news reached Vienna that the Third Army Corps at Salonica -was marching upon Constantinople. The revolution and the deposition -of Abdul Hamid were accomplished with a celerity that gave rise to -the suspicion that Austria knew more of the whole affair than she -chose to admit. The Austrian Government made desperate efforts to -keep the news from getting out until everything was accomplished, and -it is more than probable that the Young Turks were financed by the -Austrian Government. It is equally certain, however, that the Young -Turks chose a moment that suited themselves, and had not consulted -Austria as to details such as dates. Austria had set a vast machine -in motion, and could only stand aghast at the completeness of the -success of the rebels. It was not what she intended. With the opening -of a Turkish Parliament many questions that might have drifted -indefinitely became pressing. The chief of these was the future of -Bosnia and Herzegowina. Austria-Hungary had occupied these lands. For -many years she had carried on a rule that was not pleasing to the -population, formed almost exclusively of Serbo-Croats, who wished -to join their Servian neighbours across the frontier. With what the -Austro-Hungarian administrators regarded as singular blindness, they -felt that they would prefer the very progressive rule of King Peter to -the retrogressive government of subject-nations by the Central Power. -The few Mohammedan Albanians in Bosnia were content with the existing -state of affairs, which differed little from that under Turkish rule. -As they were merely 3 per cent. of the population, however, they were -of minor importance, although men of prominent position in most cases. - -The establishment of the Turkish Constitution changed the whole aspect -of affairs as regards Bosnia and Herzegowina. The countries, although -occupied by Austria-Hungary, were still under the suzerainty of Turkey. -They would have the right to send deputies to represent them at the new -Turkish National Assembly. If this were permitted, Austria felt that it -would be only a question of time before she was called upon to evacuate -the annexed lands. Turkey might become regenerate. She would, then -exercise the leading _rôle_ in the Balkans that Austria had reserved -for herself. - -Austria-Hungary decided that it was the moment for action. Only -one course was open to her. She must proclaim the annexation of -Bosnia-Herzegowina. Kaiser Wilhelm was consulted upon the advisability -of this step. He said that the step must be taken without warning. It -must come upon Europe as a surprise. Other countries had proclaimed -annexations--why not Austria-Hungary? - -Archduke Francis Ferdinand bitterly disapproved of Austria’s attention -being turned to the East instead of to Italy. His influence was at -a very low ebb at this particular time. Emperor Francis Joseph had -regained his health. It was even thought that the robust old man might -outlive the heir to the throne. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -THE ANNEXATION - - -The proclamation of the Annexation of Bosnia and Herzegowina in 1908, -with the evacuation of the Sanjak as a compensation to Turkey, took -Europe by surprise. The general feeling was one of utter astonishment, -that Austria-Hungary, herself far along the road to bankruptcy, should -presume to annex anything. It is doubtful whether any one realised that -Germany stood firm behind her in her high-handed action. Even if this -were known vaguely, no one was aware that Germany had been consulted, -had fathered the plan, and perhaps even conceived it in all its naked -unscrupulousness. When the spasm of astonishment was over there was -a loud outcry. Austria-Hungary had “torn up” the Treaty of Berlin in -violating Article 29. An army, that was ready for the eventualities -that the country shrewdly suspected might ensue, was hastily thrown -upon the Bosnian frontier, another was pushed up towards Russia. -Germany also despatched a large force to the Russian front. The country -resounded with the noise and confusion of a mobilisation, for, strange -to say, Austria-Hungary, although aware her troops would be required, -had made no definite preparations. Stories of Bohemian regiments, -driven into troop trains covered by their officers’ revolvers, ran -like wildfire through the country. Further reports soon proved that -the mobilisation was simply organised confusion. Germany heard and -marked. There could be no war under such conditions. Meanwhile, the -Austro-Hungarian mobilisation was followed by rapid action on the -other frontiers. Russia put troops on her frontiers. Servia, feeling -concerned for her safety, increased her frontier forces. Count -Aehrenthal, besides promising to evacuate the Sanjak, undertook to -compensate Turkey financially for the loss of her provinces. In all -these arrangements it must be noted that Turkey was never consulted. -She had to look on while her territory was taken away, powerless to -defend her interests. This was a matter of quite secondary interest to -the Great Powers, who simply demanded to know what were the intentions -of Austria-Hungary. The winter of 1908–09 was spent in negotiation. The -soldiers, carefully provided with winter clothing, spent the months on -the chilly frontiers, and pitiful letters of complaint of the severity -of the Galician and Servian climates reached Vienna. These were from -the common soldiers, whose lot has always been a hard one. They were -subjected to the severe discipline that prevails in the Prussian army, -but whereas the Prussian gets his full allowance of food-stuff and -has the proper clothing for the climate at the end of October, the -Austrian trooper is, as often as not, supplied with ice-making machines -in December and woollen sleeping-sacks in July. New needs that cropped -up at the front were only met long after the cold that made them -indispensable had changed to spring-like warmth and the armies felt the -inconveniences of an inefficient officialdom very severely. - -The young officers at the front, who were well provided with money, -spent a healthy winter. Ski-ing was one of the chief amusements; -they brought the sport back to Vienna, where it had previously been -something of a novelty. Otherwise the social life of the people was -but little affected by the diplomatic trouble that was causing such -perturbation at the Ballplatz. There was some complaining at the -scarcity of men. Vienna hostesses had always counted on providing each -girl with a choice of partners; this year the available men were either -getting on in life or unduly young, as the mobilisation had swept up -the rest. Those who remained at home, too, were overworked, and could -not spend their days in semi-somnolence in the office and their nights -in the whirling activity of the ball-room. It was only a year later, -on returning from the annual holiday, that people began to notice -that prices had gone up. The explanation was simple enough. The army, -after the unsuccessful mobilisation which had revealed all kinds of -deficiencies, began to make numerous demands. The guns they had tested -during the very frequent frontier skirmishes whose history has never -been written were useless. Much of the ammunition was counterfeit. -Stories of corruption touching even the highest officials were current. -Some great personages were dismissed without the customary decoration, -the Emperor plainly saying that he would show no mercy to those who had -betrayed their country. The excuse that they had no idea that a war -was perhaps pending did not palliate their crime in the eyes of the -aged Emperor, who is a soldier _par excellence_ in all that concerns -discipline and order. - -The discovery of many lacunae and “discrepancies” in the service made -Austria-Hungary herself chary of going to war. When the chance of a -compromise came she was ready to take it. This was the easier for -her, as Germany, who was prepared for a world-war in the month of -October, absolutely refused to back Austria-Hungary in an adventurous -policy in December. The reason was plain. Germany and her Emperor had -believed all the reports they had received of Austria’s readiness; -it was only when they saw how the mobilisation hung fire, and -realised how unwilling her men--especially those belonging to the -subject races--were to fight, that they saw they had been deceived, -not intentionally, but by the difference between what the Austrians -believed and the actual state of affairs. Kaiser Wilhelm began to -see for the first time that he could not take the Emperor’s word for -things; not that the aged man had the faintest intent to deceive -him, but simply that he lived in a world created by his courtiers, -and existed in the atmosphere prevalent at Courts a century ago. His -councillors, old men like himself, never told the Emperor anything -unpleasant. If they believed that he did not wish to hear it, the -truth was carefully concealed. It is doubtful whether the Emperor ever -knew of the discontent in the ranks of the army. - -Kaiser Wilhelm had but small difficulty in holding back the politicians -who sat in Vienna and appreciated his arguments. Modern wars, said the -Kaiser, cannot be waged without munitions and money. Austria-Hungary -had numbers of men, but her munitions were of ancient pattern; her guns -were not fit for active service. Wealth she possessed in plenty, as -Austria-Hungary is a rich country, but it was not realised. It was all -invested in lands, machinery, and other plant. Her subjects were not -accustomed to direct taxation to any extent. The military party could -not grasp these arguments. - -A great nation ought not to stoop to negotiate, it said. Why should -they hesitate when their army was over two millions strong? - -It is a curious fact that during the negotiations no one mentioned the -really salient point in so many words, nor asked, “By what right had -Germany, through Austria, arrogated to herself the power to disturb the -peace of Europe and to steal a march upon her neighbours in the night?” -Neither country has ever advanced a reason to excuse this action. -The first cause was doubtless Kaiser Wilhelm. In the plenitude of his -arrogance, which made him consider himself beyond all human laws, -he regarded the rights and wishes of others as entirely negligible -quantities where the greatness of the German Empire, which meant his -greatness, was concerned. Every German child was taught that Germany -should be supreme over all. In the schools they learnt that nothing, -not even truth or justice, could be allowed to interfere with Germany’s -commercial progress. The young men who stole into Italy or Bohemia as -clerks and took copies of the names of customers for the use of their -countrymen, were not considered thieves in the usual sense. They were -simply German patriots; men who had been reared from childhood to -consider that the old standards had fallen, and a new German philosophy -had taken its place. This teaching had one object, and one only, the -aggrandisement of Germany. Kaiser Wilhelm was at the head of this -movement. He regarded the other nations as effete and degenerate. -They had no right to block the way of the Prussians, who were a -reincarnation of the Goths of old, and who would sweep everything -before them. Prussians of high standing were not backward in expounding -this theory. The other German races murmured at the “unscrupulousness” -of the Prussian. They felt that men of this character were dangerous, -and that they ought not to be entrusted with the supreme command in -the Empire. Austria-Hungary, meanwhile, chafed at the bit that she was -beginning to feel. After all the delicate questions had been settled -and the terms of the agreement arranged, her statesmen sighed and said: -“This has been a mistake, we ought to have gone to war.” - -Statesmen saw that they had placed themselves too unreservedly in -Germany’s hands. Peace, too, had been preserved by unusual means. When -things had reached a very critical stage, the aged Emperor Francis -Joseph stemmed the current that was carrying the country towards -war. He let it be known that he objected to the peace being broken. -He wished to end his days in tranquillity. Such respect was felt for -the Emperor that this was sufficient to turn the scale in favour of -peace. Austrian statesmen, however, were encouraged in an irresponsible -feeling that they might go to great lengths in threatening war -without being called upon to back up their threats by action. The -Austro-Hungarian supreme War Lord could save the situation by a word. -Germany could prevent things reaching a climax if the Emperor’s -petition for peace were not sufficient. - -These ideas were radically wrong. The Emperor tacitly undertook not to -break the peace again when he made his appeal. It is certain that he -never intended to do so. But this should have hampered his statesmen. -It did not. Instead of feeling that the Emperor’s pledge to Europe laid -a responsibility upon them, they, on the contrary, felt that their acts -were always liable to be disavowed by the monarch, and that they were -not forced to show the same caution as they would if their decisions -were final. In the same way, they failed to realise that Germany would -inevitably demand compensation for her protection. The noblemen who -held the helm in Vienna were not a match for the calculating business -men who were pursuing a “real” policy at Berlin, and who had little to -do with ideals. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -PRINCE EGON FÜRSTENBERG AND COUNT TCHIRSKY. HOW THE KAISER “WORKED” -VIENNA - - -Kaiser Wilhelm had the good sense to keep away from Vienna during -the time of the annexation crisis. Very few knew the extent of his -influence in the Austrian capital, nor had they any idea how it was -exercised. The Kaiser was always well informed of everything that -was happening in Austria, and obtained his knowledge by attaching -personages like Max Egon Fürstenberg to his person. The Kaiser never -selected a friend except for the advancement of his own ends. Prince -Max, who had the position of a reigning sovereign, without the work -or responsibilities that were formerly attached to the title and -possessions, had the _entrée_ to all the most exclusive houses in -Germany and Austria-Hungary. Here he shared State secrets that it was -given only to very few to know. Kaiser Wilhelm was quick to see the -advantage of attaching such a man to his side. The Prince was flattered -by the monarch’s notice, and never thought that casual remarks that he -let fall were treasured up by his Royal host. The German Kaiser and -the Prince even speculated in stocks and shares together, financed -companies, and indulged in business that was quite legitimate for the -wealthy Prince, who could afford to lose heavily, but very dangerous -for a monarch whose purse was always exhausted. - -Prince Max, who is easy-going and good-humoured, cared little for his -failures, but Kaiser Wilhelm lost prestige with his people through his -financial transactions. Prince Max was very irresponsible in many ways. -Like many other Austrians, he failed to see that his country was on the -edge of a volcano. Things had always settled themselves before, and -they would again, he thought. It is doubtful whether he realised that -he was a mere tool in the hands of the Kaiser, and even if he did so, -his sardonic contempt of life made him indifferent to the unpatriotic -_rôle_ that he was playing in giving away his country’s secrets to -her worst enemy. Intelligent and well-versed in the traditions of -his family that has produced so many famous men, it is probable that -Prince Max could have saved Austria from falling into the hands of -the Germans had he realised what was happening. Unfortunately, he was -too much occupied in pursuing the latest craze of the moment to think -of serious matters. Under his charming manners he possessed a certain -acumen, but was inclined to think the Germans were guided by the same -motives as he was himself. The over-civilised, over-polished man of the -world fell an easy prey to the cold, calculating monarch on the other -side of the frontier. - -[Illustration: PRINCE MAX EGON FÜRSTENBERG.] - -Prince Max Egon Fürstenberg was one type of the Kaiser’s familiars. -Count Tchirsky, the German Ambassador at Vienna, was the prototype of -the others. The German Ambassador in Vienna was the _doyen_ of the -Diplomatic Corps. Cold-blooded, calculating, deep, he was the very -embodiment of the Kaiser’s ideal politician. Tchirsky did not know -what scruples meant, and his many years’ experience of the Court of -Vienna enabled him to put his fingers upon every weakness there. He -saw only the defects and missed much that was fine in the character -of the men with whom he had to deal. They spoke of him as the “Old -Spider” of the Metternichgasse, where he had his palace. He did not -play a leading _rôle_ in society; visitors to Vienna knew but little -about him, if indeed they realised his existence at all. He carried -on a bitter warfare against the members of the diplomatic body who -tried to oppose the Triple Alliance. His machinations were less openly, -but none the less fiercely, directed against Italy, the nominal, but -unwilling, ally of the Central Empires. Tchirsky, a man of dark plots, -contrived to acquire interest in one of the leading Vienna papers. This -interest developed into the effective control of the organ. He was -able, thus, under the guise of a newspaper attack, to render Vienna -almost intolerable for any diplomatist whose presence he considered -detrimental to the welfare of Germany. When the Emperor “conspicuously -turned his back upon the Russian military attaché” at a Court ball, the -fact was recorded with great gusto in Tchirsky’s paper. The attaché, -who was compromised in a spy case, would have left Vienna by the first -train on the morrow in any case. Emperor Francis Joseph was a soldier -and no courtier, and when he turned his back upon a foreigner there was -no mistaking the action. It was done squarely and openly. The record of -the German-owned Press did not improve the strained relations between -Russia and Austria-Hungary, for the fact that Germany directed the -paper’s policy was an open secret. A pro-English American Ambassador -was subjected to attacks of a kind that could only be conceived by the -fertile brain of Count Tchirsky. The Ambassador was accused of being -parsimonious, and his personal habits were described with an acrimony -that showed he had a powerful enemy. The coarseness of the language -used, too, exposed the source; only a Prussian could employ such -machinations against an enemy. How the Austrians, who prided themselves -on their hospitality and their courtesy to strangers, could allow such -an attack to appear can only be explained by the growing helplessness -of their statesmen when confronted by the powerful German. Tchirsky -further distinguished himself by making an attack through the Press -upon the wife of the British Ambassador. How far he was responsible for -the famous Cartwright interview it is difficult to say. The blow, it -was known at the time, came from Germany. Austrians might have listened -to a private conversation at a table in Marienbad, and put the words -uttered by various members of the British Colony into shape as their -views upon the Morocco question, but it needed the unscrupulousness -of a German to conceive the plan of putting the pronouncements into -the mouth of the British Ambassador. The latter was too astonished -by the impertinence of the act to realise what it meant. Indeed, it -is possible that the Ambassador’s indignant denials of ever having -entered into any discussion with the man who claimed to have obtained -the interview were suppressed like many other items of news and facts. -The only denial that did appear was late and inadequate. The British, -bound by traditions, never even suspected that German diplomacy could -resort to such means for gaining an advantage. No one realised their -absolute deadness to all sense of morality. When Count Tchirsky did -sally forth from his chilly palace in Vienna, it was to compass the -undoing of the frivolous Austrians. He would exact the payment of a -pledge, given over wine. Bargains, made in the ball-room, were reduced -next morning to writing, then stored away among the archives at Berlin, -and the carrying out of the conditions--conditions favourable to -Germany and disastrous to Austria--would be exacted with the cruelty -and callousness of a Prussian politician. Had Tchirsky himself hung -back, there were others to egg him on. The ideal condition of a -Europe in which Germany was supreme must be realised. Any remnants of -conscience that Tchirsky might have possessed had long been stifled by -intercourse with his Imperial master, who regarded himself as far above -all moral law. He was the supreme War Lord. His word had established a -new morality quite different from that generally accepted. The military -training enjoyed by almost all Germans made them the more ready to -accept this point of view. Discipline, enforced until the power of -independent reflection has been lost through want of use, relieved -them of the necessity of considering the morality of their acts. The -hymns of praise of Germany’s successful policy, sung by philosophers -and by the pastors of religion, who were foremost, as usual, in -advocating the policy of expediency that Germany might be exalted, -lulled any scruples felt by Tchirsky’s subordinates. He, himself a -survival of a former age, was incapable of imagining anything of the -kind. Truth was what the supreme lord decreed to be truth. Honesty was -merely another word for expediency. The Ambassador was surrounded by -a number of men, with no reputation to lose, who brought him news of -every fresh turn of events in Austria-Hungary. They cared little that -they were betraying their country to a hard taskmaster. The present -benefits of a flourishing banking account were ample compensation -for their treachery. These causes all combined to render Tchirsky -the least popular man in Vienna. When his name was mentioned, every -tongue was suddenly frozen into silence. Was the inquirer a spy? Did -he wish to sound the secret feelings of someone present? The Viennese -felt a distrust that was rather instinctive than realised. It was the -premonition of the closing of the brutal hand of German power upon the -crowd of gay butterflies on the banks of the Danube. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -THE “GREAT SERVIA” IDEA--SERVIAN ORGANISATION - - -While Austria-Hungary, with Germany behind her, was discussing the -tearing up of the Treaty of Berlin with the rest of Europe, both Powers -failed to observe developments that were taking place under their very -eyes. The Austro-Hungarian official sent off to Bosnia or Croatia cared -very little about the people entrusted to him. His one and only idea -was to scheme and plan until he obtained his move to Vienna. He took no -means to detect and watch the conspiracies against the Government that -were being constantly hatched in the cafés of the town where he lived. -In a fit of sudden and uncalled-for energy, he would make a search for -cups and saucers decorated with the Serb colours or vindictively punish -the parents of a small child for permitting her to wear a Serb sash -round her waist, instead of a simple piece of ribbon. This unexpected -activity naturally raised the wrath of the Serbo-Croats, the more so -because really seditious acts frequently escaped notice, or, if the -administrators knew about them, they avoided taking cognisance of them, -as it meant the opening up of large questions and much trouble with the -central authorities in Vienna. Thus the Serbs, who lived under Austrian -or Hungarian rule, were often permitted to go to great lengths without -any interference. The sudden swoops of an enraged magistrate, who took -action rather because the plotters had interfered with his personal -convenience than because it was really incumbent upon him to do so, -produced a feeling of insecurity among the subject races. They regarded -the local governor somewhat in the light of a dangerous but slumbering -beast, and they prayed that his slumber might continue undisturbed. -Some, however, went the length of trying to twist his tail, when -they knew that he had been sent to the provinces in disgrace, as was -generally the case. If a man had been exiled for more serious offences -than uncouthness of manner, or a failure to respond to the friendly -advances of the chief’s elderly wife, and her invitation to shine at -her somewhat monotonous afternoon teas, the Serbs, who were always -well-posted in the reasons that led to an official being sent to the -provinces, felt that he was not in a position to injure them without -damaging himself, and behaved accordingly. The eight million Young -Slavs, as they call themselves, under the dominion of Austria or of -Hungary have always been well organised. When one of their number -arrives at either Vienna or Budapesth he calls round at his Union. -Although he may not know a single word of German or Hungarian, the -society find him a job. Accustomed to heavy labour, the Serb or Croat -is much sought after, especially in the lower ranks of service. Time -goes by, the man-servant or maid-servant has learnt the language and -is firmly established in the household. There is trouble in the home -because of the failure of a German tailor to keep his word. The Slav -servant has a relative who is willing to undertake the job, although -it is nearly midnight. He is hastily fetched, and by the advice of his -friend within the camp fixes his charges a trifle below those asked -by the German. He remains master of the situation, the German being -ousted. Gradually the household needs are supplied by Slavs, who carry -out orders promptly and carefully, and have none of the supercilious -“take it or leave it” manner of the German purveyor. The Austrians -always say “Let one Slav into the house, and they rule the ingoings and -outgoings for the future.” - -The Slav is always an enigma, which years of close intercourse cannot -solve. His aspirations, his outlook on life are a sealed book to the -West European. The all-pervading and very distinct impression which -remains is that the Slavs have very distinct national aims, which they -are prepared to pursue with an utter persistence and ruthlessness, of -which no other peoples are capable. - -Just at this period the Young Slavs within the Austro-Hungarian realm -were making a determined effort for liberation. They felt, and felt -justly, that they were oppressed. They thirsted for education and -paid large taxes to secure that same education in order to enable -their children to take their places as equals with the dominant races. -Austria and Hungary both dreaded the rise of the Slavs, and restricted -their education as much as possible, devoting the funds voted for the -purpose to other objects. - -Things were so bad in this respect that a commission was sent over from -the States to ascertain how it could be possible at this date in the -civilisation of the world that such a large proportion of emigrants to -America should be illiterate. In some provinces it appeared from the -Government statistics that 69 per cent. of the annual recruits could -neither write nor read. The lack of education was most felt among -the Serbs, Croats, Poles and Little Russians. The Slavs, who possess -an uncommon amount of commonsense, felt that this withholding of -education was immoral, and that it served some deep ulterior purpose. -The Bohemians, who inhabited a rich manufacturing district, by force -of much agitation, were able to enforce their demands for education. -The Poles were miserably neglected, their representatives who attended -the Vienna Parliament were fêted and made much of, and, aristocrats -themselves for the most part, they were easily persuaded to forget the -wrongs of their people at home. In the Bukowina the people were on a -low level, and hardly realised their position. In Croatia, Dalmatia, -and especially in Bosnia, things were different. Italy was close by, -and the Slavs learnt how things were managed in that very progressive -and modern State. Servia and Montenegro were governed on lines that -contented the peoples there, and the Serbs across the frontier felt -that they would be better under the rule of King Peter than subject to -a governor who was so far from the centre that he could practically -deal with them as he pleased. It was seldom that the governor really -understood the vernacular. Being entirely German in his sympathies, he -naturally felt no interest in the Slav aspirations, except a desire -to crush them. While Vienna was using up her strength in arguing with -Europe, the Slavs considered that their opportunity had come for the -establishment of a vast Slav Empire, consisting of all the countries -inhabited by Slavs in Southern Austria and Hungary, which was to be -placed under the rule of the King of Servia. - -Negotiations for a union between Montenegro and Servia, for the -establishment of a common customs tariff, a common army, and for the -pursuance of a common foreign policy, were being carried on. Servia -hoped to extend her territory to the sea. Whether she thought to -incorporate the Slavs of Austria and Hungary among her people is -difficult to say, but she, like the rest of South-Eastern Europe, was -aware that Austria-Hungary was rotten to the core. It must in the near -future follow Turkey and share its fate. As events move much more -quickly to-day in the epoch of telegrams and railways than they did -in the period of coaches and couriers, a much more rapid dissolution -of the Empire was to be expected than in the case of Turkey that -had been tottering for centuries. While the Austrian and Hungarian -Slavs were looking to King Peter to deliver them from Austrian and -Hungarian tyranny, Austria was intriguing, and encouraging the Serbs -in Servia to rebel. She had as little success with the Serbs as -with the Italians across the Italian frontier, as both peoples are -ardently patriotic, and even the poorest scorned Austrian gold. The -determination of the Young Slavs to live under the rule of a monarch -of their own race became strengthened at every fresh proof of the -effeteness of Austro-Hungarian rule. Themselves strong and virile, -they felt that they required administrators who could deal with the -problems that came to them for settlement in the rough-and-ready manner -peculiar to the other side of the border; they had always completely -misunderstood the shelving of petitions, the cumbersome multiplication -of documents, peculiar to Austro-Hungarian officialdom. Rapid justice, -even if less correct in the matter of form, was preferable, they felt, -to the long and unprofitable dilatoriness of the proceedings under an -administration more especially careless in dealings with things that -concerned people living far from the capital. - -Austria-Hungary heard but little of the growing discontent in her -outlying provinces. Assassinations and attempts on the lives of -administrators multiplied, but the rulers in Vienna, busy with things -nearer home, simply suggested “that a heavier weight should be placed -upon the safety-valve.” After an outrage some few ringleaders were -hanged, half a dozen newspapers suppressed, and then the incident was -put away with other events of grave portent, signs of the times which, -however, were not allowed to disturb the gaiety of the capital. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -ALBANIA AND MACEDONIA - - -It is difficult to understand the complete indifference with which -the growth of the Great Servian idea was regarded in Vienna. Eight -million Serbo-Croats under Austro-Hungarian rule were eager to join -forces with their brothers across the frontier, five million Serbs -and Montenegrins. Whether the indifference manifested at Vienna was -owing to the attitude of supercilious contempt of what was going on -around them which was generally adopted by Austro-German officials, -or whether they were really ignorant of the extent of the movement, -it is difficult to say. It is possible that politicians, who did -reflect upon the very evident increase of disaffection in the South, -merely regarded it as an indication that the small Germano-Austrian -and Magyar minorities must throw in their lot with Germany. Certainly -the relative numbers of Germans and Czechs, of Maygars and Serbs were -most alarming. Officials in high places naturally judged the position -more accurately than could the man in the street, because the published -statistics giving their relative numbers of Germano-Austrians and -Czechs, of Serbo-Croats and Magyars, were always manipulated to such an -extent that they were quite useless for scientific purposes. Another -set of correct figures was kept for the purposes of administration. -With an insolent disregard of her complete lack of success in ruling -the Serbo-Croats, Austria-Hungary not only added more millions to her -realm by annexing Bosnia and Herzegowina, but she now embarked on new -schemes of annexation and colonisation. - -New Turkey had less vitality than the old ruin that had just crumbled -to pieces. The Young Turks, when asked why they had not seized their -opportunity of securing the benefits they so much desired, which had -been within their grasp, said sadly that appearances were deceptive. -There had never been a chance of regeneration for the country. The -same power which had promoted the revolution had corrupted the new -Parliament--German money. Austrian interference had rendered them mere -puppets in the hands of unscrupulous Germans. They had not realised -this until too late. They had merely delivered their country over to -a worse foe than Abdul Hamid, who, whatever his vices and faults might -have been, acted in his own interests and in the interests of Turkey. -Germany had encouraged the revolution merely to precipitate the final -ruin of Turkey. She now thought that the moment for dissolution could -not be postponed. Austria, acting for her, proclaimed the fact of -Turkey’s disintegration upon the housetops, and suggested that Albania -and Macedonia should be made autonomous. The proposal sounded fair -and just. Everyone knew that the Macedonians had been fighting for -liberty for centuries. The claims of Albania were not so clear. Those -who lived close to the Balkans understood what the news of outrages -and massacres was worth. Outrages and massacres were certainly common -enough in both Macedonia and Albania, but news from the Balkans never -penetrates to Mid-Europe, unless it is to the advantage of some Great -Power that it should do so. Indeed, events of great importance happened -in the outlying provinces of Austria-Hungary without the rest of -Europe knowing anything about them. Rebellious Poles were shot down in -hundreds by dragoons in broad daylight. Even in Vienna and Budapesth -the soldiers dealt with the crowd in the most brutal manner, killing -and wounding unarmed citizens. Official telegrams would report riots, -mentioning a small number of injured and one killed. Thus it may be -understood that news from the Balkans, especially when it dealt with -outrages, was always political in its aim, and always biassed. Just at -this time Albanian massacres began to be very frequent. Now persons -acquainted with Albanians will always be very sceptical as to these -same massacres. The Mohammedan Albanian, a member of the predominant -race in the country, is very frequently a highly polished gentleman. -He speaks French very fluently of the variety spoken at Constantinople -and throughout the Balkans. Few Europeans can beat him in accuracy; -none come anywhere near him in fluency, the result of much practice. -He can neither read nor write, but having been partially educated at -Constantinople, he possesses great culture. Underneath is the wild man -of the highlands, who carries on blood feuds with the neighbouring -tribes, and never hesitates to slay a Turkish tax-gatherer at sight. -“Turkey,” say the Serbs, “tried to tax the Albanians for thousands -of years; she has never succeeded in obtaining a single _para_; she -commuted the taxation for soldiers, and all the finest Turkish -soldiers are really Albanians.” This was literally true. Practically -all the handsome Turkish guards are Albanians, and they have won Turkey -her reputation for producing splendid soldiers. The Albanian, too, -is an excellent merchant; he can only be compared with the Italian -for financial capacity. He naturally filled many of the important -posts under Abdul Hamid. Albanians seldom marry into alien races. -After twenty years spent in Constantinople, the Albanian returns -home to settle upon his small farm, if he cannot establish himself -upon the ancestral property. It is often a mere slip of barren land -upon the hillside, where ploughing must be done by hand, because no -horse or mule could keep a foothold on the steep slant. He purchases -the property and founds a family. It is clear that a man of this -disposition, with influence at Constantinople, would not allow his -people to be massacred unavenged. If the cunning tax-gatherer dare -not approach the mountains, even when guarded by a troop of Turkish -soldiers, it is unlikely that the somewhat effete men who compose the -real Turkish army would venture up country merely for the sake of -massacring odd Albanians. The latter seldom congregate in cities, but -are scattered far and wide throughout a roadless country. The Turks -sometimes sent large and well-equipped expeditions to Albania, to -avenge the killing of a governor or some other important functionary -who was misguided enough to venture into their midst. These expeditions -burnt out villages and killed every inhabitant they could lay hands on -in the approved Turkish fashion. But the result of such expeditions -was not great. The Albanians, who have an excellent system of -couriers, spread the news of any attempt against their liberties. The -inhabitants took to the mountains and slaughtered a large proportion -of the invading force from behind rocks, and from almost inaccessible -fastnesses among the mountains. But such expeditions, owing to their -cost in men and arms, were very rare. Owing to the jealousies of -Turkey, Austria, and Italy, the Albanian never lacked weapons. One -nation or the other was always ready to supply him with munitions to -carry on his nefarious plans against the others. - -The Christian Albanian is perhaps a trifle fiercer than his Mohammedan -brother. He has not enjoyed the advantages of a long stay in -Constantinople. He knows the Serb language, having learnt it from the -wild mountain Serbs on the other side of the frontier. He is quite -savage, like his neighbours. There is little to choose between the -Miridites and Malissores on the Albanian side of the border, and the -Montenegrins and Serbs across the mountains. The Albanian, in some -cases, however, has had a chance of improving his general education. -He is an inveterate emigrant. There is a large standing colony of -Albanians in the United States. In Boston alone there are many -thousands. They are young men, almost exclusively, for the Albanian -does not take his womenfolk with him, nor does he settle beyond the -ocean. He simply goes abroad to make his fortune. He works without -ceasing in the great factories of the States, he denies himself every -kind of pleasure, and eats the commonest food, prepared in a large -eating-house for members of his race, and saves continually. Existence, -supported upon a handful of maize or macaroni, cannot be interesting, -but he is willing to undergo the time of stress for the purpose of -developing into a landed peasant-proprietor in his own land. He is then -permitted to marry, and becomes the head of the family. His brothers -who have tilled the land at home are denied the privilege of marriage -until much later on in life, or maybe never reach a state of affluence -that permits them to enter wedlock at all. - -It gives a foreigner something of a shock to hear a handsome brigand -fresh from his mountains speaking perfect Boston English, and using -with the utmost assurance words that have been buried in oblivion since -the time of Shakespeare. - -Such is the Albanian of to-day. Reports of massacres carefully spread -from the Central News Bureau, under German influence, at Salonica, were -not accepted as facts in the south-eastern part of Europe. Italians, -acquainted with the scene of action, reckoned up that if the reports -issued in the Austrian papers were true, every Albanian must have -been massacred on ten different occasions, besides being tortured and -wounded times without number. - -The interest shown by Austria-Hungary and Germany in the welfare -of Albania was much deeper than that shown in Macedonia, because -Albania commanded the Adriatic. Italy took an equally great interest -in Albania, and to prevent any mistake about the final fate of the -country, began colonising it, planting her traders all along the -coast. There was a treaty between Austria and Italy, to the effect -that neither country should make any move in regard to Albania without -consulting the other. Neither considered that the spirit of the -agreement prevented the carrying on of intrigue. The Albanian, skilled -in the diplomacy of the East, pitted one set of agents against another, -and stored up rifles of the newest pattern for the carrying out of his -private vendettas and the repulsing of any attempt to civilise him. - -This was the condition of Albania when Austria-Hungary thought good -to duplicate her annexation trick. She proclaimed the autonomy of -Albania and Macedonia overnight, without consulting the other Powers. -Her idea of autonomy was rule under a German prince, who would use his -influence for his Fatherland. Austria meant to make another Bulgaria of -Macedonia, and another Rumania of Albania. Italy protested against this -arrangement. She objected to the ever-handy German princes being placed -on thrones near the sea-coast. Servia and Montenegro, too, were afraid -of German influence being extended in Albania, and did their best to -foment trouble there. Servia had long regarded the route over Albania -as her one chance of an outlet to the sea, and saw herself deprived -of “her little window into the Adriatic” by the plan that would make -Albania a sphere of Austro-German influence. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -THE BALKAN WAR - - -Germany and Austria were considering how the Turkish Empire could be -liquidated in a manner to secure the greatest advantage to themselves, -and in their egoistical view somewhat neglected the other factors in -the situation. Russia had great interests in the Balkans. Italy was -looking towards the time when her surplus population could be sent -there to colonise the rich lands that had been so neglected under the -rule of the Turks. The third factor--which Germany and Austria did not -think worth considering at all--was the Balkan peoples themselves. -Under Russian protection, they had conceived a grand scheme. A Balkan -League was formed. Bulgaria, Servia, Greece and Montenegro forgot -all their disputes and became allies. Their Ministers drew a map of -the Balkans, apportioning out among themselves the provinces that -then belonged to Turkey, the distribution being made according to the -nationality of the peoples who inhabited each district. Each country, -they considered, was to be ruled over by a king of its own nationality, -if possible. All the Bulgars in Macedonia were to be united under the -sceptre of King Ferdinand. The Kingdom of Servia was to stretch to the -Adriatic, Albania was to be divided between Montenegro and Servia. -Both countries would then have fine ports in the Adriatic. Greece was -to extend her coastline considerably. She was to have those parts of -Macedonia and of Albania that were inhabited by Greeks. - -The Bulgarian people were the soul of this movement for liberation. -King Ferdinand, who was always a German at heart, and who ruthlessly -betrayed his adopted country to serve German interests, was probably -dragged into the scheme by his enthusiastic people very much against -his will. The Bulgars who lived in Austria and in Hungary boldly said -that they had been preparing for the war against Turkey for forty -years. “Every effort has been made by great and small for nearly half -a century to throw off the Turkish yoke, and at last we shall do it,” -they said. And this in spite of the Germanophile King. Bulgarian -gardeners, who are employed all over Eastern Europe because of their -extraordinary skill, came to Hungary, toiled through a lifetime, saving -every possible penny of their earnings to return home with money for -the war fund. Their hate of the Turks was intense. They wished to free -their fellow Bulgars, who were oppressed by the Turkish tax-gatherers, -and who had very little benefit in return for years of toil spent in -cultivating tobacco-fields. While the Bulgars themselves were working -for an ideal, Ferdinand and his Ministers wished to take possession of -the rich tobacco-lands in Macedonia, which brought large revenues to -the Turkish State. The Bulgars’ great enthusiasm was only damped by a -profound mistrust of their Prince. They knew that Ferdinand ranked as -one of the best diplomatists in Europe, and were proud to have so rich -a man upon their throne. But they felt that in the difficult enterprise -they were about to undertake a monarch with more honesty of purpose -would have been fitter to deal with the situation. - -Although the Balkan League was formed with the ostensible purpose of -freeing Balkan lands from Turkish rule, the discontent in the Balkans -was due to other causes. Montenegro had no outlet to the sea that was -suitable or big enough for her needs. If she had possessed Cattaro, -one of the many excellent ports on the Hungarian coast, Servian goods -could have been exported as well as Montenegrin products. It was -Austria-Hungary who always opposed this. If she had allowed the Serbs -to send their agricultural products to other parts of Europe beyond -the Austro-Hungarian frontier all would have been well. There was a -shortage of meat in Germany and Italy, as well as in Austria itself. -But Austria, to please the Hungarian agrarians, interfered with all -export trade into Austria or Germany, and thus made the Slavs on the -Balkans determined to find an outlet to the sea. - -The Balkan war was really the curtain-raiser to the Great War. The King -of Montenegro was the first to begin. His troops were mobilised in -twenty-four hours. The Balkan League had advised him that the war was -about to begin, but it is more than possible that his very precipitate -action hastened a war that was not perhaps inevitable. The news that -Montenegro had mobilised was not taken seriously in Vienna. A story -went the round of the cafés that it was all a put-up affair. Nikita, -they said, had been engaged by Pathé Frères, he was to receive a -large sum of money for the films of a real mobilisation, and perhaps a -miniature battle with the Turks thrown in. Very soon, however, it was -seen that the Balkans were in deadly earnest. The Austrians, who knew -something of the fighting qualities of the Turks, never doubted that -they would have a complete walkover. The Turks had money, they had -arms. The Balkan peoples had none. Austria was perhaps not aware that -Germany had supplied Bulgaria with large stores of guns and ammunition. -The poor Balkan people had paid very dearly for the antique patterns, -and been swindled most atrociously over the whole deal. The sights of -the guns were wrong, and the Bulgarian gunners had had no instruction -in their work. - -Servia was supplied with French guns, and French gunners accompanied -the consignments to their destination, and taught the Serbs how to -manage the complicated weapons. Montenegro was well supplied with -ammunition. Where did it come from? The wild mountain tribes, both in -Montenegro and in Albania, were always supplied with the latest thing -in rifles and full supplies of ammunition. They had been disarmed time -and time again, but they merely surrendered ancient heirlooms, rifles -that served their grandfathers or great grandfathers. The good weapons -were hidden in caves in the mountains, or buried until better times -came, and they could carry them again. - -The first Balkan war began, and the unexpected happened. Turkish -troops were routed by the Bulgars, who fought with a courage and a -determination that won them the respect of Europe. The Bulgars pushed -on to Adrianople, but could not take it because the German guns were -useless. The Bulgars raged against the Germans. Did the Germans simply -look upon them as savages who could be supplied with inferior goods, -or had they supplied the guns knowing that they would be used against -the Turks? Neither Germany nor Austria wished the Turks to be defeated. -They were pleased that the Balkan peoples should be weakened by -fighting among themselves, but were very surprised and disappointed at -the course taken by the war and the total defeat of Turkey. - -After the war was over, the Balkan peoples began dividing up the -spoils. Austria, with Germany behind her, interfered in the settlement. -She would not allow Servia to have the territory she had conquered in -Albania, or any outlet to the sea. Servia thereupon demanded part of -Macedonia, instead of the territory assigned her by the preliminary -agreement. Ferdinand of Bulgaria was inclined to yield this, but -Austria encouraged him to stand firm, promising to help him if he -could not defeat that handful of savages, the Serbs. Russia, who had -encouraged the formation of the Balkan League, saw that if the States -began fighting among themselves, they would lose all their gains, and -publicly advised the Balkan kings to refrain from fighting and to be -satisfied with the land they had conquered. The States had enlarged -their borders considerably; it would take years to consolidate them. -Russia counselled them to attend to that business first, and then -think of further conquests. This counsel did not please Bulgaria. King -Ferdinand wired to Vienna for advice. Austria-Hungary and Germany -saw their chance. The Balkan peoples were disunited. They must be -encouraged to fight among themselves. Austria, acting without Germany, -despatched a two-thousand word telegram to Ferdinand of Bulgaria. It -promised an attack upon Servia from behind, while she was engaged -with Bulgaria in front. The preparations made just before an army is -mobilised were hastily put through. Men were warned for active service, -and every preparation made for starting a Balkan campaign. When -everything was ready Austria-Hungary notified her allies. It was soon -apparent that they refused to join in the campaign, or even to stand by -their ally. - -Italy--as was discovered long after--said that the Triple Alliance was -defensive, and not offensive. She not only refused to aid Austria, but -would not promise to remain neutral during the expedition. Germany, -seeing that an Austrian expedition to the Balkans meant trouble with -Italy, persuaded Austria to back out of her promise. Germany was not -sorry that Austrian prestige should suffer. She did everything she -could to discredit her ally in the Balkans. - -When Bulgaria had been completely beaten by her despised neighbour, -Serbia, Rumania fell upon her from behind and annexed a large piece -of territory. Ferdinand’s treachery to his allies had met with the -deserved reward. The Kaiser had no pity for him, and was not slow to -point out that whoever relied upon Austria was deceived. Had Ferdinand -applied to Berlin, instead of to Vienna, things would have gone -differently. - -Ferdinand, broken, aged, a politician who has lost his game, a King -bereft of territory, a soldier who had been defeated, fled from -Sofia to Vienna. At last he was forced to leave even that refuge. If -Austria-Hungary had meant to leave him to unravel the tangled skein -she had encouraged him to weave, she should have told him so before, -and not abandoned him in the darkest hour of his life. The Emperor -felt the justice of the reproaches that Ferdinand made him. He wished -to be rid of the troublesome monarch. The Vienna Press was let loose -upon Ferdinand. Stories to his discredit were circulated everywhere. -While his wife comforted the wounded, said the leading papers, he -stayed in the capital because he was afraid to return. He spent his -time in frivolity, joking with ballet girls behind the scenes, while -his consort was purchasing artificial limbs for the maimed from the -money that should have been devoted to her own personal uses. Ferdinand -soon discovered that in Vienna, as elsewhere, nothing succeeds like -success, and that failures are not wanted, either there or in other -foreign countries. He crept back to his summer palace, had the guards -doubled, and lived in fear and trembling. His throne was so shaken that -it seemed very doubtful whether it would regain its equilibrium. - -In disavowing Ferdinand Austria-Hungary lost her influence in the -Balkans. - -At this period Russia and Italy, the new Balkan Powers, were in the -ascendant. Austria advised Ferdinand to wait his time, when Bulgaria -would be able to take vengeance upon her neighbours, and reap the -reward of her treachery. Ferdinand, thoroughly tired of promises, and -bitterly regretting his treachery to his allies, which had brought him -the reward he so richly deserved, thanked fate that his wife and sons -were popular in the country, and that he could leave for his Hungarian -estates. He was sure that they could look after the interests of the -dynasty much better during his absence than when he was there, only -able to make lame explanations of his conduct in the past and his -inexplicable quarrel with the other Balkan States. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -KING FERDINAND OF BULGARIA, THE VAINEST MAN IN EUROPE - - -King Ferdinand was an interesting study as he crept away from Vienna, -all his hopes bankrupt, his people’s future compromised. The people -there considered him almost one of themselves, for the Coburgs had -always lived in Vienna. Prince Philip had a palace that commanded a -fine view right across the Ringstrasse. His brother Ferdinand lived -there when he came to Vienna, and was thus able to come to and fro, -_incognito_, whenever he pleased. The rest of Europe had no idea of -the frequency of his visits to the capital. Perhaps it was only the -theatre-managers who really were aware how often he was present in a -capital where everyone was at liberty to come and go, unmolested by the -crowd, unless he came as a monarch in state, when the Viennese were -the first to acclaim one of their children “who had gone so far in the -world,” as they expressed it. The general feeling in the city was -that Ferdinand was a great artist in diplomacy, perhaps the greatest -in Europe. In the capital of Austria he met many statesmen who came -there--to the “very edge of civilisation,” as they put it--to confer -upon the problems that then troubled Europe. Kaiser Wilhelm frequently -rushed through to Vienna in his automobile, without warning, and -took part in a short discussion of the situation, at which Ferdinand -assisted on many occasions. Kaiser Wilhelm, with his usual astuteness, -understood how to manage Ferdinand. He did not need money; that was a -great relief to the Kaiser, who was invariably short of it himself. -The Coburg family fortune was sufficient to provide for all his -private wants on a liberal scale. There is not the slightest doubt -that Ferdinand would have lost his throne long before had he been -forced to ask his subjects for money to supply his personal needs. -His independence in this respect placed him on a footing with the -proudest monarchs in Europe. Kaiser Wilhelm, prodigal of things that -cost him nothing, was able to lavish his gifts of wondering admiration -upon the King of Bulgaria. He tactfully praised qualities that his -friends imagined they possessed, and his delicate flattery of his -best “democratic” manner, that seemed to say there was no difference -in rank at all between the king of a Balkan State and the Emperor of -Germany, made Ferdinand a puppet in his hands. Wilhelm flattered him -into seeing things with his eyes, and mesmerised the dazzled monarch, -who had been a poor lieutenant, into thinking that he was really being -taken into the confidence of German statesmen and allowed to read -the secret thoughts of the great War Lord himself. The other Balkan -sovereigns, who had a clearer idea of the reality of things, could -not have been gulled so easily. They would have realised that there -was a reason for this preference, shown only of recent years, for a -man who commanded the route to Constantinople. Ferdinand, student of -political history, a consummate diplomatist, was, nevertheless, blinded -by the Kaiser, who appeared so simple--indeed, almost childlike--in -his aims, and so far removed from the world of diplomatists to which -Ferdinand belonged. This apparent simplicity of character, which has -puzzled so many, is due to a warped mind. Kaiser Wilhelm has long -considered that nothing mattered compared with the glorification of -Germany. The Almighty he considered had entrusted him with the task -of elevating the German nation. It was the supreme people of the -earth. It ought to be raised to a position which would make all other -people subservient to it, and the humble instrument for this work was -himself. He thus considered himself at liberty to break any law that -stood in his way, and, being a firm believer in the creed that the -end justifies the means, he was able to impress even people of great -and unusual acumen with a sense of his probity. King Ferdinand would -not trust the King of Montenegro, although Nikita was an open-handed, -open-hearted old mountaineer. He was, however, quite willing to accept -Kaiser Wilhelm’s estimate of himself as a man with a single aim that -must be accomplished at any cost. The King of Bulgaria prided himself -upon being the “Little Czar” of the Balkans, and aped the great Russian -Czar in many ways. He was naturally encouraged in this by Germany. His -insatiate vanity prevented him from seeing that the delicate flattery -poured into his ears by German diplomatists was merely dictated by -self-interest. They wished to detach him from Austria and secure the -allegiance of Bulgaria for Germany, to the detriment of Emperor Francis -Joseph and his prestige among the Balkan peoples. Ferdinand would -swallow any bait, walk into any trap, if an appeal to his vanity -were made. Order after order was bestowed upon him; he received so many -decorations that his uniform shone like a coat of mail with the small -medals that are worn instead of the large originals. When he made his -triumphal progress to Vienna for the first time in his new capacity -as king, his tunic was one mass of sparkling Orders. The Viennese, -who are accustomed to decorations on a wholesale scale, as they are -conferred for very slight services in Austria-Hungary, and worn with -great ostentation by all and sundry at the Court, said he glittered and -sparkled like a dancing girl at a fair. They were quick to mark the -point where the grandiose becomes ridiculous. They saw that a king so -overloaded with Orders was absurd, not regal. “But, after all, for the -Balkans--perhaps it impresses those savages down there at Sofia,” and -with a shrug of their shoulders they turned to look at his handsome -sons, Slavonic in type, and without decorations; for Ferdinand never -allowed his sons to play a leading _rôle_ in any way. They were simple -soldiers, who might mingle with the people and play the democrat while -he acted the sovereign lord. - -[Illustration: KING FERDINAND OF BULGARIA.] - -[Illustration: KING NIKITA OF MONTENEGRO.] - -The sons made a much better impression upon the populace than the -father. They seemed to fit the frame into which they were born much -better than the king who had been transported from living among the -gayest and most cynical people in Europe to deal with the crude -realities of the Balkans. Ferdinand had left his country repeatedly -when the fear of assassination was too much for him. He has always been -a coward. Even his soldierly training did not give him a grasp of what -is expected of a man and a monarch. Like Kaiser Wilhelm, he always -wore a mailed shirt or some other form of armour. Like Kaiser Wilhelm, -he felt peculiarly safe in Vienna, as the police system is so perfect -that any attempt upon the life of a monarch is almost impossible. They -manage to keep a record of the business of every person who comes to -the city. No suspects dare venture into the zone controlled by the -Vienna police. The Austrian Emperor, as long as his health allowed, -strolled about the city quite unconcerned for any danger. Kaiser -Wilhelm found, too, that he could promenade unguarded, simply because -the police had eliminated all chance of trouble. After the perils of -Sofia Ferdinand enjoyed this feeling of complete security among the -light-hearted Viennese. He would never have definitely broken with the -Emperor of Austria, because his favourite retreat would have been -closed to him for ever. He had the feeling deep in his heart that he -might be forced to abdicate at any moment. Then Austria would afford -him shelter. There he could keep up his state, receive the respect and -homage due to one who had been king and retain his _amour propre_. - -It is probable that Ferdinand had but a low estimate of the -intellectual attainments and the mental grasp of the Emperor of Austria -himself. Like all the members of a younger generation who listened -to the wisdom of Kaiser Wilhelm, he regarded him as “played out” and -a “back number.” This made him an easier tool in the hands of Kaiser -Wilhelm, and also led to his getting a reputation for treachery which -perhaps he did not wholly deserve. There was a very general feeling in -Austria-Hungary which was sedulously fostered by Kaiser Wilhelm and -his agents that promises made to the aged Emperor were not binding. -They were only given to humour the old man, who was already in his -dotage. Ferdinand of Bulgaria on several occasions failed to keep his -engagements to the Emperor, although they had been solemnly made. -Kaiser Wilhelm contrived to make Ferdinand and others besides see that -the aged Emperor was not a factor to be reckoned with seriously, and -that the Empire was crumbling visibly. He and Germany were all that -mattered in Europe. These influences go far to explain Ferdinand’s -policy during the Balkan war and afterwards. A man who can be led by -his vanity is unfit for any position of importance, and still less -to rule with an absolute sway such as he exercised in Bulgaria. His -Parliament, which should have exercised a restraining influence, was -rendered useless, as the leading members could be “bought” at any time. -Ready money is rare in the Balkans, and the Austrian diplomatist knew -full well the price of every politician at Sofia. It was amazingly -small. Sometimes they stood out for an Order as well as money as the -price of their dishonour, but as a rule money was sufficient to buy -them to betray their country. It is surprising that men who had risen -straight from the soil should have shown themselves so venial, but they -had the example of their king before them, and this explains much. The -atmosphere at Sofia was one of intrigue and crime. No one could stand -against it. The common people, sturdy peasants, dimly comprehended that -their king was not doing the best for them. They wished to join in -any plot for his undoing that might be suggested to them. They looked -towards the Czar of All the Russias to deliver them from a distasteful -alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary. This made Ferdinand anxious -to conciliate Russia if he wished to retain the sympathies of his -people. The Austrians failed to understand these “extra tours,” as -they called Ferdinand’s sudden _volte-face_ in favour of Russia and -the Slavs. The Viennese, although they liked him, mistrusted him -profoundly. Just as some strange instinct led them to suspect the -bluff friendliness of Kaiser Wilhelm, they regarded Ferdinand as an -unknown book--a book of possibilities that might be to their advantage -or might betray them to Russia, for both Germany and Austria-Hungary -regarded the growing Russian menace with fear--a fear perhaps shared -by Ferdinand, who had seen that Servia and Montenegro, who trusted -implicitly to Russia, had accomplished much of their aims. They had -fulfilled many of their aspirations, and were in a fair way to realise -the rest. Ferdinand, instead of obtaining advantages for his country, -was now bribed to quiescence and silence by a new honour. The Golden -Fleece was conferred upon him. This gratification of his vanity bound -him closer to Austria-Hungary, for he owed the decoration to the good -offices of Emperor Francis Joseph. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -THE PRINCE OF WIED - - -The Powers of Europe decided that Albania should be constituted an -independent kingdom, and a king chosen from among the European princes. -The new ruler was to belong to some family that had possessed sovereign -rights in the past, and this limited the choice very much. He was to -come to his new home with all the lustre lent by the acknowledgment -of his fellow rulers to one of equal birth. Many candidates, more or -less suitable, were ready to accept the throne. Europe discussed their -relative merits. The only people who had no voice at all in the matter -were the Albanians themselves. They naturally did not want a sovereign -chosen by the Powers, but one selected by themselves. They frankly said -a complete stranger should be chosen, as the Roman Catholic tribes -would not acknowledge the domination of a Mohammedan; the Mohammedans -would object to the chief of one of the Christian tribes; and the -Greeks would submit to neither. Europe knew full well that the task -of civilising the nation would be no easy one, and it was generally -thought that the life of the new king would not be worth a month’s -purchase. Some of the malcontents were certain to attempt his life, -almost as certain to succeed in killing him. Other people said that -the task of ruling over Albania need not be more difficult than that -of civilising Rumania or Bulgaria, and that it was only a question of -finding the right man. Unfortunately, the Powers did not act loyally -towards the new country. They made no attempt to study the interests of -the population, but sought a ruler whose selection should provoke the -minimum of objection from the other Powers. Germany wanted to place a -German prince on the throne. Italy naturally objected to any man who -would be a mere puppet in the hands of Austria or Germany. Austria -objected to any Italian candidates. Finally the Powers agreed to accept -a prince of irreproachable reputation and sprung from a very old -family, but utterly devoid of brains. The Prince von Wied was selected -for his lack of any prominent characteristics. The new prince had the -outward appearance of a monarch, being extremely tall and handsome, -while his reputation as a military man left nothing to be desired. -Nothing had ever been heard of him outside or indeed inside Germany, -and the news was soon circulated in the inner circles of diplomacy that -he had simply been selected as a figure-head. It was never expected -that he would accomplish anything in any way. He had spent his life in -German military circles and was the “ideal officer.” Like most of his -brethren in arms, he was empty-headed, possessed of an intelligence -below the average, and spent his time in looking after his estates. -This negative information was not unsatisfactory. The most important -fact about the prince was carefully concealed, however. He was deep -in debt. This was common among the young German officers, but whereas -their debts were limited by the fact that purveyors refused to trust -them, the Prince of Wied was heavily involved. The Albanians, who had -agents all over Europe, discovered his predicament. They considered -that a Balkan king must possess a fortune of his own, as they did not -wish to pay a large civil list. All the Balkan princes who had come as -strangers into the land brought riches and not debts with them. This -gave them weight, not only among their peers, but also among their -subjects. A prince or king cannot be a pauper. Quite apart from minor -considerations, his monetary difficulties would make him venial. The -Albanians, accustomed to bribery and to rulers of very questionable -morality, openly voiced this objection. They had no opinion of German -or any other probity when exposed to temptation. The Italians in -Albania, who had hoped for an Italian duke to forward their interests, -did their best to exaggerate the financial straits of the Prince von -Wied. While many stories about his poverty were heard, nothing was -said about the family estates, which had been sufficient guarantee -for the moneylenders. The moneylenders, who were ready to trust the -Prince of Wied indefinitely, refused however to leave their money -with a Balkan prince; that was a different matter. Jokes were heard -in the cafés about the “pauper king” and Europe’s appointment of a -“beggar sovereign.” The Servians, whose kings were poor but honest, -openly derided the new importation. All these reports spread throughout -Albania like wildfire. It is remarkable that news is circulated much -more quickly in Albania than in civilised countries. It is always -the salient facts that are seized upon, unimportant details being -neglected in a manner peculiar to people who can neither read nor -write, and whose heads are therefore phenomenally clear. Descriptions -of the Prince, allusions to his martial figure, were good enough for -the German papers. - -Albania did not heed them. She knew that she was to be governed by a -man who knew no word of the language, who brought no troops with him, -and who not only had no money but was deep in debt. It was not thus -that Albania pictured her king. She would even prefer to live under -the domination of one of the native princes, who would have been as -successful as the King of Montenegro in keeping his subjects in due -order. There were several of these men who could have mounted the -throne, and who would have known how to wield the sceptre. It did not -suit Europe to create an independent Albania, however. Neither Italy -nor Austria really wished the new venture to be a success, as they -desired to share Albania, dividing it into two spheres of influence. - -Prince von Wied had one saving virtue--he was modest and had no -delusions on the subject of his capabilities. He hesitated greatly -before accepting the charge. Alone, he would never have assumed the -office thrust upon him. Unfortunately, he had a wife who was both -ambitious and lacking in intelligence. The Princess of Wied imagined -that the Albanians could be ruled by the introduction of the same -methods that impressed the intellectual circles in a German town. -She was accustomed to preside over a number of ladies, “seekers of -culture,” and thought that she could exercise a similar influence over -the Albanians. Neither she nor her husband realised that, when they -left Germany for Albania, they were stepping right out of the twentieth -century into the tenth. They both imagined that the Albanians would -be impressed by the antique furniture which they sent on in advance -to furnish the villa at Durazzo, not realising that the Albanians, -accustomed to all the pomp of the Turkish pasha, simply regarded their -“antiques” as a collection of quaint-looking lumber. The Albanians were -correct in their estimate, for the objects which Princess von Wied -considered so valuable were seen to be mere rubbish by the connoisseur. -The Vienna furnishers who came down to arrange for the arrival of the -new Prince, were horrified at the condition in which they found the -palace. It was built, like all Albanian houses, as a kind of fortress. -There were no windows at all on the lower floors. Loopholes, from -which the muzzles of guns projected, served instead of windows. Large -apertures were too dangerous in a country inhabited by natives who were -in the habit of potting-at the occupants of rooms on the ground floor. -Inside the immense barn-like house the Vienna furnishers found vermin -of all sorts. This is common in Albania, but the state of the palace -was such that it should have warned them that the coming Prince was not -popular, for they might have known that the rats had been introduced -into the apartments as a protest. The rat-holes were hastily stopped -up with cement, the mildewed walls were draped with costly hangings, -but the workmen who were taken down for the job felt that it was no -place either for a lady or children, and said so freely. Although they -could not speak the Albanian language, they felt the antipathy of the -natives. They were aware of the opposition that showed itself in a -hundred different ways, too small to particularise, but all of which -revealed dangers and difficulties for the new monarch. - -[Illustration: THE PRINCE OF WIED.] - -The Prince made a round of the chief Courts of Europe, before reaching -his new country. His fellow sovereigns were willing to do all they -could to give him a good “send-off,” and he was fêted everywhere. -Diplomatists, accustomed to judging men, thought very poorly of his -chances of success. He had numberless opportunities of finding out -something about his future subjects. Men fresh from the Balkans were -invited to meet him, but he did not care to avail himself of their -information. Neither did he consult any statesmen of experience as to -how he should act in any given circumstances; he appeared to think that -he would know all this by instinct when once he had assumed the crown. -Thus those accustomed to the cares of State watched the new man depart -with strong misgivings. - -The manner of his arrival was the initial mistake. He slipped into -his new kingdom almost unannounced. He sneaked into the country like -a political refugee who wishes to avoid the notice of the police. A -handful of Albanians, gathered together at the last moment, shouted -“Hurrah!” when he appeared, but even their enthusiasm was purchased, -and not having been paid for on the usual scale, was correspondingly -feeble and ineffectual. After making this unfortunate entry, the -Prince settled down to do--nothing. The Albanians had learnt that -the money given by the Powers for the administration of Albania had -been applied to pay the Prince’s private debts, as the creditors had -refused to allow him to leave Germany with his obligations unsettled; -and they refused to welcome him. The Princess decorated her house, -and attended to the furnishing of rooms for her children. She, at -least, was delighted at the chance of being able to play at being a -real Princess. The Prince himself was less contented. He was doubtful -of the intentions of Essad Pasha, and confused by the different -instructions he had received. Kaiser Wilhelm had promised to stand by -him in his usual “shining armour” fashion, if he did exactly as the -German envoy suggested. The Prince, however, was shrewd enough to see -that German influence was of little value in the Balkans. Italy was -evidently the dominant Power in Albania. Her agents had spent money -freely. The Prince had reason to believe that Austria and Germany had -also made large expenditures on the glorious work of colonisation, but -he failed to observe the fruits. The younger generation of Albanians -spoke Italian, which was taught in the schools. Proficiency in Italian -was necessary for all who engaged in commerce and trade, as all the -coasting business was with Italy. Although attempts had been made -to establish schools where instruction was imparted in German, they -refused to attend them and were very averse to adopting German habits -or customs. While the Prince spent his time in avoiding complications, -by remaining within the palace, the Princess conferred with Viennese -decorators about the furnishing. This naturally prejudiced the local -workmen, and showed that she had not any grasp of the first duties of -a ruling princess. Shortly after the arrival of the new Royal family, -news was received that Albanian insurgents were advancing upon the -capital. No one knew what they wanted. It is doubtful whether they -knew themselves. They were aware that there was loot to be had in -the palace. Perhaps that was the secret of then coming. The Prince, -who had insisted upon two warships being stationed off Durazzo, now -telegraphed for aid. More ships were sent. The Powers regarded this as -unnecessary--Durazzo is situated at the farther end of a peninsula. The -only path between Durazzo and the mainland is over a bottomless morass. -The insurgents could only approach the place in single file and the -approach to the palace could be swept by the cannon on the warships. - -The Albanian insurgents might attempt a surprise attack, but all -through the night searchlights swept the narrow neck of land that led -to Durazzo. - -The Prince was afraid of the unknown. Away from drill books and -civilisation, he was quite helpless. It was at this critical moment -that one of the cleverest diplomatists in Europe--the Italian Minister, -Alliotto--who had been sent to Albania with a watching brief, played -his trump card. When the danger seemed worst, he persuaded the Prince -to flee. The “modern knight,” the representative of up-to-date chivalry -as practised in the Guards in Berlin, actually fled from his new -country and took refuge on the battleship. After several hours’ stay -on the ship nothing happened, and he realised that he had been fooled -by the astute diplomatist. The palace was not looted, could never have -been looted, with the guns from the warships turned upon the twisting -path across the marshes. No single Albanian insurgent could reach the -spot. He left his wife and children in safety, and returned to the -capital he had left, to resume a crown as one resumes an umbrella laid -down at the club. He was received with derision. All Europe had got -news of his flight. The Italian diplomatist had taken care of that. -Photographs were taken on the spot. They showed the Prince leaving the -palace in a panic and getting into the ship’s boat, and afterwards -climbing up the side of the ship. They were circulated through the -European Press. Pictures of the palace, and of the small groups of -tatterdemalions who had forced a German Prince and military expert to -abdicate, were sown broadcast. Europe did not know that a swift little -Italian boat had been waiting for weeks to carry away the news. The -Italians knew that Germany and Austria would contradict the news of the -Prince’s flight. So they said: “Photographs cannot be contradicted. Let -us have plenty.” - -The Prince was the laughing-stock of Europe. He was forced to abdicate. -Even the Kaiser felt he could not advise him to remain on the throne -after the painful incident. He did not even dare to return to Germany, -but spent months in Italy, travelling, before he cared to face the -music at Berlin. Germany and Austria had played against Italy for -diplomatic supremacy in Albania. Italy had won all along the line. Not -only had she succeeded in disgracing the German princelet, she had -attained her own object, too--lowering Austrian prestige in the Balkans -and raising her own. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -THE KING OF THE BLACK MOUNTAINS - - -The most interesting figure in South-Eastern Europe was King Nikita. -He ruled over the smallest patch of country that can call itself a -kingdom, but he is, perhaps, a more consummate diplomatist than any -of his fellow Balkan monarchs who have been swayed by the King of -Montenegro without suspecting it. He has great influence in a number -of countries. This is due to his extraordinary foresight. He had a -family of girls, who came of untainted stock, with a family reputation -for sound health, both physical and mental. Surrounded by his handsome -family, he realised that Europe was tired of German princesses--that -their presence in every Court of Europe was unpleasing to many -monarchs, who did not wish German women to know State secrets and -to be in a position to pass them on to powerful relatives at home. -He appears to have made a complete study of the subject of royal -marriages. His girls, unlike the ordinary Balkan princesses, were -brought up very simply. It is even reported that they were able to -milk the cows and goats that strayed near the country home where they -were educated. They had a training in practical housework, which took -the place of the frivolities that usually go to make up princesses’ -lives. When they became of marriageable age, Nikita secluded them more -carefully than before. No breath of scandal ever touched them. But -their good qualities were reported far and wide, and did not escape -those monarchs who were in search of a wife for the heir to the throne. -Nikita managed to secure the throne of Italy for one daughter. The -Italians are always grateful to the King for bestowing his daughter -upon their ruler. The children that have been born to him are healthy -beyond those of any of the aristocrats that surround the throne, for -they inherit the sound constitution of their grandfather, the heartiest -and halest man in Europe. The Grand Duke who took a daughter of the -King of Montenegro to preside over his vast estates in Russia has never -regretted his choice. Although both men have a needy father-in-law, -and perhaps grudge the money that frequently flows to Cettinje, they -have secured wives with virtues that are worth much gold. The King of -Montenegro enjoyed immunity from attack because of his highly placed -sons-in-law, and was able to play a part in the politics of Europe -that would not have been possible under other circumstances. After -having taken the title of King instead of Prince, he came to Vienna -to pay his first visit in the new capacity. Emperor Francis Joseph, -ever ready to support all dignitaries, received him in a worthy -manner, putting a suite of rooms reserved for kings at his disposal. -King Nikita, who was seldom seen in Vienna, was decidedly popular, -and the crowd showed great enthusiasm in welcoming him. He managed -to enhance the importance of his visit by a circumstance that caused -much speculation at the time. It was arranged that Nikita should go -to the races and watch the Austrian “Derby,” the closing event of the -early summer season. He was accompanied by Archduke Francis Ferdinand -and Duchess Hohenberg and a number of other members of the Imperial -family, who always crowded into the Imperial box at the races, as they -are all intensely interested in all that concerns horses. The King of -Montenegro is also interested in everything connected with outdoor -sports, and looked forward to the event. Early on that Sunday morning -the rumour was circulated in Vienna that an attempt was to be made upon -the life of the visitor. Why anyone should wish to assassinate the King -of Montenegro was a mystery--whether the King had the report circulated -himself to increase his importance, or what it meant, was not clear. -All Vienna hurried down, in spite of the blazing heat; no one wished -to be absent at such a time. The police had taken precautions, which -showed that they at least anticipated something. Every visitor to the -Imperial enclosure had to walk through a long line of detectives and -diplomatic agents. If none of them recognised him, he was followed -and carefully hustled, as if by accident, into a corner far off the -Imperial box. Other detectives crowded him and ascertained whether he -had a bomb about his person by bumping against him. Persons in official -capacities were, on the contrary, propelled as if by some unseen force -to the front of the box, where they were forced to remain by pure -physical pressure of the cordon of police in plain clothes, in spite -of the blazing sun that beat down on the racecourse. The old King came -into the box. Duchess Hohenberg sat at his right, and entertained him -in her best and most vivacious manner. He greatly appreciated the -trouble that she was taking with him in pointing out the different -horses and telling him which colours belonged to this great aristocrat -or that great politician. Archduchess Maria Annunziata, the abbess of -a Bohemian convent, who had been charged with the task of conversing -with the King, was only too willing to relinquish her seat of honour -and to retire to the back to watch the racing with one of the juvenile -Archdukes. The King watched the pretty woman by his side with -admiration; her animation pleased him. Nikita felt in his element, the -most important man in the place. He did not cut a bad figure even among -the Austrian and Hungarian Archdukes, who are finely-built men, many of -them being extraordinarily handsome. After the event of the afternoon -was run and the cheering had ceased, the King, Archduke and Duchess -departed, as is the custom of royalty. The members of the Imperial -family stayed to watch the rest of the events, and only left five -minutes before the end. - -Upon the departure of the King and the Archduke the police cordon -immediately relaxed. Persons who had been sandwiched in to form part -of the buffer that protected the Imperial box had free passage. -The feeling of oppression, of expectation, relaxed. But still there -was no explanation of the mysterious threats against the life of so -unimportant a sovereign as the King of Montenegro. In the light of -after events it occurred to many who assisted at that running of the -Derby that it was the life of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand which -was sought on that day. It was the first time for many months that -he had appeared in public, and the dislike felt for him both by the -people and by his near relatives had reached a dangerous pitch. No -such tragedy as happened later at Sarajevo took place simply because -the Austrian police was so efficiently organised and so powerful that -it could prevent anything of the sort by a process of elimination. The -same process might be witnessed every summer in Ischl, where no one was -allowed to take up his residence unless he could give a satisfactory -account of himself to the police. This was easy in Austria-Hungary, as -there was no shifting population to be dealt with. An exact record of -the past life of every person resident within the empire is kept. All -suspects are watched. Thus Austria was the safest place in Europe for -monarchs. - -King Nikita departed as he had arrived, amid the acclamations of the -population. He had been gratified by the invitation, and King Peter of -Servia had been correspondingly humiliated. He had never been invited -to come to the Austro-Hungarian Court. This was a standing source of -annoyance to the Serbs, who considered that it would have given him the -prestige that he somehow lacked. They considered that the tragedy that -had preceded his accession to the throne should be forgotten after the -lapse of years. Emperor Francis Joseph, one of whose chief aims in life -is the maintenance of the dignity of rulers and the magnifying of the -vocation of kings, did not take this view. He said that as long as he -lived King Peter should never come to Vienna. It would, perhaps, have -been better had less been done to honour the King of Montenegro under -these circumstances. In this and many other trifling affairs the wounds -already inflicted upon Servian _amour propre_ were kept open instead of -being allowed to heal. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -EMIGRATION PROMOTED BY GERMANY--SOCIAL QUESTIONS IN THE DUAL MONARCHY - - -The numbers of emigrants to Canada, the States, and South America -had been increasing in an alarming manner for many years. The large -band of men who left their country might be divided into two classes. -The larger class was composed of men who, weary of living under -Austro-Hungarian administration, left the country for good, worked for -money to build up a new home beyond the seas, and subsequently sent -money to pay the fares of their wives and children, or other relatives -to the new country. - -The second class of emigrant that swelled the returns was the “season -emigrant.” He left for one, two, or three years, supported his family -at home while working abroad, and returned with his savings at the -end of the time to enrich the country of his birth. This class of -man increased the prosperity of the country. The American Government -encouraged the permanent emigrant and objected to the “season” -emigrant, who refused to become naturalised, and formed part of a large -foreign element that it always regarded as potentially dangerous. The -Austro-Hungarian Government, on the contrary, naturally encouraged -the “season” emigrant, and did everything possible to deter men from -agricultural countries from emigrating permanently. - -During the Balkan wars the subject-races, always oppressed by the -Central Government, were subjected to much harsh treatment because -disorders were feared. Repressive measures were carried out very -cruelly; no allowance was made for race and natural sympathy with -their relatives across the border. The governors cared nothing if -they could cow the population into obedience. The more independent -spirits naturally escaped beyond the seas to avoid persecution. The -mobilisation and the long time that the army remained on the frontiers -made the Slavs fear that a war was coming. They did not desire to fight -against the Serbs nor the Russians. The Austro-Italians who inhabit the -southern coast-line and man the Austro-Hungarian fleet did not wish to -be called upon to fight against Italy. Thus almost all the inhabitants -near the coast considered it better to get away while they could, and -emigration on a vast scale began. Whole regions were depopulated. It -was impossible to move off the main route of travel in Austria-Hungary -at this period without being literally besieged by would-be emigrants. -How could they learn English? Could it be done by correspondence? What -other qualifications were necessary for emigrants to the States? It -seemed as if the whole agricultural population was packing up to leave. - -The Emperor once wished to send some rare game to New Zealand, and -asked for a couple of men to accompany them. The entire country-side -offered to travel with them to the far-off land, intending never -to return. Istria, Hungary, Galicia, and the Bukowina swarmed with -emigration agents. These agents were quite unscrupulous in their -methods. They simply desired to make money quickly. They got the -usual bonus from the companies on each emigrant induced to travel by -their line, and besides were subsidised by big companies who wished -to populate large tracts of land abroad. These companies promised the -emigrants free holdings. The peasant, who was greedy for freehold -land, naturally jumped at the offer, and left his village without much -persuasion. The agents, knowing full well that the Austro-Hungarian -Government must not get information as to the way in which the country -was being literally bled of its best military material, shipped the -young men of military age _viâ_ Bremen or Hamburg. The wives and -children went _viâ_ Trieste or Fiume. Thus the figures sent in to the -Austro-Hungarian Government gave no indication of what was going on. -This business went on undetected for about ten years. - -Suddenly the explosion came. Archduke Francis Ferdinand, the heir to -the throne, discovered that a hundred thousand recruits fit for service -had got away in a single year. An inquiry was held into the matter. A -ramification of frauds, such as could only exist where the officials -were in sympathy with the population, was discovered. In many cases -boys were registered as girls with female names. When they grew up they -left the country or remained in some remote village where no one had -any interest to reveal their presence. Their employers did not want to -spare them for the army. Others whose mothers had not been sufficiently -far-seeing to arrange matters early in life emigrated, with documents -borrowed from a friend for the occasion. The documents were then sent -back by messenger over the frontier to the rightful owner. When either -of these methods was impracticable, medical certificates testifying -unfitness were procured. Certificates of this kind were cheap. The -demand was so great that there was a keen competition, and military -doctors were not able to stand out for large bribes, especially in -out-of-the-way places. The feeling of the whole country was with the -man who refused to fight for the German and Magyar overlords. - -A number of emigration agents were hastily clapped into prison, -travelling offices were closed, and a minute investigation was begun. - -Archduke Francis Ferdinand, who undertook the task himself, soon -discovered that Austria-Hungary had been drained of its best fighting -material by Germany. Cheap passages had been offered to emigrants -by the Hamburg and Bremen lines. They were no doubt anxious to make -substantial profits. He went into the figures and was startled to find -that the heavy Government subsidies enabled them to carry emigrants at -a loss. He immediately detected the hand of Kaiser Wilhelm behind this. -Germany had robbed her Poles of their land in order to colonise German -Poland with Teutons. The Kaiser was now trying to drain Austria-Hungary -of its Slav population and to replace them by German emigrants. That -was the meaning of the great emigrant traffic and of the secrecy with -which it had been carried on. - -Francis Ferdinand was furious when he discovered the truth. Men of -military age were not allowed to cross the frontier without explaining -where they were going. - -The emigrants, however, got away in hundreds every week, in spite of -all restrictions. The trouble that had been made about recruits leaving -the country convinced people on the frontiers and at the sea coast that -a great war was coming. The Slavs and the Italians, who were determined -not to be involved, took train to the nearest frontier station and -simply walked across without passports. It was soon discovered that -as the German emigration figures fell, the numbers of young men of -military age leaving Russia and Italy for the States increased. -Emigration had not been stopped; it had only been diverted to other -channels. This discovery enraged the Austrian Government. - -Sentinels were posted on the frontiers to watch for young men, but as -the sentinels belonged to the disaffected races the men got past all -the same. - -The restriction upon emigration pressed particularly hardly upon -the Bosnian Slavs. The seething discontent that had increased every -year since the annexation would never have become dangerous had the -restless spirits been allowed to leave for the States. Families would -have felt that their sons were safe from the bad treatment in the -army and would have waited patiently until they had enough money to -join them in the States. The sudden checking of all these hopes, -the shutting of the only door of escape, brought the discontent to -a head. There were rumours of disaffection among the subject-races -everywhere. Sure of a warm welcome from their fellow-countrymen on the -other side should trouble force them to leave, the people along the -frontiers became very restless. There was every indication that the -Austro-Hungarian conglomeration of nationalities and States could not -be kept together much longer. Archduke Francis Ferdinand was pleased -at these indications. He, in common with the remainder of the military -party, was looking for an excuse for a war. Thus he and the army put -more pressure upon the Serbs in Hungary instead of relieving them from -some of the grosser forms of oppression. Kaiser Wilhelm encouraged the -Archduke in this policy. He wished Austria-Hungary to realise that it -had reached a crisis in its history that could only be solved by a war. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -THE AGRARIANS AND THE SHORTAGE OF FOOD - - -The Agrarians, or great landowners, both in Austria and Hungary were -largely responsible for the Great War. If commercial relations between -Austria and the Balkans had been satisfactory there would have been -no discontent. The Balkans are agricultural lands; large crops of -corn, vegetable products, and meat were produced. Hungary is also a -rich agricultural country, and supplies its own needs entirely, with a -surplus for Austria. Austria and Germany cannot exist on the produce -of their land. Both countries have densely populated manufacturing -districts that must be supplied with food. Hungary wished to obtain -the best prices for her commodities. She therefore objected to Balkan -products being imported. The goods had to enter over her railways. -She prevented their coming in by imposing vexatious restrictions and -refusing cargoes on all kinds of grounds. Austria would not forbid -the import of meat and other products directly. This would have -prejudiced her political relations with the Balkans. Nor did she wish -to discourage the Balkan peoples from breeding cattle. The shortage -of meat in Austria might force the Government to import it at any -time. So she took a most unworthy course. She allowed the Agrarians -to carry on their nefarious methods and thus earned the bitter hatred -of the Balkan peoples, especially of Servia and Montenegro. For some -years cattle-breeders in the Balkan countries did not realise why -their products were returned so frequently. Finally, discovering that -they were simply the playthings of the Agrarians, they ceased to breed -cattle and turned their vast pastures into corn land. The Agrarians, -men who travelled but little and had no grasp of the speed with which -innovations are introduced and new plans adopted in this century, were -sadly surprised and not a little dismayed when they discovered that -the Serbs and other Balkan countries had no more meat for sale. Every -summer there was a considerable shortage of meat in Austria and the -cities of Hungary. This was due to a number of causes insignificant -in themselves, but far-reaching as regards the history of Europe. The -butchers said the regular annual shortage was largely owing to supplies -being sent to Germany, to Bohemia, and the Tyrol in the tourist season, -when large quantities of meat were required for the foreigners who -came into the country. The real reason was that the country was being -drained of its best blood by emigration. Farmers were forced to kill -off their cattle because there were no shepherds to care for it. The -day of the small peasant-proprietor was over. He had left for the -States. It was found more profitable to grow corn than to keep cattle -for the market on the immense farms on the great Hungarian plains. -No one had realised that the Balkan States had rendered themselves -independent of Austria-Hungary, and that no supply would be forthcoming -even when the frontiers were thrown open. The Agrarians, when they -heard of the shortage, suggested that the people should do without -meat. Riots ensued, and violent scenes occurred in Vienna. The military -was brought out to disperse the crowd. Hungarian hussars were brought -from Budapesth to shoot on a crowd chiefly made up of Germans and -Slavs. As the soldiers rode forward to charge the people in front of -the Vienna Rathhaus, women climbed into their saddles, and, rendered -desperate by fear for their husbands and children, wound themselves -round the waists of the hussars, thus effectually preventing them -from using their swords. Some men had four women hanging from their -waists as they charged upon the crowd. The horses, trained for show -and parade, were very careful not to dislodge the extra riders and -advanced at an amble. The Hungarian officers who led the men tried -to incite them to show a different spirit, but although they charged -the crowd not more than a hundred civilians were seriously injured. -The men cut the air above their heads with their long sabres, and -although they were Hungarians and Magyars, and were faced by a crowd -they disliked and despised, humanitarian feelings were stronger -than the commands of their officers. Many people in Vienna that day -doubted whether conscripts would ever fight against the populace. -Before night, however, the spirit of the troops changed. The people, -desperate with hunger, put up barricades in some of the chief streets; -they tore down the gas lamps and set fire to the stream of coal-gas -thus released. They plundered the shops of unpopular tradesmen and -distributed eatables among the crowd. When the troops appeared they -were received by a shower of stones, while even the pavements were -torn up to provide missiles. The soldiers, thoroughly enraged, turned -a murderous fire upon the people. The city was put under martial law, -and everyone who ventured through the streets was searched for weapons. -Walking the streets was a dangerous pastime for strangers, as sentries -only challenged once and shot if the command to halt were not complied -with. Similar riots on a larger scale took place in Budapesth. They -were suppressed in a more brutal manner than those in Vienna, while -in Prague the situation became so alarming that a revolution was -feared. It was then that the Agrarian party became alarmed, and agreed -to a suggestion for the importation of frozen meat from Argentina. A -committee of officials and experts was sent to Argentina to arrange for -the sending of frozen meat to Trieste. The Argentine Government was -ready to comply with all the very intricate demands and requirements -of the Austrian Government, and, being unversed in the history -of the Balkans, believed that Austria was capable of a perfectly -straightforward deal. One party of the Government, seeing the gravity -of the disturbances, really wished to alleviate the sufferings of the -people by the importation of frozen meat. The Agrarians, on whose head -the blood-guilt of the European war really rests, played the same -unstatesmanlike trick upon Argentina as they had successfully carried -out in the case of the Balkans. The first load of meat duly arrived. It -was sold immediately. This did not suit the short-sighted Agrarians, -who immediately began a plan for the defeat of the innovation. With the -consent of the Government they began an agitation against frozen meat. -Butchers circulated stories that it was unsound, and as it was sold -at prices that corresponded very nearly with those of fresh meat, it -naturally remained on their hands. This was seized upon as an excuse -by the Government to stop the import of any more meat. Even then the -Government could not act with common straightforwardness. The cargo was -allowed to come, and turned back at Trieste. The boat ran over to an -Italian port, where the meat was sold without difficulty. But Austrian -credit had suffered largely. The political relations with Argentina -were strained, and the country lost many a good customer through her -dishonesty. This mattered little to the Agrarians, who got good prices -for their meat. - -Another attempt was made to introduce sea-fish for popular consumption. -The Government put a quick goods train service on from the Adriatic, -and with cars especially constructed for keeping fresh fish in ice -through the hot nights. This did not suit the Agrarians, who had -immense breeding-places for carp and who reared trout in their -streams. As was to be expected, the trains were delayed, and the fish -reached Vienna and Budapesth in a state unfit for food. No statesman -in Austria-Hungary raised his voice against this trickery. No one -cared whether the people starved or not, provided the Agrarians were -satisfied. Archdukes, who might have raised their voices and have made -them heard, were themselves engaged in trade. They had immense dairies -and other establishments, where the produce of their lands was sold. -Their interests were contrary to those of the people and to those of -the country at large. They sided with the Agrarians in what was a -crisis in their own history and that of their country. Meat riots were -succeeded by disturbances about house accommodation. In order to keep -up rents, regulations preventing the building of new blocks of flats -were made in both Vienna and Budapesth. Similar enactments existed in -many other large cities in Austria-Hungary, but they pressed hardest -of all in the capitals. The landlords, freed from healthy competition, -not only demanded high rents, but they refused to accept tenants with -children. Men well able to pay high rents were forced to go from house -to house begging the porter to show them flats, and were turned away -time and time again simply because they had the misfortune to have a -family consisting not of six healthy children, but of one quiet child -of ten. At one period things were so bad that a workman with six -children, who had been unable to get accommodation anywhere, camped out -with his family on the Graben, the chief promenade in the very centre -of the city. Others knocked up wooden shanties on Crown land near the -mountains. At last the city decided to put up a number of sheds for the -accommodation of persons who had been expelled from the flats because -they had children. In Budapesth things were much worse. There were -riots, and the effigies of unpopular landlords were burned. Troops were -called out and rioters shot, but this brutal suppression of the working -class only increased the irritation felt against the Government. It was -clear even to the uninitiated that affairs were reaching a climax. The -discontent that had begun in the working classes was quickly spreading -to the small employé and even to the professional classes and officers -in the army. This was due not only to lack of food or accommodation, -but to the enormous increase in the cost of living, which had its root -in the alarming rise in taxation. This taxation was due to the two -mobilisations during the Annexation crisis and the Balkan wars, which -had cost Austria-Hungary many millions. The discovery that many things -essential to an army were lacking had led to reckless expenditure. Not -only had money been spent on legitimate needs, but immense swindles -had been perpetrated in connection with army supplies. Highly-placed -personages had been connected with these incidents which consequently -were never properly sifted, those most deeply implicated having the -power to prevent investigation. Further, mistakes on a vast scale were -made. The type of cannon recommended for the army, and supplied to all -the regiments, proved to be quite useless when employed in frontier -skirmishes. It was replaced by new weapons at enormous cost. Other -occurrences of the same kind led to the Budget being far above the -yearly income of the State. It became apparent to all responsible for -the conduct of the State that something must happen. The strain was too -great--a breakdown somewhere was inevitable. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -COUNT LEOPOLD BERCHTOLD AND COUNT STEPAN TISZA, THE MEN WHO DECIDED ON -WAR - - -Count Berchtold, the Austro-Hungarian Minister who was responsible -for the policy that led to the Great War, is the prototype of the -Austro-Hungarian aristocrat, and essentially a gentleman. He was for -this reason totally unfit to cope with the crowd of unscrupulous -pro-German politicians around him. He was brought up in the old school, -and no one who knows him personally would hesitate to describe him as -a gentleman _par excellence_. The fine, delicate features, the slim, -slender hands, and a bearing that has something almost apologetic, are -characteristic of the man. He is the ideal landowner and feudal lord, -able to manage large estates, a merciful landlord who would remit rent -in bad years, a kindly neighbour, and valued friend. - -Count Berchtold’s greatest interest was horse-racing, and his large -fortune enabled him to keep a splendid stud. He invariably attended all -the big race-meetings, but he was there merely to watch the horses, -not to meet the representatives of the diplomatic and political world -like his fellow-officials. His eye never wandered from the course -during the whole meeting. Other politicians never so much as glanced at -the horses; they were concentrating their attention on more important -matters. A secretary posted them in the events to enable them to -discuss them when necessary, to keep up the farce that they were there -to watch the horses. They watched their opportunity to slip up to some -great man and discuss some point at issue between them in a friendly -and casual way. The Foreign Minister knew nothing of such manœuvres. -If he wished to discuss a delicate matter with the Ambassador of some -unfriendly Power, he sought him in his Embassy and at once raised -the question to an affair of State instead of ascertaining in a -non-committal way how matters stood before formulating a demand. Count -Berchtold was essentially an honest and straightforward man when he -took over the onerous duties of Foreign Minister, and had no slur -upon his character. He was very loth to assume the responsibilities -of office, and only accepted at the Emperor’s direct request. He felt -that he was not fit to take the helm of State at such a critical -moment. There is not the slightest doubt that the Count was correct -in the estimate of his own powers. It would have required a much less -simple-minded man to guide the country through the troubled waters -which seethed all around. The Hungarian aristocrat, perhaps more than -the Austrian noble, lives a somewhat secluded life far from railroad -and market town. He is brought up in the same way as the old feudal -barons in the Middle Ages. He is surrounded by a swarm of servants, -whom he regards more in the light of serfs than free men. He fills the -obligations as well as enjoys the privileges of a feudal overlord. The -young aristocrat enjoys life. It is made up of hunting, often in the -primæval forest; he is constantly invited to shooting-parties, and -spends his time in that and other manly and outdoor occupations. He is -always an expert climber, can stalk a chamois, and would never fear for -his footing on the most precipitous rocks. He can fence, box, and is, -of course, an expert swordsman. He never knows when he may be called -upon to fight a duel, with any weapons. He learns to speak four or -five languages from native tutors. He must be proficient in German, -French, and, if possible, English and Italian, before he leaves the -schoolroom. He acquires these languages without trouble, often from his -nurses, and learns to ride while still little more than a baby. All -these accomplishments fit him to cut a figure in the fashionable world, -but form a poor equipment for battling with foreign diplomatists, who -have had the advantage of a training in a much severer school. Even if -the education, which he receives at the hands of a tutor, chosen rather -for his sporting proclivities than for his erudition, is completed by -a university course, no professor in Austria-Hungary would venture to -deal with a young aristocrat in the same fashion as with a student -belonging to the middle classes. Thus, although the aristocrat is -peculiarly suited to occupy important positions on account of his -birth and manners, he is frequently unfit to deal with very intricate -problems or to match his wits against those of other politicians. Count -Berchtold was a great favourite in Vienna because of his hospitality. -The Hungarians are known far and wide for their hearty hospitality, and -he even excelled the traditions of his race. He gave entertainments -at the Ballplatz, the Austro-Hungarian Foreign Ministry, close to -the Hofburg, that were unique of their kind. He had a kindly word -for everyone who entered the vast _salles_ that opened one into the -other at the top of the great marble staircase. Beneath the historic -portraits he entertained Archduchess and peasant deputy with unvarying -affability. When he was seen in other social centres it was always -conceded that he was the most distinguished-looking man in the room. -The tall, dark figure flitted restlessly to and fro, always anxious to -contribute his part to making the entertainment a success. But close -observers noted something in the formation of the skull and the glance -of the eye that denoted lack of firmness. He was a man who could be -persuaded against his better judgment. Had he been called upon, like -most of his predecessors in office, to be a mere figurehead, all would -have been well, but under the actual circumstances it was fatal to the -peace of Europe. It is more than probable that Berchtold was chosen to -fill the important post at the suggestion of Count Tchirsky, or some -other emissary of Kaiser Wilhelm, who desired to have a weak man in -power in Vienna. - -Once he had taken office, Count Berchtold discovered that all quiet -was at an end. There were constant attacks upon him in the German -subsidised Press of Vienna. During the long diplomatic struggles that -took place while he held office he was accused of hesitation and of -vacillation. He was, however, merely trying to steer a middle course -between the two policies dictated by the two parties within the Empire. -The Emperor was firm in his desire to die in peace. His reign had begun -with the loss of territory following upon defeat on the battlefield. -It was well known that he absolutely refused to contemplate any policy -that might lead the Empire into further hostilities. It was the Emperor -who sent the autograph letter to the Czar in the Annexation year, -begging him to allow him to go down to the grave in peace, and to -desist from a war which seemed inevitable. On the other hand, Archduke -Francis Ferdinand was anxious for a war. He was at the head of the -military party, composed of the younger aristocrats, who were more or -less tools in the hands of Kaiser Wilhelm. They comprehended nothing of -what war meant at this period in the world’s history. They suspected -nothing of the plans of Kaiser Wilhelm, who pushed the Emperor of -Austria into the foreground when he wished the scales to be turned in -favour of peace, and skilfully brought forward the military party -when he wished Austria-Hungary to threaten war. Count Berchtold was -very sensitive to public opinion; the attacks made upon him by the -Press, hinting that he was lacking in courage, annoyed him. They also -prepared public opinion for war. Austria-Hungary was depicted as the -sufferer from a hundred slights--as the down-trodden country that was -forced to bear all kinds of insults. Insults from Servia, insults -from Montenegro, had been accepted lying down. All news of what the -small Balkan States had to endure before they made the protests was, -of course, suppressed. Their point of view was never considered. -Caricatures of Count Berchtold, showing him on his way to Salonica but -frightened to go on by the claws of the Russian bear, were published in -the comic papers. The lengths to which these papers went in turning the -Foreign Minister to ridicule--a deadly crime in Austria-Hungary--was -indicative of the strength of the Imperial Germans in Austria. They -were even able to protect their minions against the Austrian censor. -When any politician showed indications of strong-mindedness and of -a disposition to resist German influence, the terrors of the German -subsidised Press were turned upon him. He invariably had to go. The -Press in Count Berchtold’s case, however, was merely used to bring him -to a sense of his own impotence and to deceive him as to the state of -public opinion. The Germans did not desire his dismissal, although they -frequently had rumours of his impending resignation published. His -being in office suited their purpose much too well for them to wish -to see him leave his place. Count Tchirsky and other pro-Prussians -filled the air with rumours of the Emperor’s inability to rule. They -said that the old man was in his dotage. This sounded reasonable, -although it was by no means the case. Count Berchtold was naturally -inclined to believe these reports, as, although he was very loyal to -his sovereign, he, like many other men of the modern school, could -not comprehend the monarch’s peculiar idiosyncrasies, and was apt to -mistake his religious fervour for an expression of feeble-mindedness. -This rendered Berchtold ready to believe the insinuations that were -cunningly suggested to him that the Emperor could not be trusted with -secrets of State. He might tell all to his father-confessor, who would -report it to Rome, where the hated Italians might learn it, said the -German diplomatists. Berchtold thus entered on a course that led to the -undoing of his country. He acted without consulting the Emperor, and -concealed important facts from him at times of crisis. His tempters no -doubt showed him good and sufficient reason why he should do this. The -course was, however, a lapse from honesty--an honesty that had been -Berchtold’s chief virtue. So long as the supreme power was vested in -one man, that man, whatever his age, should have been in possession -of the full facts of the case. The Emperor of Austria alone had to -decide whether there should be peace or war, and his Foreign Minister -had no right to deceive him on any point. Count Berchtold and the -German Ambassador had guilty secrets between them. It was thus that -the Ambassador got his hold over the Foreign Minister and used it -mercilessly. The country gentleman could not believe that the German -aristocrats around him were liars and were capable of acts unthought-of -by persons of his simple creed. - -History will pronounce judgment on Berchtold. Contemporaries see -him as a weak man, who lost his country’s cause through a complete -inability to cope with the scoundrels who surrounded him. He was unable -to comprehend the peculiar art of lying that German diplomacy had -brought to a fine art, the sphinx-like promises that could be made -and interpreted according to need. A man of less honourable instincts -would have been more capable of dealing with the situation; a man of -character might have saved his country. - -Count Tisza, the Hungarian Premier, was a man of iron will. He was -frequently called the Hungarian “Cromwell,” “the man with the mailed -fist.” He had fought more duels than any other Hungarian aristocrat, -and his courage was well proven. Not only had he physical courage, -but moral courage as well. Like Count Berchtold, he had received the -education and training of a Hungarian aristocrat. He is an autocrat of -the old school, whose strong will has never been broken by opposition. -Possessed of great strength of character, but educated in an atmosphere -of unreality, he had no grasp of what was really happening in Europe. -Tisza always prided himself on his loyalty to the Emperor. When the -sovereign told him to reduce the rebellious Hungarian Parliament to -order, he did not hesitate to order the soldiers to drag out offending -members. On another occasion he had armed men placed at the entrance -to the House to prevent the entrance of all refractory members. The -Emperor and Tisza both looked upon the Parliament as a necessary evil -that must be dealt with in the best way circumstances allowed. Neither -of them considered that the people had any rights. They were not of the -same flesh and blood as Emperors and Counts. - -This autocratic idea, born of circumstances and surroundings, led both -men to act in a most tyrannous way towards the people. Tisza especially -had a profound contempt for the mob. He looked upon the subject-peoples -as beneath contempt. Neither he nor his Imperial master could brook -Notes send by the Serbs. It seemed to them the acme of impertinence -that a nation of so little importance should dare to address the -Emperor of Austria as an equal. - -Count Tisza has always been most anxious to make Hungary equal to -Austria. He considered that the two nations should enjoy equal rights. -He resented the fact that the Court was established at Vienna, and -that Budapesth always took a second place. Tisza and every Hungarian -statesmen knew that the common funds were spent for the benefit of -Austria rather than for that of Hungary. At the same time Hungary, who -claimed equal rights with Austria, always refused to take a half of -the common expenses on her shoulders; the Hungarian share was always -a third, Austria paying two-thirds. Hungary is very wealthy, but -has very little ready money. Her nobles regulate taxation and take -great care that the burden falls on the people in the way of indirect -taxation of necessities. Before the war there was no income tax in -Hungary, although the revenues enjoyed by the great landowners are -immense. Kaiser Wilhelm was very exactly informed of the relations -between Austria and Hungary. He took pains to attach Tisza to his -person. Tisza was invited to Berlin frequently; he was summoned to -confer with the Kaiser constantly, while Count Berchtold was seldom -consulted. The Kaiser dazzled Tisza and the Hungarians with promises -of assistance in their fight against Austria. The Kaiser seemed to be -the only man who comprehended their position. An ambitious and warlike -people, the Magyar minority could not be swamped by the Slavs within -the kingdom, or overwhelmed by the Germans in Austria. Count Tisza, -although a very strong man, is not capable of comprehending a character -like that of Kaiser Wilhelm. Single of purpose himself, he cannot -comprehend duplicity in another. Like the Emperor Francis Joseph and -Count Berchtold, he was duped. He desired to go to war with Servia -because, like Count Berchtold, his personal vanity had been hurt. He -could not take an international view of the situation. The great Slav -peril within the Empire seemed more important to him than the fear of -All-German domination. - -[Illustration: COUNT BERCHTOLD.] - -[Illustration: COUNT TISZA.] - -Count Tisza might have done much to save his country from ruin; -instead, he preferred to see the subject-races oppressed. He considered -that a war that would enable the Government to thin out the Slavs, by -letting them fight one against the other, the soldiers from within -the Empire against those without, would secure the supremacy of the -Magyars. He failed to comprehend that the Magyars were to be thinned -out in their turn to make way for Germans who wished to exploit the -rich treasures of Hungary and exhaust her mineral wealth. - -Count Tisza was a gambler accustomed to play with gentlemen; when he -played at statesmanship with the German Emperor he did not count upon -his adversary using loaded dice. - -The very uprightness of his character prevented his suspecting others. -The man in the street suspected Kaiser Wilhelm; the Premier did not. - -The Hungarian aristocrat had never been “up against life”; he had no -instinct to guide him. He fondly believed that he was twisting the -Kaiser round his finger and using him for his own ends. These ends -were the glorification of Hungary, for Tisza is a patriot to his -finger-tips. Unfortunately, he was deeply imbued with the sentiment -that a king cannot commit meannesses. He placed the Kaiser on the same -level as a Hungarian noble. - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -AUSTRIA-HUNGARY AS A MILITARY AND NAVAL POWER - - -In 1907 Austria-Hungary, where conscription is in force, had an army -of about three million men when fully mobilised. These men were of -excellent physique, since they were selected as the most promising -material among a number of men fit for service. Every year when the -annual contingent of recruits came up for service, a larger number were -passed as “fit” than could be put into training. About a third of the -“fit” were sent home; they were selected by lot, and although they were -not called upon to serve immediately, they were under the obligation to -do so when required. Thus there was a large second line of untrained -men fit for service and ready to be called up when necessary. The high -standard of efficiency resulted in only the very best material being -selected; there were many among the rejected who could be called to -the colours in time of necessity. - -Besides this, the military authorities pursued a definite policy. They -were willing to grant exemption to the city man who could be usefully -employed in clerical work in war time, and devoted their energies to -training the peasant for actual fighting. - -All this resulted in the official figures of the available men giving -no real estimate of the numbers that were actually available. - -Much money and attention were devoted to the minor branches of -the service. Armament factories were increased and flying fields -established in connection with all the army corps headquarters. The -preparations for a possible war, while being carried on with great -energy and at great expense, were somewhat delayed by an incurable -habit, peculiar to the Austrians, of giving great attention to branches -of the service that were anything but essential. Experiments were made -in ski-running on the Alps in winter. Small companies of men were -frequently lost in the Tyrol while trying to cross difficult ground. -It was felt in the country generally that the attempts to get over the -glaciers and snowfields might just as well have been made in summer, -when there was not the same danger from avalanches, and even if war -with Italy were inevitable, ski-running practised within view of the -Italian frontier was not likely to calm Italian susceptibilities. -Aviation, which had long been recognised as the war weapon of the -future, was quite neglected. The Government refused to purchase the -necessary airships. The Austrians, with all their mechanical genius, -were not able to make the motors for aeroplanes. Austrian inventors -had to obtain motors from France before their airships could fly. The -conservatism of thought and methods which made the Austro-Hungarian -Government neglect the air service, led them to misread the signs of -the times, and to allow the fleet to sink to a mere nothing. Although -they were building up the fortifications along the Austro-Hungarian -frontier, a queer optimism made them count upon Italy’s help in the -Mediterranean. Meanwhile they worked up their land fortifications. -The Austro-Hungarian naval ports are models of what Nature can do in -the way of natural defences. Cattaro is practically impregnable from -the sea side. The gulf winds in and out, and the approach to the city -can be defended at every turn. The military and naval authorities -felt quite secure of Cattaro, and it was only in the Annexation year, -when there was trouble with Montenegro, that it was discovered that -the cannon on the summit of Mount Lovcen could be fired right into -Cattaro. The boundary line between Austria-Hungary and Montenegro runs -close to the summit of the mountain. The Austrians considered that -it would be very easy to capture the top of the precipitous mountain -should war break out between the small country and themselves, but it -was a very serious offset to the value of Cattaro. There was a large -choice of suitable naval ports along the coast besides Cattaro. The -only consideration that made a selection difficult was the question of -railway communications with the interior. - -Sebenico was also built out as a naval base, but, like Cattaro, there -was no railway to connect it with the interior, as the narrow gauge -Bosnian railways were of little practical use for military purposes. -They were either light mountain railways or narrow gauge. This meant -that all transports must be unloaded at the Hungarian frontier. Neither -Cattaro nor Sebenico could thus be utilised as first-class naval bases -until the Bosno-Herzegowinan railway system had been changed. Plans for -this project were made and the money was voted, but the work had not -been begun at the outbreak of the Great War. The naval authorities -established excellent wireless stations and repairing shops at these -ports. The Government was disinclined to spend money on these ports, -because the population was either Italian or Serb, and not easy to cow -into subjection, like inland peoples. A seafaring people were always -able to make good their escape should danger threaten. If the sea coast -were watched too carefully for them to get away by boat, there was a -wild mountainous district behind, where a man could hide among the -rocky crags undisturbed until the hue and cry after him had died down. -Just as the Bohemians near the German frontier were always inclined to -be restive, and the Government more or less obliged to take a lenient -view of their offences, so the Dalmatians were seldom subjected to -persecution. Austria-Hungary never let off her wrath on those able to -defend themselves. - -Political considerations hampered the Austro-Hungarian Government in -her choice of ports and in her shipbuilding. Austria wished to get all -the shipbuilding orders, and was willing to make concessions to Hungary -in agricultural affairs in order to secure them. Hungary, however, was -not disposed to accept these. - -Austria-Hungary only settled upon a definite naval policy after the -Annexation crisis. It was decided then that the new boats should -be built in Trieste, and then tugged round to Pola for fitting. -The Hungarians complained bitterly, and insisted upon some orders -being placed at Fiume also. Slips for Dreadnoughts were prepared in -Hungarian dockyards. The first Dreadnoughts, however, were built at the -Stablimento Tecnico, in Trieste. This caused a storm of indignation all -along the Adriatic. Austria had fostered Trieste at the expense of all -other ports--both Hungarian and Italian--on the sea coast. Two railways -carried goods from Trieste to Vienna. Preference tariffs were given to -goods shipped over the Austrian ports. Italian firms found it cheaper -to get their goods via Trieste than via Venice. Every form of ruse -and trickery for magnifying the importance of Trieste and decreasing -that of Venice was used. In some cases, Austrian firms received large -State subventions to enable them to undersell Italian firms. Thus -Trieste absorbed much of the trade that formerly went _via_ Genoa to -Switzerland and Germany. In bolstering up Trieste and its trade the -Government was not actuated by commercial considerations only. The -mercantile fleet proved an excellent training-school for sailors; -the population was composed mostly of Italians and Slavs, seafaring -people who had been accustomed to earn their living on the water for -generations and generations. Austria-Hungary, when contemplating her -failures in many parts of the country, could always point to Trieste -as a complete success. Unfortunately, Kaiser Wilhelm also regarded the -seaport as an entire success. The splendid docks, stretching miles -inland, where light boats could be built, the yards at Montfalcone, -all stirred a feeling of covetousness in the monarch, who was never -satisfied. He actually commenced negotiations to get possession of -Trieste. He needed a port in the Mediterranean or in the Adriatic for -the re-fitting, re-fuelling, and provisioning of German ships in times -of peace. Austria-Hungary refused on one occasion to cede her best port -to Kaiser Wilhelm, but an agreement that Germany could use it as a -coaling-station was entered into. - -The first Dreadnoughts built for the Austro-Hungarian Navy just after -the Annexation crisis were laid down secretly. Although permission to -build Dreadnoughts had been given at the Delegations, many Members -of Parliament opposed the granting of the money, on the ground that -Austria-Hungary could not afford to embark on a policy that might -embroil her with other nations. Her army was sufficiently large to -protect her and assure her that respect among the Great Powers that -she had a right to demand. The Government, to save argument, thus laid -down the Dreadnoughts without announcing the fact. When the news that -the first ship was partially ready and the second had already been -laid down was made public, the other nations of Europe naturally felt -that Austria-Hungary had stolen a march upon them. She specialised in -building submarines and torpedoes at this time. The necessary expense -was provided for by a special species of book-keeping. Money voted -for education and similar purposes was devoted to the construction of -submarines, and the public and Europe were kept in ignorance of the -true uses to which it was put. - -Archduke Francis Ferdinand, the late heir to the throne of -Austria-Hungary, was especially interested in shipbuilding. He had a -valid excuse for remaining far from the capital. The fine dust from -the limestone with which Vienna is built injured his lungs, which were -already delicate. He therefore stayed for the greater part of the year -at Miramare, a beautiful castle close to Trieste, or at Brioni, farther -along the coast. The Duchess and the children enjoyed the stay near -the sea. He ran to and fro in a swift yacht, visited Pola and Fiume, -and assisted at the experiments which were being carried on there. -Kaiser Wilhelm frequently came to visit Corfu, and stayed at Miramare -_en route_. The two men who were plotting for world-empire spent many -hours together. The Kaiser was frequently accompanied by experts, who -travelled _incognito_ at the command of the Emperor. - -Archduke Francis Ferdinand, brought up, like all the Austro-Hungarian -Imperial family, in an atmosphere of unreality, suspected nothing of -the Kaiser’s ulterior motives in coming to Trieste. He even followed -his suggestions for the gradual removal of all Italians employed in -Government service. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -ARCHDUKE CARL FRANCIS JOSEPH - - -Archduke Carl Francis Joseph resembles the present Emperor of Austria -and King of Hungary very closely, though the resemblance is apparent -rather in a certain peculiar charm of manner than in a similarity of -features. Their colouring is identical, and when on the outbreak of war -the aged Emperor made a triumphal entry into Vienna amid enthusiastic -crowds such as the capital had never seen, with the heir to the throne -by his side in an open carriage, everyone remarked on a resemblance -that had escaped them before. “He might be the Emperor’s grandson,” -was heard on every side, as the two men who held the destinies of the -land in their hands went by. They sat stiffly upright, for both have -the carriage that marks a thorough military training; both acknowledged -the frenzied acclamations of the crowd with a truly royal reserve, -in contrast with the eagerness of Ferdinand of Bulgaria or Wilhelm of -Prussia, who could not conceal their extreme delight at the shouts of -the populace. Both Emperor and Archduke have always been popular. - -[Illustration: ARCHDUKE CARL FRANCIS JOSEPH.] - -[Illustration: PRINCESS ZITA OF PARMA.] - -The Archduke had received the careful training that is given to one -who is expected to fill a high place in life. He learned English at -the same time as he learned German from an English governess, who -succeeded in implanting a love for her native land in the heart of the -young Archduke. The Austrians considered that he was too British in his -tastes in many ways, and much too inclined to go in for games of every -kind instead of attending to the more serious studies that took up so -large a part of his time already. While the young Archduke showed great -enthusiasm for tennis, for dancing and skating, he cared but little for -abstruse studies. None of the Habsburgs ever gave evidence of great -mental powers, and the Archduke was true to the family traditions in -this respect. Educated in Vienna, where dancing and music are regarded -as the chief end of life, it was natural that he should enjoy both. It -is also a debatable point whether accomplishments of this kind are not -more desirable for the young man who wishes to get into touch with his -subjects and with foreign diplomatists than a taste for discussion. -Unfortunately, the Archduke was encouraged to pursue a very frivolous -life. The wicked uncle of the fairy tale is frequently seen in real -life. In this case he enjoyed unusual powers. When Archduke Otto died -he left his brother, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, guardian to his two -boys. The heir to the throne and his ambitious morganatic wife thus -had the care of educating the boy who was to succeed to the throne -instead of their own boys. It is doubtful whether they could have felt -kindly towards him in any case. Being what they were, both ambitious -and unscrupulous, they did everything they could to ruin the boy. He -was surrounded by persons who turned his thoughts towards subjects -unfit for him, and who led him astray at an age when he should have -been attending to his schoolbooks. The sudden change from a life of -convent-like severity to one of the greatest dissipation and licence -was sufficient to turn the head of any young man, and much more so that -of the heir-presumptive to a brilliant throne. When he appeared in a -ballroom the women flattered him, not for position perhaps so much as -for his youthful grace and manners. The Archduke and his wife threw -in the way of the Archduke people of vicious life, who did their best -to ruin him in every way. The frivolity of his disposition, mingled -with a certain lightheartedness that led him to take nothing seriously, -saved him from these snares. The Archduke had him removed from the -Vienna Court, where he was far too popular, on the pretext that he was -“going the pace” too fast. The Emperor made inquiries, and discovered -that the Archduke was leading a comparatively simple life compared -with that of many of his elders. He was banished to his regiment -garrisoned on the Elbe; however, he got frequent leave to come to -Vienna _incognito_, when he could not interfere with his uncle, who was -so unpopular that he never ventured to walk about the streets like the -rest of the Imperial family. It is probable that, instead of lessening -his popularity, these long periods of enforced absence endeared the -young Archduke to the hearts of his future subjects. He, too, knew -how to speak a number of languages and dialects. Italian he spoke -like his native tongue, and he knew French, the diplomatic language -of the Balkans, thoroughly. He knew Czech really well, and also spoke -Hungarian, having learnt both languages as a child. The heir to the -throne knew neither, not having learnt them when young, as there were -several lives between him and the throne. All these facts made him less -inclined to love his nephew, who seemed to possess all the graces that -he lacked. All the machinations against him, although actuated by the -deepest hate, had no result because of his simplicity of character. -When he returned to Vienna after a long, enforced absence, he went at -once to the Belvedere and thanked his uncle and aunt for the kind care -that held him far from the capital. He did not say that he had all the -amusement that he needed. He had been present at every _première_ of -importance, assisted at many balls that did not figure in the columns -of the papers devoted to Court news, and generally had an amusing -time without being trammelled by the strict etiquette that would have -regulated his movements had he been in the capital on an official -visit. Always smiling and good-humoured, he never even noticed the -machinations that were directed against him. He was high in favour -with the Emperor, who often expressed the wish that the younger man -were coming to the throne instead of the next heir, for Archduke Carl -had never caused him a moment’s uneasiness. This was saying much at a -Court where most of the youthful members had committed some breach -of etiquette at least, many of them having caused the Emperor much -trouble by their love affairs. Archduke Carl, instead of a variety of -_affaires_, had offered all the warmth of his youthful devotion on the -shrine of one of the most amusing and accomplished Vienna actresses. -He carried flowers and flung them on the stage at her feet very often, -and showed his preference in many ways. As the lady was already a woman -far on in years, she accepted his boyish devotion without allowing him -to do anything compromising for his future. She acted the _rôle_ of -the good fairy who saved the prince from all the snares spread for his -undoing. When the Archduke fell in love with an old playmate at a Court -ball, he made his actress friend his first _confidante_. The Archduke, -like most of his relations, married solely for love, and was able to -accomplish his desire, although there was much opposition in some -quarters. Princess Zita, of Parma, the daughter of an old and decaying -race, was a child of the Vienna Court. She had been convent-bred, and, -like her husband, she was educated partly on English lines. She had -spent some years at the convent at the Isle of Wight, where several of -her near relatives occupy important positions among the Sisters. She -lives part of the year in Italy, and is essentially Italian in type and -character. Her great charm of manner fitted her to become an Empress; -the only objection that could be made to the match was that she came -of a family of worn-out stock already related to the Habsburgs, and -not likely to improve that degenerate line. This objection would have -been considered fatal at some Courts. At Vienna the fact that Princess -Zita was distinguished for her piety and was completely in the hands -of the Church over-rode all other considerations, and the match was -allowed to proceed. It has turned out most happily. The Viennese were -pleased to have a Princess that they knew. They made no secret of the -fact that it was a grave mistake to import princesses. They said that -such young women did not know enough to hold their own against the -intrigues of the family, who were invariably jealous of the “first lady -at the Court.” The women did their best to poison the young lives of -imported princesses with tales of scandal and by other less reputable -means. Princess Zita had a crowd of powerful relations to stand by her -and protect her from the harm that befell the late Empress Elizabeth. -She was well acquainted with the atmosphere of the Court, and, like -a child at home, knew how to avoid all the pitfalls spread for her -undoing. Princess Zita accompanied her husband everywhere when it was -possible. Before the war she travelled over the whole of the Galician -frontier in his company. With deep understanding of the character of -the peasants, she purchased their livestock at the exorbitant prices -they demanded for her poultry farm. Unlike Duchess Hohenberg, who -complained that she was overcharged when the peasants asked too much, -she threw away sums of money, small intrinsically, but large in the -eyes of the poor inhabitants of the land. The progress made by the -newly-married pair was a great success. The birth of a son, while -putting a seal upon the popularity of both, undid the hopes and plans -nourished at the Belvedere. Duchess Hohenberg despaired of seeing -either of her fine boys upon the throne. The remainder of the Court -held a brief for Archduke Carl and Princess Zita, and protected them -against Duchess Hohenberg. Little Zita had grown up among them, and no -one grudged her the high place she occupied. She did not even displace -the “first lady of the Court.” Archduchess Annunziata, the niece of the -Emperor, immediately resigned her place to the younger woman who was -to be the future Empress, but the little Princess was too much taken -up by her duties as mother to learn the whole of the strict etiquette -that the “first lady” is called upon to observe. Her aunt arranged, -therefore, to preside at the more formal functions, where the Princess, -who was nothing but a child, might make some dreadful mistake, and -to instruct her gradually. This simplified matters greatly for the -Princess, who thus made no enemies. Archduchess Annunziata had presided -at the Court ever since the tragic death of Empress Elizabeth. She was -tired of the burden, and wished to retire to her convent at Prague -for the remainder of her life. She took no pleasure in standing erect -and gracious on a platform at the top of the ballroom and saying the -appropriate thing to each of the dignitaries presented to her notice. -The _rôle_ that would have rejoiced Duchess Hohenberg beyond everything -annoyed her. - -Archduke Francis Ferdinand and Duchess Hohenberg, sitting sullen and -gloomy at Konopischt, still tried to keep the heir-presumptive far from -the capital. He and Princess Zita were only allowed to show themselves -publicly in Vienna on rare occasions. This led to their being cheered -frantically whenever they did show themselves. Exaggerated stories -of the jealousy shown by the Archduke went all round the city. The -Emperor frequently called the younger man to his side, and was struck -by his modesty and mild demeanour. Archduke Carl was naturally most -unassuming. His personal attendants were much attached to him because -of his great generosity, but always said that he was impulsive to a -degree that made him difficult to arrange for; he made plans absolutely -upon the spur of the moment without stopping to consider. - -Such was the young Archduke as he was known in Vienna when the -murder of Sarajevo altered the entire course of his life. The weight -of responsibility suddenly thrown upon his shoulders made him show -character--strength of character that must have been there all the -time, carefully concealed beneath the pleasant manners of a young -courtier. This was seen at the funeral of the victims of Sarajevo. He -insisted upon walking behind the funeral coach that bore his uncle and -aunt to their last rest. The Master of the Ceremonies at the Vienna -Court had arranged that no member of the House of Habsburg should -demean himself by paying this respect to the dead, and he represented -this to the Archduke on the steps of the railway station. The Archduke -became quite red in the face with excitement as he pointed out to the -amazed official that he was now heir to the throne, and that he would -decide upon what was the correct thing at Court. All Vienna saw and -applauded. He walked alone behind the coffins as first mourner with the -air of sadness and solemnity which the occasion demanded. At the same -time he freed himself from the domination of the much-dreaded Master of -the Ceremonies once and for all. - -The Archduke and his wife were naturally pro-Italian. Even before his -marriage the Archduke had always shown more sympathy for the Italians -than was felt by other Habsburgs. The happiest days of his life had -been spent on Italian ground at Viareggio, where he was able to live on -the water far away from the Court and its exigencies. He was inclined -to trust the Italians, and, unlike his uncle, disliked the Slavs. He -was, too, decidedly pro-British before the war. When he was selected to -go to England to represent the Emperor, he made his preparations with -the greatest alacrity, pleased to think that he had been chosen for the -mission. - -Kaiser Wilhelm regarded the heir-presumptive to the throne as a young -man of no importance in his schemes. He believed that a youth who -was so thoroughly under the influence of his mother had neither the -character nor the intelligence to oppose his plans. Kaiser Wilhelm, -perhaps, neglected that obstinacy which is a leading characteristic -of the Habsburgs, and which has enabled them to resist many an attack -upon their prerogative in the past, and may have an important and -unexpected influence on the future. While the late heir to the throne -of Austria-Hungary was entirely in the hands of the Jesuits, neither -Emperor Francis Joseph nor his present heir ever allowed them to -dictate in affairs of State. They held that religion and statecraft -were different matters that must be kept scrupulously apart. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - -AUSTRIA-HUNGARY FACED BY REVOLUTION OR WAR--THE FINANCIAL FACTOR - - -Austria and Hungary strike the casual visitor as very like any other -European country, and so long as he remains on the beaten path he -finds no reason to revise his judgment. Vienna, Budapesth, Prague, are -very like Milan or Berlin. There is plenty of ready money, and every -indication of a somewhat too advanced civilisation. In fact, decadence -is suggested rather than under-cultivation. The ease with which the -city people have adopted every new invention, and the facility with -which they adapt themselves to modern appliances and conveniences, -quite deceives the stranger. He naturally supposes that people who -made constant and excellent use of the telephone at a time when it -was just being introduced into the western countries of Europe are -necessarily advanced in other matters. Everything looks very up to -date. The fashionable watering-places, like Karlsbad and Marienbad, -are the essence of modernity. Everything is carefully arranged for the -comfort of the traveller, and for the man who can afford the utmost -refinement of comfort it is perfection. If he takes a long walk out -from his splendidly appointed hotel, and spends a day or two up country -in Bohemia, he will soon discover a different state of things. - -The first shock is the knowledge that the forest is not safe for anyone -who rashly wanders away from carefully tended paths and marked trees -that show the direction. These immense woods are not merely unsafe, -but any stranger to the district who strays among the denser parts -will probably not return, for the peasants are inclined to be savage. -If a German falls into the hands of Czechs in a small Bohemian town -he usually gets badly mauled before the police, who are really in -sympathy with the towns-people and do not hurry unduly, can interfere. -This kind of outrage, which may be found chronicled without any -excuse or explanation in the small local papers, goes on within a few -miles of the ultra-civilised Marienbad, where urbane and polished -politicians conferred with King Edward, and spoke of their land as one -of the civilised countries of Europe. No one ever thought of pushing -inquiries as to what the native peasant was like. Horrible crimes are -frequently reported from Bohemia, but they attract little attention. -The foreigners do not read the kind of paper that delights in horrible -detail, while the Viennese know too well how very backward much of the -country population is, and naturally wish to keep the knowledge from -the world. The various races that live within the confines of Austria -proper are of mild and somewhat timid disposition, but the Hungarians -are fierce and cruel. - -Many peasants, who own considerable wealth in the shape of land, that -has come down to them from their fathers, have never seen a gold coin, -nor even possessed a 15s. banknote in their lives. Very little gold -circulates in Austria or Hungary at any time, the people preferring -notes. Apart from this, however, many peasants never handle money. -Their whole business is carried on by barter. A peculiar method -of trading is known as “pauschal.” It is extremely simple in its -operation. A dairy-farmer undertakes to supply one of his neighbours -with butter, milk and eggs all the year round. The neighbour supplies -him with pork, vegetables, or some other commodity that he has at his -disposal. The same method of barter is applied to the shoemaker and -to the weaver of linen. If one party suffers a slight disadvantage -through the arrangement it is considered that it will be made up -another season, when his requirements will be larger. This system -obviates any keeping of accounts, and is of great convenience, as -it enables the parties concerned to forecast their expenses for the -coming year with certainty. In some districts, where there is less -mutual dependence, and therefore less mutual trust and confidence, -the accounts are chalked up behind the door, and one supply of goods -rendered against another. But no money passes from hand to hand. The -peasant has a lively distrust of banks, born of experience; and he -considers that the natural end of a bank is failure. He therefore -invests his money in stock, in enriching the land, if he is the -absolute proprietor, and always locks up a certain sum for emergencies, -turning it into jewellery, which is worn by the women. In times of -terror the peasant girl conceals her necklace--usually made of coins -which are out of circulation--and always has the wherewithal to procure -herself temporary shelter. The peasant women, too, wear belts of -solid silver, which can be converted into cash at a moment’s notice, -should necessity arise. The peasant never interferes with his wife’s -jewellery, whatever may be his need; it is her dowry for herself and -her children in times of dire distress. - -These circumstances and habits account for the curious phenomenon of a -population rich in property, but having no ready money. This explains, -too, the remarkable fact that only about 4 per cent. of the population -of Austria pay income-tax. The tax is imposed upon everyone earning -over £50 per annum. Moving about among the peasant proprietors, among -the large population engaged in cottage industries, it is impossible to -believe that these people are living on incomes below £50 per annum. -It is true that they have no money, or only rare coins, but they are -living at a high standard of comfort, and many who earn £20 per annum -in actual coins, consume products got upon the exchange and barter -system worth several hundreds of pounds. - -The small fraction of the population which is taxed for income for -carrying on a trade or profession, and in a dozen other vexatious ways, -is heavily hampered. A man must even pay a heavy tax for the upkeep -of his religion if he is a non-Catholic. Indeed, it is difficult to -see how any business can be made to pay with the heavy taxation that -hampers trade on every hand, and practically prevents Austrian traders -from being able to compete with German firms, which instead of being -hampered are assisted by their Government. - -In the days of quiet and calm before Austria-Hungary was led to think -of world-empire by her ambitious ally, the Minister of Finance actually -turned out budgets without a deficit; some years there was even a -surplus. It was, of course, impossible to ascertain how far these -figures corresponded with actual facts, for “double book-keeping” was -not peculiar to private persons in Austria-Hungary. It was a matter of -common knowledge that Government statistics were manipulated to suit -the requirements of the political situation. - -When the country embarked upon her new military and naval policy, -large sums of money were needed. There were meetings between leading -financiers to consider how best it could be collected from a country -that possessed no liquid wealth. Taxes were clapped on imports. -This brought but little revenue, as the country people fed on the -products of their own growing. The various State monopolies, such as -tobacco, brought in large revenues. The attempt to get money from -the agricultural population, however, failed. This meant that the -capitals and large manufacturing districts must find the necessary -funds for reckless expenditure on armaments. Great hardships resulted. -The working-classes were forced to pay heavy taxes upon all goods -entering the city. They already bore heavy import duties, and the -cost of many articles of necessity was almost prohibitive. Sugar, -which was made from beetroot in the country, and sold to England -at less than cost price, in order to gain a foreign market, cost -5d. a pound in Austria-Hungary. The taxation became heavier every -year, and the authorities failed to see that the burden was falling -exclusively upon the middle-classes and the working-classes dwelling -in the large cities. Austria-Hungary tried to float loans in France. -The political situation was so strained that, although France was -willing to lend money to Russia, she refused, point-blank, to lend -to Austria or to Hungary on any terms. The loans had to be taken up -in Germany. Germany needed money herself; she had been spending all -her available capital upon raw material for the forging of cannon. At -every meeting of the Austrian Parliament members protested against -the laying down of Dreadnoughts when the financial situation of the -country was so precarious. There were constant riots in the towns, -the Austro-Hungarian system of reckless suppression of disorders -applied to quell the disorders only increased the mass of discontent -and disaffection. There came a time when politicians began to see -that only a successful war could save the position. The Hungarians -were threatening to break loose from Austria. They considered that -the finances were mismanaged. Too much of the money voted for the -Dual Monarchy, and administered by the Common Minister of Finance, -was devoted to Austrian needs, to the disadvantage and detriment -of her less powerful neighbour, Hungary. Such suspicions were very -well founded, especially as regards the sums secretly devoted to war -material. If education were defective in Austria, it was still more -neglected in Hungary. - -Vienna had become the real capital, Budapesth being neglected through -the ill-health and advancing age of the Emperor. It was clear that the -Emperor could not travel to Budapesth without risk to his health, since -the climate did not suit him. - -Hungary said that she would prefer to administer her own finances. She -could very well provide for her own military and naval requirements. -She wished to take a part of the executive power into her own hands. -This would have weakened Austria considerably. Instead of ranking as -a first-class Power she would fall to the rank of a secondary one. -Bohemia, too, wished for separation. She felt that her prosperous -factories, her ironworks, were contributing a very large share of -wealth to the country, and that while the Bohemians were heavily taxed, -they got no compensation for the extra money that they poured into the -State chest. - -The leading statesmen realised towards the year 1912 that they were -faced by the choice of war or revolution in Austria-Hungary. The -huge sums needed to pay off the debts already incurred by the costs -connected with two mobilisations, and the ever-increasing military and -naval needs were landing the country in an _impasse_ from which there -were only two roads of escape. If the House of Habsburg wished to -maintain its proud position some action must be taken. The politicians -round the throne thought that a successful war with Italy would be -the most desirable event. They dared not moot this question in the -presence of the aged Emperor. He was firm for peace. This conviction, -that was deeply rooted in his mind, was strengthened by his growing -parsimoniousness. Very generous as a young man, he had grown almost -miserly as old age crept upon him. When he was ill he regretted that -there should be speculation upon the Stock Exchange, and that the “poor -people should lose their money,” to use his own words. This economy, -which he wished to see exercised, not only in his own private affairs, -but throughout the State, would alone have made him abhor the thought -of war, which he knew meant expenditure. The military party hoped that -he might either die, or be brought to see that his remaining at the -head of affairs any longer was a mistake from every point of view. -They realised that something must be done. If the Emperor would only -abdicate, they could act. - -Prices of ordinary necessities rose 30 per cent. during the three years -preceding the war. The small clerk, the officer, and everyone with a -limited income and a certain position to keep up, was reduced to going -without many articles of prime necessity, or to getting into debt. Many -chose this last alternative; especially was this the case with the -officers, who were thus the more anxious for war, as they had nothing -to lose and much to gain by being on active service. - -If the middle classes in Austria-Hungary had possessed large sums -invested in stocks and shares, like the French or the Swiss, the large -class representing this interest would have objected to war. This was -not the case, as all speculation and almost all liquid capital was in -the hands of the Jews. They were firm for peace. They completely failed -to see where the policy of the country was leading. Their lack of -influence, and the barrier that kept them from being able to exchange -views and opinions freely and as man to man with the aristocrats, -prevented them from seeing what was about to happen. They believed -that the country might go on in its peaceful way, even after the death -of the Emperor, which was the date commonly fixed in the country for -the disruption of the Empire. Perhaps the Jews and the financial -section would have been right in their estimate had it not been for the -ambitions of the German Kaiser. They did not appreciate the mentality -of the Austrian Imperial family, in whom the power of decision was -really vested, and could not understand that it would prefer to allow -itself to become the cats-paw of Germany, rather than see its power -diminished by the loss of part of its lands. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - -THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN CONSTITUTION - - -The Austro-Hungarian Constitution exists on paper, but that is all. -The Austrian Parliament met at Vienna, the Hungarian Parliament still -meets at Budapesth, but the National Assemblies never exercised any -actual power. This was partly due to the clever management of those in -authority, but chiefly to the policy of the Emperor, an old autocrat, -who considered that all means were justifiable if all real power could -be kept in his hands. Much of the blame, however, was due to the people -themselves, who held aloof from politics. Some of the most highly -educated men in the country said that the Constitution was a farce, and -that they refused to have anything to do with it. Others refused to -vote to mark their disapprobation. The Government thereupon made voting -obligatory. Anyone who refused to record his vote without due cause was -liable to fine and imprisonment. Thus the Government kept up the farce -of a constitutional system. - -Reflecting people of all nationalities within the Dual Monarchy -realised that the people had no power. All decisions in the realm of -the foreign policy of the country were made by the reigning monarch. -No Minister was held responsible. The power of voting money for the -army and navy and all objects common to Austria and Hungary was not -invested in the Parliaments, but held by the Delegations. The Delegates -were elected by the Parliaments, but the nominations were made by -Government, and men noted for their pliability were selected. Delegates -sometimes protested against expenditure. An instance of this kind -occurred when Austria-Hungary embarked upon her big fleet policy. Money -was asked for to build Dreadnoughts. The Delegations refused. - -The Government did not give up its project. It gave orders to the -Stablimento Tecnico in Trieste to lay down the first ship “on spec.,” -with a very broad hint as to who would purchase the vessel when -complete. This dishonesty, first towards the taxpayers, then towards -Europe, is a particularly striking sample of the policy carried on by -the country. - -Members of Parliament in both Austria and Hungary received payment -for each day’s attendance. When Parliament was dissolved this payment -ceased. The members were, for the most part, men who required the -money to live. They had given up their profession to come to Vienna to -represent their constituencies, and the closing of Parliament meant the -cutting off of their incomes. It was therefore to their interest to do -nothing to anger the Government. The laws of the Constitution provided -for the election of another Parliament, but in actual practice it -remained shut until it pleased the Emperor to permit another election -to take place. Persons of importance did not seek election to the -“Punch and Judy” show or madhouse on the Ringstrasse, as the Austrian -Parliament was usually called. - -A stormy sitting at the Vienna Parliament was an interesting sight. A -cordon of police usually guarded the stately block of buildings when -a row was going on within. From time to time a side door would open -and angry attendants would throw out a dozen men, panting from the -struggle. They would fall on the soft carpet of snow, and then be sent -about their business by the police beyond. They were the public who -had been sitting in the gallery and who had joined too loudly in the -demonstrations going on below. Inside the atmosphere was thick. The -Parliament had been sitting for two days and nights unceasingly. The -Czechs, who wished to obstruct the passing of a Bill, had been behaving -like buffoons. They rattled their desks and banged the lids to drown -the speaker’s voice. They brought all kinds of noisy instruments to -disturb the deliberations. Rain-machines, used in theatres to imitate -the sound of rain on the roofs, were rattled; other members blew upon -trumpets and penny whistles. Czechs of huge build spoke for ten hours -at a time. Friends supplied them with water and chocolate while they -carried on their obstruction. At night the Opposition slept in the -passages upon mattresses. Rolled in top-coats, they were ready to -swarm in whenever their services were required at a moment’s notice. -The attendants smiled at the heaps of bodies lying prone, but ready to -fight. The floor of the Parliament was untidy. Balls of paper soaked in -ink that had been flung at an opponent or at the President were seen on -the floor. All kinds of missiles lay thick, for the attendants, careful -of their personal safety, had not ventured to pick them up. It was -difficult to realise that the Austrian Parliament was not a third-rate -tavern. - -Year after year the Parliament spent the precious hours that should -have been given to making its voice heard in the country to this kind -of foolishness. The Opposition, instead of securing a majority, always -hoped to delay business and thus secure concessions that the majority -was unwilling to grant. They did not see that they were playing the -game of the Central Administration, which rejoiced to see them making -themselves ridiculous and losing such influence as they possessed by -virtue of their office. - -In Hungary things were worse than in Austria. The elections were -nothing more than a farce. There was no secret ballot. Votes were -openly bought and sold. When the Government could not secure a majority -for its candidate, soldiers were used to keep the Opposition voters -from the booths. The Hungarians clamoured for general suffrage and the -removal of the property qualification, which kept the election in the -hands of a few men, but they asked in vain. Their country districts -were represented by Government candidates, and even in the towns it was -seldom that an independent candidate of any standing got in. - -The disorders were even worse than in the Vienna Parliament. The -President, Count Tisza, thought nothing of clearing the House with -soldiers, and had the members chased into the street at the point -of the bayonet. The members were constantly sending challenges and -fighting duels among themselves instead of attending to business. - -The Government delegated large powers to the local Diets, which decided -questions of expenditure, and, upon the whole, acquitted themselves -of their tasks in a very satisfactory manner. Unfortunately, much of -the money that was granted for local purposes remained unspent, as the -permission required for liquidating the sums did not come from the -Central Government. If a road were required for military purposes or -a railway needed for the transport of troops, the Central Government -made a handsome contribution to the cost; if it were simply required -for the development of the country generally, the project was not -encouraged. When the Diets ventured into the realms of politics they -were promptly informed that they must keep within the limits of their -own jurisdiction. - -The central authorities in Vienna and Budapesth had for years followed -a policy of blinding the people; they had encouraged frivolity in every -form. Everything was done to turn people’s minds from serious subjects -to pleasure and enjoyment. The reputation enjoyed by both Vienna and -Budapesth as the gayest capitals in Europe was fully deserved. The -intellectual Classes were completely hoodwinked, and had no idea of -what was really going on, either at home or abroad. The same results -were accomplished in the country by keeping the people in ignorance -and withholding education from them. While much money was spent on the -education of Germans and Magyars, the ruling races, great economy was -practised towards the Slavs. The powerful Bohemians managed to secure -education for their children, and the Government statistics show that -100 per cent. of the children of school age in Bohemia actually were in -attendance at school in 1906. In Galicia only 85 per cent. are reported -as in attendance; while in Croatia 68 per cent. went to school, and -in Bosnia and Herzegowina only 14 per cent. In every case the local -authorities were forced to provide education for the children, unless -they lived on isolated farms where it was really impossible. The -Government, however, refused its grants wherever it could, as the -money was needed for purposes which did not appear in the Budget. The -Slavs and Croats protested bitterly against a system which inflicted -upon them heavy taxes, mostly indirect, and kept the benefits for the -ruling races. This maladministration was one of the chief causes of the -continual unrest among the subject-peoples. - -The Emperor, and indeed all the members of the Imperial family, lived -in an atmosphere apart. They never considered whither their policy was -leading, nor that the system of suppression could not be carried on -indefinitely at this period of history. Most of the men in power would -have shone in the Middle Ages; they were useless and impracticable now -that commercial travellers have taken the places of knights-errant and -trade is more important than armaments. They did not realise that in -suppressing progress they were handicapping the country in its race -for commercial supremacy and preventing its being able to compete with -Germany at home and abroad. In their fear of the “people” getting to -the fore, they neglected the foe beyond the frontier. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - -WHO MURDERED THE ARCHDUKE? - - -The constant friction between Emperor Francis Joseph and his heir was -always increased when the autumn manœuvres came round. The Emperor, who -was over eighty, wished to attend them, and on two occasions they had -to be put off, as the doctors said that the monarch could not spend -his nights sleeping in a tent. Archduke Francis Ferdinand was always -too ready to take up the duties which would have been performed by -the Emperor had he been younger. Thus the hatred between the reigning -monarch and his heir increased every year. The Emperor was prepared to -allow his heir a large sum of money if he would consent to resign his -right to the throne. This was not because of his personal antipathy. -The doctors who attended the Archduke said that he was not entirely -responsible for his actions. They suspected that he had an abscess on -the brain. He had committed hasty, ill-considered actions that could -be pardoned in an Archduke, but that were not possible for an Emperor, -who must always keep his temper. The Imperial family dreaded the time -of his coming to the throne. They had notified the Emperor that they -would withdraw from the Court if Duchess Hohenberg were made Empress. -At that epoch no one doubted that the Archduke would create her Empress -of Austria and Queen of Hungary on his accession. - -The manœuvres in Bosnia--arranged to take place there because the -peoples of the newly-annexed provinces had been somewhat restless--were -about to take place. Archduke Francis Ferdinand decided to assist. His -wife said that she would accompany him. The Emperor was very angry. He -did not wish the Archduke to go to Bosnia. He was much too unpopular -to take such a risk. When Emperor Francis Joseph heard that Duchess -Hohenberg was to accompany her husband, his wrath knew no bounds. The -ladies of the Imperial family never accompanied their husbands on such -occasions. If the Archduke and his wife went to Bosnia she would be -received as the future Empress of Austria. The Emperor forbade him to -take her. The Archduke insisted. If there was any danger, his wife, who -was really courageous, would wish to be at his side. The Emperor, who -was very jealous about his authority, was extremely angry. It is very -probable that he did not hide his feelings from his near relations. - -The next news that reached Vienna was that the Archduke and his wife -had been assassinated at Sarajevo. The crime was committed on a Sunday. -It was midsummer in Vienna, and, strange to say, every important -personage was on the spot. As a rule, the official personages left -Vienna on the Saturday, when there were two consecutive holidays, as -in this case, the Monday being a _fête_-day, and spent the week-end -at the Semmering. On this particular occasion everyone was in Vienna. -The Emperor was at Ischl. The telegram with the news was sent there -first. He exclaimed, “What impertinence of those Bosnians!” but was not -otherwise moved. - -The official account of the assassination, which was full of -discrepancies, was then sent to Vienna. According to this account, a -bomb had been thrown at the Archduke and his wife on their way to the -Sarajevo town-hall. It had failed to kill them. The Archduke, little -moved by the occurrence, merely taunted the Mayor of Sarajevo with the -lack of courtesy that the people had shown. “Instead of presenting us -with bouquets, you receive us with bombs.” The Archduke could afford -to make merry over his escape. He naturally expected that the streets -had been cleared of people during his long visit to the town-hall. It -was a matter of elementary precaution. The Bosnian police, however, -had received instructions from Vienna that the Archduke’s safety was -to be left in the hands of the military. The Archduke and his wife -entered the car. The driver started off. He was in the plot. He drove -them right across the road to where the murderer was waiting. This -meant running the car on the wrong side of the road. Everyone noticed -this, but no one protested. No one seized the assassin after he had -fired at the Archduke’s head. He had ample time to kill the wife too. -The boy, too, knew a secret that was carefully kept in the Imperial -family. Archduke Francis Ferdinand was wearing armour. For this reason -the assassins tried to kill him with a bomb. This attempt having -failed, the assassin fired at his head instead of at his breast. -Both Kaiser Wilhelm and Archduke Francis Ferdinand spent much time -and thought in trying to find bullet-proof armour. At the time of the -assassination the Archduke was wearing a silken vest an inch thick. It -was woven obliquely--made on the same principle as the jackets used -for automobile tyres. It was warranted to turn the point of a knife -or bullet. The vest was cumbersome and somewhat warm. It gave the -Archduke an appearance of extreme stoutness. He, however, knowing how -intensely he was hated in Austria and Hungary, never cared to appear in -public without some protective armour. Steel corselets were excellent -in bygone days, but are no use against a modern rifle. The Archduke -feared he might be shot from a window. The secret that the Archduke was -wearing armour was known to half-a-dozen people at most. The assassin -must have learnt it from a member of the Imperial family. - -A number of reporters started for Sarajevo that night to find out what -had really happened there on that dark Sunday. They were turned back -by the police. All letters from individuals in Sarajevo were censored. -The telegraphic service was suspended. The police were never even -reprimanded for allowing the heir to the throne to be assassinated. On -the contrary, the heads of the force were promoted shortly afterwards. - -In Vienna the news was received with ill-concealed satisfaction. -Everyone, from Archduke to crossing-sweeper, feared the day of his -coming to power. The story went out to the world that the Archduke -Francis Ferdinand had been killed by Serbs. This was not true. The -young men concerned in the conspiracy were Bosnians, and Austrian -subjects. The Government, however, saw that there was a chance of -forcing a war upon Servia. If Austria could only prove that Servia had -been responsible for the crime, she could undertake her long-planned -“vengeance promenade” to Belgrade with the assurance that Europe would -not interfere. Statesmen anticipated no difficulty in fastening the -guilt on Servia, as the murders of King Alexander and Queen Draga were -not forgotten. Austria, however, forgot her own black record. Emperor -Maximilian of Mexico had been shot. It was always felt that more might -have been done by his own family for his safety. Empress Elizabeth had -been assassinated at Geneva. Her decease was most convenient. The -country was wearied of hearing of the pilgrimage of the heartbroken -woman through Europe. Crown Prince Rudolf, who was much too popular, -had also been murdered mysteriously. The persons concerned in his -death had all been exiled. They had been sent to South America, but -pensions sufficient to keep them in luxury for the rest of their lives -had been bestowed upon them. These riches were only held on condition -that the fearful night at the lonely hunting-box near Vienna was never -mentioned. Emperor Francis Joseph had thus lost his three nearest -relatives by assassination. - -The news of the Archduke’s assassination was only discussed in whispers -in Vienna. Everyone was afraid of arrest. Nevertheless, no one thought -of accusing Servia. Archduke Francis Ferdinand was the one man in -all the country who favoured the Slavs. His wife’s influence would -secure advancement at Court for every man with Slavonic blood in his -veins. The Germans feared that they would be overrun with them. While -Austrians and Hungarians generally detested the Archduke, the Slavs -loved him devotedly. It was clear that neither the Austrian Slavs nor -Servia had any interest in the Archduke’s death. They had everything to -lose. - -The Imperial family was most anxious for his death. Archduke Frederick -had never forgotten the slight put upon his daughter. - -The assassin had definite instructions to murder the Duchess Hohenberg. -Such orders could only come from persons actuated by motives of -personal hatred. No one else in the world desired her death. Women, -especially aristocrats and the mothers of families, are held in -great veneration in Slav countries. It is certain that had the -Bosnians arranged the plot, the Archduke would have been shot, but -the morganatic wife spared. She was not even a member of the Imperial -family. Why should she be sacrificed? - -The remains of the Archduke and his wife were brought to Vienna. -The Austrians, a Catholic people, and accustomed to exaggerated -respect being paid to the dead, were deeply shocked at the funeral -arrangements. The Imperial family wished that every possible insult -should be shown to the remains of the defunct lady-in-waiting. - -Italians living in Trieste describe with horror the landing of the -coffins, which were brought from Bosnia by sea. They had no cause to -love the Archduke, but were outraged by the disrespect to the dead. The -sailors who carried them from the ship let one coffin drop upon the -quay through carelessness. It lay there until they had taken breath -and felt inclined to resume their burden. The funeral arrangements -in Vienna were of a very third-class order. The Austrians said: “The -Imperial family has no respect--not even for death. Their hate pursues -its victims beyond the tomb.” The city was filled with reports of -unseemly disputes about the funeral arrangements. The Imperial family -wished to separate the pair of lovers, who had been so loyal to each -other in life, and bury them separately. It was an outrage, they said, -that any Habsburg should walk behind the coffin of a morganatic wife. -Finally, it was arranged that the coffins should lie in state side by -side in the Hofburg Chapel. The Chapelle Ardente was poorly fitted; -trappings for a third-class funeral were used. The military party -in Austria-Hungary was indignant that such an insult should be put -on a soldier. Old men, dressed in their uniforms ablaze with Orders -and military decorations, entered the sombre chapel, which was not -even properly supplied with candles. Bursting with indignation and -rage, they knelt and said a short prayer for the dead. The deep-toned -mutterings sounded more like cries for vengeance than prayers for -the souls of the departed. Bohemian nobles came into the chapel. They -glared at the unseemly sight. Everything was poverty-stricken. - -Early in the morning a huge crowd had gathered to take part in the -procession in front of the coffins. Every Austro-Hungarian subject -has the right to see the face of the deceased monarch or of the heir -to the throne after death. The Archduke’s coffin was sealed down. -His face could not be exposed; his head had been so disfigured. But, -nevertheless, the Ringstrasse was filled with people. They were -permitted to enter the chapel in single file. The police on the great -Ringstrasse sent many home, assuring them that their turn to enter -the Hofburg would never be reached. This show of popular sympathy had -enraged the Court. When the funeral procession was on its way to the -station in Vienna after the lying-in-state, an unrehearsed incident -took place. A large number of Bohemian aristocrats, with Prince Max -Egon Fürstenburg at their head, assembled in one of the squares. They -were either in costume or uniform, and were wearing the arms that -belonged to their rank--short daggers, for the most part. They walked -bareheaded behind the funeral as chief mourners to show their respect -to Duchess Hohenberg, a member of the Bohemian aristocracy, and their -resentment at the insults that had been heaped upon her head. Who were -the proud Habsburgs to treat a Bohemian and a woman in such a way? -Their whole attitude was not one of mourning, but of protest. - -The final scenes took place at Arstatten, beyond the Danube. They were -disgraceful beyond anything that had happened before. A violent storm -forced the funeral _cortège_ to take refuge in an inn. The mutes became -offensively drunk. Ghastly stories of the coffins being knocked off the -chairs that were supporting them were circulated in Vienna. These may -have been exaggerated. There was, however, some truth in the tales of -impiety. - -There was no one responsible in charge of the funeral. This was -extraordinary, as the most unimportant Court ceremonies are always -managed by experts long trained to do the right thing. Nothing is left -to chance or accident. But the Archduke, the heir to the throne, was -buried with less respect than would have been shown to an employé in -the Court service had he died that week. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV - -WHY GERMANY DECIDED UPON WAR - - -Austria-Hungary had long been anxious to go to war. She had been -straining at the leash for years. The peaceful issue to the Annexation -crisis had not pleased Austrian statesmen. They were still less -satisfied at the check put upon their aggressive plans at the time of -the signing of the Treaty of Bucharest. In the first instance, the -credit of preserving peace was entirely due to Germany. She was not -ready. On the second occasion, Italy’s refusal to fight against the -Serbs or to stand by Austria in an aggressive war was probably the -decisive factor, for then Germany was ready, and only waiting for a -good pretext to break the peace of Europe. - -When Kaiser Wilhelm heard of the assassination at Sarajevo he -immediately saw that the chance so long sought had come. Such an -opportunity would never occur again. But he knew that he must play -his cards with skill. The Emperor of Austria would be delighted at a -chance of punishing Servia, for her statesmen, who felt secure under -the protection of Russia, had used expressions in parleying with -Austria that irritated the aged Emperor. He could not brook that small -Balkan States of very recent growth should place themselves on a level -with the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His councillors succeeded in making -him believe that the Serbs were responsible for the crime of Sarajevo. -The aged Emperor, perhaps, had some suspicion of the truth. He did not -want to know it, however. Providence had intervened and removed an -obnoxious personage, and had at the same time given Austria a chance of -thrashing Servia. The Emperor considered that the thrashing was long -overdue. Why should he, the faithful son of the Church, inquire too -closely into events that had fallen out so propitiously? The Emperor, -however, only wished to send a punitive expedition to Belgrade. -Gunboats could bombard the capital from the Danube, and Austria’s -honour would be satisfied. The Emperor in no wise wished for a war with -Russia. Apart from other considerations, he was bound in honour not to -seek a quarrel with the “peace” Czar. When the Annexation crisis was -at its height, Emperor Francis Joseph sent Prince Hohenlohe to St. -Petersburg with an autograph letter, begging the Czar to allow him to -end his days in peace. The terms in which this document was couched -made it almost impossible for Austria to seek war with Russia so long -as Emperor Francis Joseph was at the head of affairs. It was a breach -of the honour that reigns among monarchs, for the appeal had been made -as from a brother-sovereign. Kaiser Wilhelm was aware of this. But he -was ready to stoop to any crime to accomplish his object. He and his -councillors decided that the aged man at Schönbrunn could be deceived. -He must think that the war would be merely a local affair. The -Austrians, too, were longing to show their prowess against Servia, but -a war with Russia would not be popular either in Austria or Hungary. It -is doubtful whether any Austro-Hungarian statesman who understood the -situation would have consented to acts that must inevitably lead to a -European war. The idea of a series of small wars, first against Italy -and then against the mutinous Balkan States, was favoured in Vienna. -Kaiser Wilhelm had a singular talent for discovering unscrupulous men. -The German Ambassador in Vienna, Count Tchirsky, was a complete tool -in the hands of the Kaiser. He did not hesitate to lie to Count Tisza -when occasion occurred. Count Tisza is a man of peculiar loyalty, and -he could not understand utter unscrupulousness in another. Moreover, -like all aristocrats, he was at a disadvantage in dealing with Germans, -as he was a gentleman and his opponents were not. He was always at -Budapesth, and therefore had no chance of watching the machinations -employed by the Germans in Vienna. With Count Berchtold the German -Ambassador had an easy task. The Count did not take things seriously, -and fell into the toils spread for him by German statesmen. He really -believed that the Emperor was an old man in his dotage, and neglected -the other side of his character. In spite of his age and weakness, the -Emperor Francis Joseph had enjoyed a unique experience as the oldest -reigning monarch in Europe, and was able through this to judge of any -question with an acumen exhibited by few politicians. - -Germany decided that the moment for letting a European war break loose -had come, and her reasons for this decision were weighty. The most -important of all was the “Slav danger,” as it was generally called -in Germany and Austria-Hungary. Twenty years ago the German family -averaged sixteen to eighteen children. In Austria, too, large families -had been the rule. The Magyars in Hungary still boasted big families, -but the cancer that had bitten into German social life was beginning -to be seen there, too. The one-child family had become the fashion in -Germany. The mode was adopted by the Germans in Austria. Statesmen -scolded, and proposed to tax bachelors and childless couples. But -they were unable to stop the terrifying decrease in the population. -Meanwhile, the Slavonic races in both Germany and Austria and Hungary -multiplied very rapidly. Military men complained that regiments, -officers and men, were composed entirely of Slavs, because there were -not sufficient Austro-Germans or Magyars. It was impossible to enter -a room where men of purely German extraction had assembled without -hearing of this “Slav danger,” which hung like a nightmare over the -ruling races in Germany. Austria and Hungary saw their preponderance -threatened. They doctored statistics to hide the truth. This was -of little use. The Slav type was unmistakable. Slavs did not care -to intermarry with Germans, and the race remained purely Slavonic, -although Serbs and Czechs often intermarried. A war would afford an -opportunity of reducing the Slav population. The military authorities -had arranged to place the regiments composed of subject-races in the -front of the battle so that they might be killed off. In 1914 leading -men in both Germany and Austria-Hungary considered that war was -inevitable within the next five years if they were to retain their -supremacy. - -The financial factor, too, was largely responsible for hastening -the date of the war. Large sums had been spent on armaments in both -Germany and Austria-Hungary far beyond the capacity of either country. -Taxation had risen imperceptibly, and with it the cost of living. This -had affected the middle classes. It is doubtful whether the families -of officials in State employ and army officers ever got a really -satisfactory meal in the last years of preparation. Men dressed in -gorgeous uniforms, and with Orders and decorations that showed their -rank, walked about the streets gaunt and hungry-looking. - -People said, “This cannot go on.” Statesmen saw that it would be -revolution or war. Austria was faced with bankruptcy unless she could -fight a successful war which would open fresh regions for exploitation -and relieve her of her surplus Slavs. - -Undue importance was attached to news of unrest in Great Britain, -both in Germany and Austria-Hungary. Spies, men who were only too -ready to believe that Britain was at her last gasp, brought back -reports that a revolution was about to break out. The Irish question -was misunderstood. The greed and hate that had been nurtured in every -German heart prevented the spy from exercising any judgment, while -the statesmen who should have controlled their reports had also lost -their usual faculty of calm judgment in the bitterness of their hate. -The woman question, which was seen in its ugliest aspects abroad, made -the Germans realise that there was something wrong. Why were they -so discontented? What had been done to render them so bitter? The -question was asked in the Press and in public, and no explanation was -forthcoming. - -Jews who travelled throughout Europe on business brought back evil -reports of conditions in England. They said that they had searched the -length and breadth of the land for a capable business man to push their -interests. They had returned from their quest unsatisfied. Germans and -Austrians who had resided in England explained this by saying that all -the better elements in the country had emigrated long ago. Men could -find no work unless they had influence. These facts were confirmed by -observation, and undue importance was attached to them, single examples -being too hastily accepted as indicative of the general state of things. - -The preference shown by English business men for German clerks was -regarded as another proof that the English were “a back number.” - -If Britain were degenerating, Russia was on the up-grade. She was -arming. She was reforming her public offices. Large loans had been -contracted, and she was about to build railways to the frontier. The -Austro-Russian front in Galicia bristled with fortresses. Every week -brought news of some new fortifications, made either on the Austrian -or the Russian side. The Slav peoples in the Balkans were also on the -up-grade. Everywhere the Germans saw themselves surrounded by Slavs, -who were educating and improving themselves. - -Meanwhile, not only the German people, but the German army, was -deteriorating. Nasty stories, like _The Small Garrison_, were being -written, describing life in small garrison towns. The Austrian and -Hungarian officers were also suffering from the corrupt life which they -led. It was very uncertain whether they would have the necessary nerve -to take the initiative at a crisis. Kaiser Wilhelm saw that the time -was not far distant when his officers would be as bad as the Austrians. -It was bad policy to wait until the growing evil that had corrupted the -Austro-Hungarian army had infected his own. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI - -DIPLOMATIC METHODS: A COMPARISON - - -Diplomacy had succeeded in keeping the peace on two former occasions. -In Western Europe it was believed that it would be successful again. -Austria’s intention of going to war was not regarded as serious. The -European financier especially could not bring himself to believe in -war. Some of the ablest men in Europe sat in the open-air café on -the Ringstrasse, unable to close an eye in sleep for fear that they -should miss news of supreme importance and not be there to “cover” at -the critical moment. At two in the morning the great houses on either -side of the street shook as the motors carrying the big guns rumbled -past the café. They were taken off at dead of night and deposited on -the low-lying ground near the Danube. Next morning the great gun was -taken to pieces. One half of the immense engine of destruction was -slung on big hooks on a frame made for the purpose. It looked like a -great hollow cradle that would have provided sleeping accommodation -for a couple of men as it swirled and rocked when the train took a -steep gradient. “Why have they brought out their big guns, which are -so difficult to transport on the steep gradients in this mountainous -country, if they do not mean business?” “Merely to frighten Servia -and cow her into submission.” “Then why is everything being done so -secretly?” “Merely to heighten the effect,” was the reply. Foreign -diplomacy was not so blind, but it sat tight, and refused to give any -opinion. - -The State controls the railways in Austro-Hungary, excepting for -one or two lines. The great termini in Vienna lie at different ends -of the city. Ordinary passengers had to cross the town in cabs. The -Orient express, however, was allowed to make use of the military -communication railway to save time. This circular railway joined up -all the big junctions. It had been constructed for purely military -purposes to pass troops and munitions from one station to the other -quickly and secretly. In solitary places, sidings, with an iron pontoon -for heavy guns, and perhaps an immense crane, stood moss-grown and -idle. They were ready against the great day when Austria would go to -war. The chief preparations were made in the Prater, an Imperial park -that had been thrown open to the public many years before. In the -waste swamp-land behind the park, which stretched down to the main -stream of the Danube, there were cranes used for unloading barges -that came up the river from the Balkans, and that also served for the -mobilisation. Just beyond this ground there was a café much frequented -by the diplomatists of Vienna. Close by was the British Golf Club. -The café had, no doubt, come into fashion because the chiefs of the -Diplomatic Service in Austria congregated there to meet military men, -who took their morning ride, where they could supervise the training of -recruits, in the waste land beyond. But the position of the golf ground -needed explanation. Who had chosen to plump the course right in the -midst of the probable scene of any military preparation? - -No answer will ever be made to this question. The British diplomatist, -when he has a streak of Celtic blood in his make-up, is undoubtedly -the finest in the world. He has the great gift of silence. Other men -of great repute and long training always envy the Englishman his -imperturbable face, which serves him as a complete mask. Nothing -provokes him into a display of emotion; his habitual calm prevents the -enemy ever surprising him into a betrayal of his country’s secrets -by a smile or a grimace. This is a unique gift. The secret police -in every city of Europe will tell you that there is no catching an -Englishman off his guard. His news is always sound. He does not care -for information from doubtful sources; he misdoubts the foreigner and -all his ways. He takes endless trouble in following up clues, but will -not venture to draw conclusions. He is careful never to compromise -himself by employing unworthy tools, and is never in “trouble” with the -authorities or under suspicion like other diplomatists. - -Unfortunately, there are always too few of him. He is hampered by -having no residents in the British colony that he can consult. The -first years of a diplomatist’s life in a foreign country are occupied -in learning the lie of the land. Until he is acquainted with the -rudiments of the language and the significance of the utterances of the -different papers, he can do no useful work. - -The German diplomatist, a man without a vestige of imagination, -ignorant of the very first rules of diplomacy, unaware of the -meaning of delicacy in his conduct as the guest of a foreign monarch, -nevertheless frequently contrives to defeat his opponents. Why is this? -How is it done? The German would be incapable of producing the results -that he has been able to show were it not for the powerful “hand behind -the throne.” Diplomatists at a Court like Vienna must be noblemen, and -it is a matter of general knowledge that German aristocrats are not -astute as a general rule. They have no conception of anything beyond -the obvious. Hints and allusions are quite thrown away upon them. Now -a diplomatist must be a man of very delicate perceptions. It may be -safely said that such a thing does not exist in Germany. The Prussian -especially is very obtuse. The Germans possess one great virtue. -They are aware of their deficiencies. The diplomatist, who feels he -is lacking in all the essential qualities of a politician, takes a -partner--a very active partner, who is never seen or heard, but, none -the less, is responsible for much of the work. He is a Jew, who manages -the whole organisation of the work. He finances the diplomatist. German -diplomatists are not paid much in proportion to the show that they -are expected to make. Everything is “solid,” but nothing more. The -Government, however, authorises an almost unlimited expenses account. -This money is not squandered. Much is spent in the form of tips to -persons who may be of use. No other diplomatist could venture to pay -small sums of money to all sorts of doubtful persons in the first -years of his residence at a foreign Court. Such persons might be, and -probably are, spies of the Government, or members of the secret police. -The German diplomatist is not troubled with these doubts. On entering -his embassy he finds a record of all the work, clean and unclean, done -by his predecessors, and the financial man, who has been in the post -for years, in charge. Every successful means of getting information is -suggested to him. He thus gets the benefit of the experience of his -predecessors, avoids their mistakes, and improves on their methods, -as every new man can. No German nobleman could carry on this business -unaided. The Jew is a man of business, _par excellence_. His principle -is, “Never take anything without paying for it.” He not only pays for -any little service rendered, delicately considering the feelings of the -recipient, and where gold would give offence he sees that an order, or, -perhaps, a much-coveted title is bestowed, but he always makes sure -that the recipient is satisfied. A Jew, concerned in statecraft, will -never allow a tool, however humble, to go away discontented, for if he -did he would have made him a dangerous enemy, instead of a grateful -servant. - -A young diplomatist starting for the Balkans will carry a set of -instructions which regulate his every act in everyday life. “Put up -at the ---- Hotel.” “Give the waiter at the ---- restaurant a big -tip ... not sufficient to excite suspicion, but enough to render -him communicative.” “Find means of getting to know the big German -manufacturer at ----without being seen with him too much.” “Cultivate -the men connected with travel bureaux as much as possible without -compromising your position.” Imagine a young Englishman told off to -cultivate men behind a counter! But the proud German will make any -sacrifice, willingly, and, indeed, counts it no loss, for he is never -a snob. Snobbism is unknown in either Germany or Austria-Hungary. -Diplomatists are always born within the magic circle. They are always -men belonging to families admitted to Court functions. This means an -ancient family. Persons outside this circle are not regarded as equals. -Far from it. They are so far removed from the nobility that they -are looked upon as people of different flesh and blood. The German -aristocrat thinks of the commoner somewhat as the Spaniard of the -Southern States regards a nigger. But just because he condescends, he -is very polite. The poor commoner must not guess his feelings. He can -treat him as a friend and a brother without any risk of suffering loss -of caste in the eyes of his peers. Where comparison is impossible there -is no fear of his losing rank by associating with men of a different -mould. - -The young Englishman might speak in the street to a prominent -fellow-countryman engaged in trade. Never, however, would he condescend -to sit down at one table with his vulgar wife, and thus make a -willing slave of him for ever. The Jew, watching the steps of the new -diplomatists, is very careful to ascertain that any favour conferred -will be accepted with gratitude, otherwise it is never offered. - -The German diplomatist always speaks a number of languages, sometimes -with a slight accent, sometimes like a native. He learnt them in the -nursery. The British diplomatist usually speaks the language of the -country to which he is accredited more or less fluently, but he seldom -knows a second language. French is the language of the Balkans. But -the variety spoken is very unlike pure Parisian. It is only possible to -converse with Albanian princes, Turkish pashas, Rumanians, and other -people from the south if one’s knowledge of French is very exact. -Fluency in French makes intercourse with Italians and Russians easy, as -they all speak it. A man who has business in the South or in the Tyrol -should also speak Italian. The people there know German as well as -Italian, but dislike speaking it. They feel mistrust towards anyone who -uses the tongue of the oppressor. Besides they do not care to discuss -politics or give information of any kind in a language that every spy -or would-be spy within hearing can understand. No commercial traveller -would start off without a thorough knowledge of the languages prevalent -in the country in which he was to do business, but there is a great -laxity of views in regard to the standard of linguistic talent required -in the diplomatist. - -The members of Embassies and Legations of the British Empire are, for -the most part, purely British. Any strain of foreign blood impairs -their usefulness to such an extent that this is well. The foreign -politicians who deal with members of the Diplomatic Corps naturally -mistrust any half-breeds, as they call them. They prefer to have to -deal with a prospective enemy who declares his feelings openly, rather -than to be obliged to negotiate with the son of a German mother, -who may be secretly inclined to favour his mother’s race and make -concessions that will not be ratified by the home Government. - -If the British Diplomatic Service is unique in its special line -because it is homogeneous, the men being all of the same type as -their _confrères_ in the Home Office or War Office at home, the same -cannot be said for the Consular Service, which, especially in remote -parts of Europe, is of but small or no benefit to Britain, while it -has been of immense advantage to her rivals in trade. In cases where -there is a genuine Briton at the head of affairs, he naturally takes -a British view of all disputes that come along and form his daily -work. But he is a startling exception. Most of the men in the Consular -Service were Germans or natives; they gave their services for nothing, -saying that the title lent them importance. It did. It enabled them to -interfere in the thousand and one difficulties that are always arising -between shippers and the Government--their own Government--and to -place the British case in a bad light. The shipper, not knowing the -language, was quite helpless, and went back home the poorer in cash -and disheartened. His owners were annoyed, and decided that they would -cease to carry on dealings with the country in question. A German firm -was quite ready to rush in to benefit by the facts which the consul had -carefully ascertained during the negotiations, and snap up the trade. -The German consul usually gave away large sums of money among the -indigent in the British colony, and thus placed himself in a position -that was very difficult to assail. If any powerful resident felt that -the consul was not acting altogether in British interests, the latest -subscription, probably a princely donation to some British charity, -caused him to revise his hasty judgment. A man so truly charitable -could not be guilty of meannesses such as he had suspected. He did not -realise that the consul put the thumping big subscription down in his -expenses account, entered as “Money to blind British residents.” The -British merchant prince, perhaps, did not care to assist some poor -countryman; he left it to the consul, who took the money ostensibly -from his own pocket, and the Englishman, ashamed at his niggardliness, -felt that his mouth was effectually shut, even when he was more -than doubtful about some action taken with regard to his country’s -interests. These things happened in many places, and led British -subjects living abroad to regard justice and law as non-existent so -far as they were concerned. They were forced to have resort to all -kinds of subterfuges to obtain the most elementary rights. They avoided -litigation at any cost, for they knew that with a German consul it -could only go against them. Old residents who knew the language and -customs of the country were able to carry on business even in the -German strongholds, for, after all, the Englishman is the best business -man in the world. But they had to work at a disadvantage. Germans stood -ready to take up the trade should the creator of the connection be -ill or die. And the resident consul was always ready to replace the -Englishman by his own man. - -In places where there was a British consul all this was different. -The authorities, feeling that a strong hand would protect British -subjects, hesitated to attack any one of them without due cause. -In these cities the British subject enjoyed the same immunity from -unwarranted interference as the Italian. The Italian consul, at the -cost of much inconvenience and annoyance to himself, would stand by a -fellow-citizen until he obtained his rights. The authorities, knowing -this, were frightened to interfere with any man who was carrying on a -legitimate business. The Italian consul knew that he had his Government -behind him in protecting Italian trade, and that his mission was to -carry on warfare with the German; nor did he scruple to use the same -weapons as his adversary. He was even capable of going one better. -Perhaps of all the peoples of Europe the Italian alone understands the -peculiar character of the German--an experience that has been bought at -the price of much suffering. He knows that it is fatal to wait until -the German takes the offensive. The blow must come from the other side. -Then the German’s indolence will make him careful of provoking an -adversary of this calibre a second time. The Prussian is essentially -a bully; he can only be brought to reason by a frontal attack, and -those who know him will not hesitate to make it with or without excuse, -provided they get in the first blow, for the struggle must come sooner -or later. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII - -PUNITIVE EXPEDITION OR WORLD-WAR? - - -Germany and Austria-Hungary hastened on their preparations. Transports -of munitions were hurried to the front. The building of the new War -Ministry in Vienna, which had long been proceeding, was hurried on. The -Government did not care to go to war with all the mobilisation plans -lying in the old building. It was situated in a crowded part of the -city close to the flower market. It would have been very easy to blow -up the entire structure. Many of the Slavs within the Empire would not -have hesitated to use their opportunity of throwing everything into -confusion. The new War Office on the Ringstrasse, built in the newest -and worst style of architecture, was easily guarded. - -The German preparations were on a much vaster scale than those -made in Austria-Hungary. Germany was preparing for a world-war, -Austria-Hungary for a punitive expedition against Servia. Austria has -always been solicitous of the good opinion of other countries. She now -sent out batches of official despatches intended to incriminate Servia -in the eyes of Europe. Germany, who cared little upon what pretext she -began the Great War, and knew that she must earn hatred for herself -throughout the civilised world, did nothing to prepare the world. -She knew that it was a general war. Why waste time and efforts in -justifying Germany’s right to be “über alles”? Conquerors of the world -do not stop to explain their methods. - -As the weeks went by Austria-Hungary began to weaken in her resolve. -German diplomatists noticed the hesitation. They suggested that a -stiff Note should be sent to Servia. When the text of the famous Note -appeared, it was noticed that the phraseology was not Austrian. It was -not couched in the soft language--a sort of modified German--spoken on -the banks of the Danube, but in the rude terms heard farther north. -Everyone said that the text of the Note had been written in Berlin. It -is just possible that Count Tisza had been a party to it. He kept up -constant intercourse with Berlin, and may have visited the Emperor -or been consulted over the telephone. The intention of the Note was -clear. No State with any claim to sovereign rights could accept it. -Austria-Hungary demanded the right to send her own police to Servia -to investigate the crime of Sarajevo, although it had been committed -on Austrian ground by Austrian subjects. No Serb was implicated. -The Austrian Government was unable to bring any proofs of Servian -complicity beyond vague assertions that the assassin had received -instruction in military exercises in the ranks of a volunteer corps in -Belgrade. Austria relied upon the strength of unproven assertions to -establish an absolutely untenable case. The Note was not only couched -in the most insulting terms; it demanded an answer within forty-eight -hours. During those forty-eight hours strong diplomatic pressure was -brought to bear upon Servia. She finally consented to eat humble pie. -She was willing to do this in spite of her recent conquests. She had -vanquished Bulgaria and had added considerably to the extent of her -territory. Russia fully appreciated her position. It was difficult for -any Government to accept the terms of such a Note, for the people could -not be expected to understand the political necessity. Nevertheless, -at four o’clock on the fatal Saturday, news was received from Belgrade -that Servia had resolved to submit. Her diplomatists said that she had -no choice. Her army was exhausted. Her stock of munitions was low. She -needed all her available funds to carry on the work of reconstruction -of the devastated country. The Albanians, in the newly acquired -regions, were giving continual trouble. They descended from their -mountains and stole cattle from the Serbs. Expeditions had been sent -against them, but, as the Serbs said, the Albanians had been accustomed -from time immemorial to make an annual descent into the plains for -the purpose of re-victualling, and the fact that the land where their -depredations were made belonged to Servia instead of being a part of -the decrepit Turkish Empire made no difference. Many of the Albanians -hardly knew of the change of government. They needed cattle and corn, -and naturally made raids to get it. Servia, however, was forced to keep -an army on the frontier because of them. - -These considerations, and the pressure brought to bear by the Russian -Ambassador, rendered Servia willing to consent to any terms. - -Russia stood by her small ally, and sent out an official warning that -she could “not remain indifferent to Servia’s fate.” This softened -the natural chagrin felt by the small State in yielding to Austria. -Servia’s answer was a soft reply to a rough question. She accepted most -of the cruel conditions imposed upon her, but desired to refer one -point to a Hague Convention. Everyone in Austria considered the answer -sufficient. The news circulated in Vienna that the crisis was over. An -emissary from the Vatican, who had been working hard for peace, spread -the joyful news through the city. His face shone with satisfaction as -he passed from group to group in the waiting crowd. “It was a near -thing,” he said, “but the Serbs are well advised to give in.” - -Big financiers breathed again, and some of the newspapers began -printing extra editions. The editions were mere sheets of paper, -distributed gratis, as newspapers may not be hawked in the streets in -Austria. They quoted an article in the Servian official paper, saying -that Servia was willing to give in to the demands. - -Time went on; such information as could be obtained from persons -connected with foreign diplomatic circles confirmed the news of peace. - -As evening set in the news was received that the official answer from -Servia had come. It was quite satisfactory. The Austrian Government had -never thought of Servia’s making such complete surrender. Many people -started off for week-ends in the country, sure that the _communiqué_ -that would be issued by the Vienna Foreign Office that night would be -merely an elaboration of the news already spread throughout the city. - -The Vienna Bourse, which had been falling slowly and steadily ever -since the assassination of the Archduke, had reached its lowest point -that morning. Servia’s answer had reached Vienna in time to effect -a lightning improvement, and prices were better than they had been -since the beginning of the crisis. Thus there resulted the remarkable -phenomenon that prices were steady and firm on the very day that a -world-war was decided. The Bourse was closed for many months after the -fatal Saturday, the official closing prices remaining a remarkable -testimony to the narrowness of the margin between war and peace. -While the great financiers played on a peace basis, others waited. -Why was the _communiqué_ not issued? Was there a hitch? It was known -that Count Berchtold, the Austro-Hungarian Minister, had telephoned -to Berlin. He wished to consult with the Kaiser before accepting the -reply as sufficient. The German Government said it was too late to -retreat; Servia’s answer must not be accepted, and counselled Berchtold -to recall the Austro-Hungarian Minister at Belgrade. Count Berchtold -followed Germany’s advice; the news became known in Vienna very -quickly. Extra editions were distributed, saying that the Minister had -left Belgrade and that diplomatic relations with Servia were broken -off. Austrian officials let it be known that no declaration of war -would be made, and that a Great Power would not parley with Servia. -Gunboats had already started down the Danube to bombard Belgrade. -Austria considered that a small force would be sufficient to subjugate -Servia, and in the city people spoke of the promenade into Belgrade. -This news was circulated to make any subsequent retreat or withdrawal -impossible. - -No one thought of a great war that night, for the news that Russia -intended to stand by Servia had been carefully kept back. - -Count Berchtold, having committed the Government to war, had a -difficult task before him. It was very doubtful whether Emperor -Francis Joseph could be prevailed upon to sign the order for a general -mobilisation. Large bodies of troops had already left for both the -Servian and Russian fronts, but no general mobilisation could take -place without an order signed by the Emperor. The aged monarch was -anxious that Servia should be chastised. But he did not wish to risk a -world-war. He was afraid of Russia, with her immense resources both in -men and material. It was now that the long years of work accomplished -by German diplomacy in Vienna bore fruit. - -Tchirsky, the German Ambassador, visited Count Berchtold. He showed him -that Austria must go to war or lose her position as a Great Power in -Europe. There would be a world-war, but it must come. Germany intended -to go to Paris and St. Petersburg. This was an opportunity such as -might never come again. It was only the question of dealing with the -old Emperor. If he knew the truth, he would never sign the mobilisation -order. Why should he be consulted? He did not know of the Russian Note. -Why not keep it back until the irrevocable decision had been taken? - -Berchtold listened to the voice of the tempter and fell. He informed -the Emperor that Europe would look on with folded hands while Servia -was chastised for the assassination of the Archduke. This seemed very -natural to the old autocrat. He was in residence at Ischl, as usual in -summer-time, and had no opportunity of conversing with anyone who could -have told him the truth about Russia. - -It is doubtful whether Berchtold was fully aware of the magnitude of -the decision he had taken upon himself. He was fully aware that he -was deceiving the Emperor, and excused his conduct by his conviction -that the ruler was no longer capable of judging what was best for the -country. He had been attacked by the Vienna Press for years. He was -accused of feebleness and weakness by Count Tchirsky’s organs; now he -would show strength and resolution. As often happens with weak men, he -showed it at the wrong time. - -When the news of war was announced in Vienna, the crowd immediately -started for the Servian Legation. The Serbs, with great astuteness, -had always chosen a legation that could not be looted or even damaged -without the rest of the house being pulled down. They always took the -quiet apartments at the back of one of the immense barrack-like houses -that line the great streets in Vienna. Demonstrations had been made -frequently in front of the Legation during the last few weeks, and the -crowd reached the street to find it blocked by troops. It then turned -towards the Embassy quarter. The Vienna police were well prepared. -Several regiments of soldiers had been called out to assist them, and -the Embassies being for the most part close together, it was easy to -guard them. None the less, it was a stirring night. The procession -divided into two streams. One went to the French Embassy, the other -turned its steps towards the Russian and British Embassies. Neither -Germany nor Austria-Hungary imagined for an instant that England would -take part in the fight. They were convinced that she would consider it -to her interest to remain neutral. The crowd, however, with a correct -instinct, regarded England as an enemy. Three times the roughs broke -through the cordon of guards and rushed upon the Embassy buildings, -but were turned back by the military. Those in command had received -very definite orders. The Embassies were to be protected at all costs. -Later on the crowd wreaked its fury upon shops owned by Serbs. They -were gutted in a few minutes, and no one interfered. The police even -stood by and admired the good work. Serbs and Russians were maltreated -in the streets. Terrible incidents occurred. The police were to blame, -for it would have been easy to interfere. Just as they had allowed the -Mohammedans to plunder the Serbs and appropriate their belongings at -Sarajevo after the assassination, so they permitted the same thing to -be done in Vienna. A spirit was roused that will not be easy to quell. -The bloodthirstiness of the mob is easily excited, but calming it is -another matter, as the old despots in France learned to their cost. The -latent quality of cruelty, which is hidden beneath the more obvious -characteristics of the Viennese, was seen at its worst. Good-tempered -toleration gave way to bestiality. That spirit of fair-play which -habitually animates an Austrian crowd was replaced by a desire for -other people’s belongings. The truce between the members of the -various races, kept for half a century, was over. German and Slav were -at war. Racial hate flamed up. Passions that will take long to cool -were excited. The great and tremendous struggle between the two great -predominating races in Eastern Europe, the Germans and the Slavs, had -begun. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII - -WHAT WOULD ENGLAND SAY? - - -Next morning the jubilant feeling that had pervaded Vienna the night -before was totally gone. A reaction had set in. Everyone realised -that the war was not to be a punitive expedition. It was a world-war. -The telegram sent by Russia was published to the world, and Austria -waited with ill-concealed anxiety to know what England intended to do. -Germany was convinced of England’s neutrality; she was certain that -Italy meant to go in with the two mighty Powers that were to sweep -the European chessboard with their mighty armies. Austria-Hungary was -not so confident as Germany. She knew that Italy was a most uncertain -factor. With diplomatic cunning she had concealed what she knew of -Italy’s intentions from her ally. She had feared that Germany might not -back her if she knew that the two Central Empires would be forced to -stand alone. The Kaiser had always said that he must have a fleet in -the Mediterranean at call before he began a world-war. If Italy stood -by him, everything was easy. Italy now declared her neutrality. The -Austrians expected this, and worse; they said quite freely, “Now that -Italy has the chance, she will turn upon us.” Guilty consciences helped -them to realise the truth. They had oppressed Italy for so long that -they never even expected her to do anything but take advantage of the -chance. Her statesmen were pessimists. They could never share Kaiser -Wilhelm’s optimism. They were aware that Austria had played the part -of tyrant, and did not expect gratitude. Unaccustomed to keep treaties -themselves, they did not expect other people to consider them as -binding when a chance of doing better presented itself. Austria, with -her cynicism, came much nearer the truth than Germany, who oppressed -her Slav subjects and then expected them to join in the song of -“Deutschland über Alles” and to love the Fatherland. - -The Austrian politician, with a fineness of perception to which his -German _confrère_ is a stranger, understood that England would go -in with her allies. Germany argued, “It is Britain’s interest to -remain neutral, to capture the whole carrying-trade of Europe.” The -Austrian people hoped and believed that they might be right, but her -politicians had a conviction that Britain would not fall into Germany’s -carefully-spread toils. The Austrians also suspected that Britain knew -more of Germany’s aims than she acknowledged. They always complained -that Britain was an unknown factor. No statesman laid his cards on the -table as the Germans or as they themselves did. - -Yet, having no cause to detest Britain, they naturally understood her -better than the Germans, who were blinded by the bitterest hate. - -Meanwhile, European diplomacy was loth to believe that the last chance -of peace was gone. Efforts were made to come to some agreement. These -attempts to keep a peace that was already so seriously compromised were -only forlorn hopes. It is just possible that, in spite of everything, -they might have succeeded had it not been for various pieces of -trickery. Germany, whose reputation for honesty still stood high, -did not hesitate to stop important telegrams which were on their way -to Austria. She had made such costly preparations for war that she -considered that it would be inadvisable to withdraw now. Austria was -allowed no chance of reconsidering her decision, although Germany knew -that it had been made upon false premises. - -The Viennese, now thoroughly frightened at the future, wished ardently -for peace. The war for which they had clamoured turned out something -very different from what they had expected. They would have to meet -enemies on all sides; only the frontier towards Germany was safe. The -city of Vienna was hastily fortified. It was no use taking chances. -Huge mounds were thrown up on the immense March plain beyond the -Danube, where many battles had been fought in the past. Meanwhile, -the public took enormous interest in the negotiations which were -still being carried on. Sir Edward Grey was the most popular man in -the capital for several days. He had always succeeded in keeping -peace before. Would he be able to do so again? The reply soon came. -Under similar circumstances he had been successful twice before -because Germany was not ready. Now she had finished the last of her -preparations, and did not wish for compromise. - -When the news came that Britain was to stand by Russia and France, -there was a burst of rage throughout the country. So much had been -hoped from her neutrality. “The English were shopkeepers. Why had -they not taken the opportunity that fate afforded them and become rich -by supplying the belligerents with arms and provisions?” asked the -Austrians, who now said that Germany had deceived them with promises of -Italian help and British indifference. - -The British living in populous centres felt the sudden change of -temperature. Instead of being the most popular among the foreigners, -they were suddenly classed with the Italians, who were the most -detested. This change affected people in various ways. Some stood -firm and were merely amused at the sudden change; other Englishmen, -middle-class gentlemen of pure race who had lived for half a lifetime -in Austria and Hungary, were hastily naturalised. This was hardly a -matter for surprise. They knew that the goods of British subjects -might be confiscated and their money forfeited. Having worked all -their lives for a competency which they wished to enjoy in their old -age, they were naturally loth to see it disappear before their eyes. -In their newly-acquired zeal for Austria, however, they could not let -the matter rest here. They wrote to the local papers saying that they -renounced their country. They had always regretted their nationality -and had never been happy under the rule of their rightful King. The -Austrians read these ebullitions with surprise. They said that they -were sorry that these men had chosen to join their nation instead of -another; they did not want such skunks. The Government then decided to -ask all renegades of means to contribute handsomely to the Red Cross -funds. Those who wished to remain in the country of their adoption must -give a third of their capital to this object. The newly-made Austrians -hurried off to the British consul, only to discover that, by becoming -naturalised, they had forfeited all right to the assistance usually -given to British subjects. - -In seaports in Austria and Hungary other Englishmen denounced their -friends and acted as spies in the service of the Austrian Government. -They were men of means. Conduct that might be condoned, if not excused, -in members of the poverty-stricken international colony, which knows -no country and floats from capital to capital in search of a bare -subsistence, was regarded as detestable in men of pure Anglo-Saxon -nationality without the slightest admixture of foreign blood. - -The women, curiously enough, trusted to the Austrians and Hungarians to -do them no ill. British diplomatists, fearing for the younger women, -gave their last ready money to get them out before the declaration of -war; but the English girls were not impressed with the necessity of -leaving. They were convinced that Austria did not intend to imperil her -chance of future negotiation by ill-treating women and children. - -At the same time there was no show of love for the enemy. They -preferred to lose all they possessed rather than to attempt to become -naturalised. In the same way the British sportsmen went almost to a man -to concentration camps rather than toady to the enemy. These men were -born in Austria-Hungary for the most part. Many came of families that -were virtually Austrian, as they had lived generation after generation -in the country. Some sporting instinct had prevented their grandfathers -from taking out naturalisation papers. The same feeling stopped the -grandsons from any truckling to the enemy. - -The most remarkable result of the war was perhaps the stripping off of -all pretences. People who had always posed as being excessively rich -suddenly confessed themselves to be paupers or to have lived beyond -their means. Brave men became cowards; and people whose courage had -often been doubted were revealed as creatures of the old bulldog -type. The diplomatist had a difficult time. The consuls dealt out -passports by the hundred. Sometimes, with a dozen girls all clamouring -for their papers at once and literally hanging on to their coat-tails, -they looked more like stage-managers surrounded by chorus girls than -anything else. “My dear ladies, we are at war,” a plaintive voice was -heard. “You really must put down the age you look.”... “No, I don’t -doubt your word; I know you are only twenty-four, but at the frontier -they will say the passport is stolen.... Forty-five now ... yes, that -is more like it.” “No, it really can’t be done.... As I told the lady -over there, you will have trouble when you want to cross.... We know -you have had a wearing life, and are really much younger than you look -... six children does take it out of one ... yes, yes ... fifty-five -will do.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX - -AUSTRIA’S AWAKENING - - -“Entrance to these barracks is forbidden.” Sentries stood there to -enforce the new regulation. What did it mean? The steady tramping of -troops had been heard all night. It was not the irregular tread of -Austrians or Hungarians, who walk rather than march. The new troops -kept step; they moved with the precision of machinery. In a wineshop -round the corner from the barracks old Viennese burghers were sitting, -and although it was only 9 a.m. they were taking their mid-morning -lunch. They ate their rye bread and salami, washed down by white wine -from the vineyards on the mountains round the city, which rivalled -champagne in taste. Slowly and deliberately they discussed recent -events. Prussian troops had come on in the night. Vienna was under -German rule. - -The Austrian troops were being hurried to the front. Some were going -to Galicia, others towards Servia, and a third lot towards the Italian -front. “No one knows what the Italians may do.... If only we had -kept on good terms with them, we could face the Germans to-day.” “We -must not grumble. It was a choice--either fall into the hands of -the Germans or be overwhelmed with Slavs.” “I prefer the Germans,” -said a fair-haired burgher. “They are kinsmen at least.” “Not the -Prussians. You don’t know the Prussians. They are the last word in -unscrupulousness.” “Clever they are, but without any of the finer -feelings. Save us from the Prussians,” said another. “The Slavs will -prosper in spite of the war.” “They are to be put into the front of -the battle.” “What will be the use of that? It is only one generation, -and there are large families of children at home.” “The Slav mothers -will bring up their children to hate us for this. We shall have more -enemies within our borders.” “The German children will die from want -and neglect. Their mothers are accustomed to comfort, even to luxury; -they cannot till the fields and bring in the crops. But the Slavs, -who are used to poverty and hardship, will weather the storm.” “Yes, -you are right; that is all we shall gain from this war--a Slavonic -Austria-Hungary overrun by Serbs and Croats, who will trade with our -Czechs.” “God save us from the Prussians!” That was heard time and -time again as the Austrians realised that the days of happy-go-lucky -drifting were over for ever, and that all their affairs were handed -over to the care of Prussians. The Austrian always shows great delicacy -of feeling. He is not far behind the Frenchman in this. The German -does not know the significance of the word. His dealings with Austrian -officials, who were suddenly superseded by Germans, were on the -mailed-fist principle. “The Prussian could not behave decently, even -if he tried!” “Trample upon the weak; fling the incapable into the -street!” These were the bitter remarks heard on all sides. - -The most imposing but saddest sight of all during the mobilisation was -the arrival of the aged Emperor and his heir in Vienna. The old man, -seated in an open carriage, although the heat was intense, stared at -the vacancy in front of him. His lips were tightly closed. His heir, a -stripling who looks much younger than his years, looked right and left. -The crowd cheered and outdid itself in its expressions of loyalty. -There was no joy in the voices of the people, but a lingering tone -of regret. “Was this the last time that the Emperor would ride by in -state?” “Was his place to be taken by another?” - -The Vienna crowd, which had always been sullen and refused to cheer -when Kaiser Wilhelm passed through the streets, had gauged events -with perfect justice. The old man and the stripling--as they called -the Archduke Carl Francis Joseph--were totally unfit to cope with the -Kaiser. The Habsburgs would sink into a subordinate position and be -nothing more than other German princes, once independent, who had sunk -into subserviency to the Prussians. The people, with dim eyes, cheered -again. The Emperor had always been popular. His general audiences, -where he received all and sundry who had a good case to lay before -him, his personal courage, which needed no proof, and other kingly -qualities, always endeared him to the crowd. After ordering the -execution of large numbers of political criminals in the days of his -youth and middle age, he sought to compensate for this in his old age -by pardoning many criminals. He could not be induced to sign a death -sentence. This mercy shown towards men who richly deserved death for -their many crimes made him popular. The crowd saw no discrepancy in -the acts of a sovereign who would slay a hundred men who attempted to -gain freedom for the country without scruple in his youth, and in fear -of punishment after death, refused to permit wrongdoers to be executed -as the time of his passing away grew nearer. They failed to understand -the Emperor’s motive. He hoped that Heaven would overlook his former -crimes towards the subject-peoples if he could show a contra-account of -deeds of mercy. - -Archduke Carl Francis Joseph wore an imperturbable expression. No -one could fathom the state of his mind. Was he merely thinking of -his own private affairs, or was he concerned for the fate which hung -over Austria-Hungary? Who shall say? Did he prefer to live as a ruler -without responsibilities, like the King of Saxony, to the toil of the -life of a reigning monarch? So many of the Habsburgs have abdicated -when the responsibilities of a throne have descended upon them, so many -members of the Imperial family have left the pomp and splendour of the -Court for a quiet life in retirement, that it is difficult to surmise -what feelings filled the heart of the young man as he looked forwards -to Armageddon. - -The Emperor’s feelings were plain. He had always said, “Après moi le -déluge,” but he realised that the deluge would not wait for his death. -His reign, which had begun to the sound of battle and dire defeat, was -to end to the death-song of the Empire. The sceptre that his ancestors -had confided to him was slipping from his grasp. His adversaries had -been too much for him. Kaiser Wilhelm had used methods which were not -permitted even to politicians. He had broken faith with his ally. The -Emperor, the keener man of the two, was too old, and had not suspected -the depths of falsity under the mask of frank bonhomie. Kaiser Wilhelm -had even deceived the Church, always the adviser and comforter of the -old Emperor. - - -PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY R. 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- margin-right: 2.5em; -} -.x-ebookmaker body {margin: 0;} -.x-ebookmaker-drop {color: inherit;} - -h1, h2 { - text-align: center; - clear: both; - margin-top: 2.5em; - margin-bottom: 1em; -} - -h1 {line-height: 1;} - -h2.chap {margin-bottom: 0;} -h2+p {margin-top: 1.5em;} -h2 .subhead {display: block; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;} -.x-ebookmaker h1, .x-ebookmaker .chapter, .x-ebookmaker .newpage {page-break-before: always;} -.x-ebookmaker h1.nobreak, .x-ebookmaker h2.nobreak, .x-ebookmaker .nobreak {page-break-before: avoid; padding-top: 0;} - -.transnote h2 { - margin-top: .5em; - margin-bottom: 1em; -} - -.subhead { - text-indent: 0; - text-align: center; - font-size: smaller; -} - -p { - text-indent: 1.75em; - margin-top: .51em; - margin-bottom: .24em; - text-align: justify; -} -.x-ebookmaker p { - margin-top: .5em; - margin-bottom: .25em; -} - -.caption p, .center p, p.center {text-align: center; text-indent: 0;} - -.p0 {margin-top: 0em;} -.p2 {margin-top: 2em;} -.p4 {margin-top: 4em;} -.b0 {margin-bottom: 0;} -.b2 {margin-bottom: 2em;} - -.xxsmall {font-size: 50%;} -.xsmall {font-size: 60%;} -.small {font-size: 70%;} -.smaller {font-size: 85%;} -.larger {font-size: 125%;} -.xxlarge {font-size: 200%;} - -.center {text-align: center;} - -.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} -.firstword {font-variant: small-caps;} - -hr { - width: 33%; 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- padding: .5em; -} - -.gesperrt { - letter-spacing: 0.2em; - margin-right: -0.2em; -} -.wspace {word-spacing: .3em;} - -.pagenum br {display: none; visibility: hidden;} -.bt {border-top: thin solid black;} - - /* ]]> */ </style> -</head> - -<body> -<p style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Seven years in Vienna, by Anonymous</p> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Seven years in Vienna</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:0; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1em;'>Seven years in Vienna</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Anonymous</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Contributor: Newspaper Illustrations, Ltd.</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: January 19, 2023 [eBook #69834]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: Charlene Taylor, Charlie Howard, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SEVEN YEARS IN VIENNA ***</div> - -<div class="transnote"> -<p class="center larger">Transcriber’s Note</p> - -<p>Larger versions of the illustrations may be seen by right-clicking them -and selecting an option to view them separately, or by double-tapping and/or -stretching them.</p> -</div> - -<section> -<h1>SEVEN YEARS IN VIENNA</h1> -</section> - -<figure id="i_1" class="figcenter" style="max-width: 45em;"> - <img src="images/i_001.jpg" width="2183" height="1320" alt=" "> - <figcaption class="caption"><span class="smcap">The German Emperor and the Emperor of Austria, driving in Vienna, in 1908.</span></figcaption></figure> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<section> -<h2> </h2> -<div class="chapter center wspace"> -<p class="xxlarge"> -<span class="gesperrt">SEVEN YEARS</span><br> -<span class="xsmall"><span class="smaller">IN</span></span><br> -<span class="gesperrt">VIENNA</span><br> - -<span class="xxsmall">(<i>August, 1907-August, 1914</i>)</span></p> - -<p class="p2 larger"><i>A RECORD OF INTRIGUE</i></p> - -<p class="p2">BOSTON AND NEW YORK<br> -<span class="larger">HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY</span><br> -1917</p> -</div> -</section> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter center wspace"> -<p class="newpage p4 smaller"><i>Printed in Great Britain.</i></p> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<section> -<div class="chapter"><span class="pagenum" id="Page_vii">vii</span> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CONTENTS">CONTENTS</h2> -</div> - -<table class="smaller" id="toc"> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap b0" colspan="2">CHAPTER I.</td> -</tr> -<tr class="small"> - <td></td> - <td class="tdr">PAGE</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">KING EDWARD AT ISCHL—THE PARTING OF THE WAYS</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_1">1</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER II.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">THE EMPEROR’S ILLNESS</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_11">11</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER III.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">ARCHDUKE FRANCIS FERDINAND</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_18">18</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER IV.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">COUNTESS CHOTEK</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_27">27</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER V.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">VIENNA</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_37">37</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER VI.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">SALONICA</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_44">44</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER VII.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">KAISER WILHELM IN VIENNA</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_53">53</a><span class="pagenum" id="Page_viii">viii</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER VIII.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">AFFAIRS IN TURKEY</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_61">61</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER IX.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">THE ANNEXATION</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_67">67</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER X.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">PRINCE EGON FÜRSTENBERG AND COUNT TCHIRSKY: HOW THE KAISER “WORKED” VIENNA</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_76">76</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER XI.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">THE “GREAT SERVIA” IDEA—SERVIAN ORGANISATION</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_84">84</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER XII.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">ALBANIA AND MACEDONIA</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_92">92</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER XIII.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">THE BALKAN WAR</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_101">101</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER XIV.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">KING FERDINAND OF BULGARIA, THE VAINEST MAN IN EUROPE</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_111">111</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER XV.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">THE PRINCE OF WIED</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_120">120</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER XVI.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">THE KING OF THE BLACK MOUNTAINS</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_132">132</a><span class="pagenum" id="Page_ix">ix</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER XVII.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">EMIGRATION PROMOTED BY GERMANY—SOCIAL QUESTIONS IN THE DUAL MONARCHY</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_139">139</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER XVIII.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">THE AGRARIANS AND THE SHORTAGE OF FOOD</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_147">147</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER XIX.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">COUNT LEOPOLD BERCHTOLD AND COUNT STEPAN TISZA, THE MEN WHO DECIDED ON WAR</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_157">157</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER XX.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">AUSTRIA-HUNGARY AS A MILITARY AND NAVAL POWER</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_171">171</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER XXI.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">ARCHDUKE CARL FRANCIS JOSEPH</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_180">180</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER XXII.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">AUSTRIA-HUNGARY FACED BY REVOLUTION OR WAR—THE FINANCIAL FACTOR</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_192">192</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER XXIII.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN CONSTITUTION</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_203">203</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER XXIV.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">WHO MURDERED THE ARCHDUKE?</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_211">211</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER XXV.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">WHY GERMANY DECIDED UPON WAR</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_222">222</a><span class="pagenum" id="Page_x">x</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER XXVI.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">DIPLOMATIC METHODS: A COMPARISON</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_231">231</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER XXVII.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">PUNITIVE EXPEDITION OR WORLD-WAR?</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_244">244</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER XXVIII.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">WHAT WOULD ENGLAND SAY?</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_255">255</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2">CHAPTER XXIX.</td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">AUSTRIA’S AWAKENING</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#toclink_263">263</a></td> -</tr> -</table> -</section> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_xi">xi</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="LIST_OF_ILLUSTRATIONS">LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> -</div> - -<p class="center p0 b2"><i>From Photographs supplied by Newspaper Illustrations, Ltd.</i></p> - -<table id="loi"> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">The German Emperor and the Emperor of Austria driving in Vienna in 1908</td> - <td class="tdr small mid"><a href="#i_1"><i>Frontis-<br>piece</i></a></td> -</tr> -<tr class="smaller"> - <td class="tdr" colspan="2"><i>facing<br>page</i></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">The Duchess Hohenberg</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#i_24">24</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">The Archduke Francis Ferdinand</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#i_24b">24</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">Baron Aehrenthal</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#i_46">46</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">Prince Max Egon Fürstenberg</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#i_78">78</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">King Ferdinand of Bulgaria</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#i_114">114</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">King Nikita of Montenegro</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#i_114b">114</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">The Prince of Wied</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#i_126">126</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">Count Berchtold</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#i_168">168</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">Count Tisza</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#i_168b">168</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">Archduke Carl Francis Joseph</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#i_184">184</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td class="tdl">Princess Zita of Parma</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#i_184b">184</a></td> -</tr> -</table> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_1">1</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="SEVEN_YEARS_IN_VIENNA"><span class="larger">SEVEN YEARS IN VIENNA</span></h2> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_1">CHAPTER I<br> - -<span class="subhead">KING EDWARD AT ISCHL—THE PARTING OF THE WAYS</span></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="firstword">It</span> was mid-August in 1907. King Edward of -England, who had been undergoing a “cure” -at Marienbad, was expected at Ischl, where the -Austrian Court was in residence. The whole -place was hung with flags that were put up at -the last moment, as the “Gem of the Salzkammergut,” -as Ischl is often called, is one of the -wettest spots in the country. The local trains -brought large numbers of peasants, in their -picturesque costume, who wanted to take advantage -of the opportunity of seeing the King of -England. Other “peasants,” in badly-fitting -costumes, also came down in the Vienna night -express. Their white knees, left bare beneath -the short leather breeches, plainly showed that<span class="pagenum" id="Page_2">2</span> -they were not accustomed to wearing the -Styrian costume. The peasant girls eyed them -dubiously; one suggested that a little walnut-juice -would improve matters, while their little -brothers whispered “police.” The real peasants -crowded around the station, and watched the -red carpet being laid, ready for royalty. They -then turned to see Emperor Francis Joseph -drive up to the gates. He arrived twenty -minutes before the train was expected, as -usual, for being a great stickler for etiquette he -always feared that some accident or <i lang="fr">contretemps</i> -might delay him, and the visitor reach the -station before the host. He dreaded nothing so -much as a breach of etiquette or good manners, -and was willing to take any trouble to avoid -even the possibility of such a thing. The train -from Marienbad steamed into the station, the -monarchs embraced; their intercourse had -always been most cordial. The King respected -the simple old man, who had until then guided -the destinies of his country with great astuteness; -while the Emperor of Austria esteemed -the statesman, for in Austria-Hungary and the -Balkans King Edward was reckoned as the -most skilful diplomatist of his time. As the -Imperial carriage, with the gilt wheels, drove -through the streets, the people cheered heartily.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_3">3</span> -King Edward was the most popular of foreign -monarchs in Austria, and the minimum of precautions -were taken for his safety. In spite of -this the Austrian police, ever watchful, took -stock of every fresh arrival in the place for days -before the King appeared. On the morning of -the visit they ascertained what persons would -be seated in windows commanding the line of -route, and carefully watched the houses that -might harbour anarchist or other assassins. The -uninitiated suspected nothing of all this. The -long line of firemen that lined the streets looked -like members of the local brigade. It was not -suspected that they were specially trained men, -who knew how to act and to co-operate at the -right moment with the “peasants,” also members -of the same highly-organised force. They -all stood apparently careless and inattentive. -Presently a carriage, in which a spare, tall, -pock-marked man was seated, drove through -the street. He was the Emperor’s private detective. -His appearance always heralded that of -the monarchs, and the firemen braced themselves -for a combined movement, either to the -right or left, forwards or backwards, as previously -arranged. The police behind helped -with the work, and just as the Imperial carriage -flashed by, everyone in the crowd pushed forward,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_4">4</span> -sideways, or backwards, as though by -accident. Any intending assassin would have -lost his place at the front, and have missed -the golden opportunity, through this clever -manœuvre of the police. These precautions -were always taken for every Royal visitor, for -although Emperor Francis Joseph himself was -accustomed to stroll about the Ischl woods, -and went hunting in the forests quite -unattended, he took care that his guests were -exposed to no risks.</p> - -<p>Everything went off as arranged, although -there was a strained feeling in the air, partly -due to the thundery weather. It was known, -too, that King Edward was on a diplomatic -tour throughout Europe, and the people knew -that meetings of monarchs in summer are often -of great importance, even when they are unaccompanied -by their Ministers. Emperor Francis -Joseph is practically a despotic monarch, for -the Austro-Hungarian Constitution exists -merely on paper. He alone decides the foreign -policy of the country, and determines whether -there shall be peace or war. Thus he is in a -position to make decisions for his country, without -consulting his Ministers. Austria-Hungary -had long been quiet, almost to the point of stagnation. -Her statesmen had been fully occupied<span class="pagenum" id="Page_5">5</span> -in paying off the burdens incurred during the -last war, and were now delighted that, after a -succession of deficits, they could at length turn -out Budgets with surpluses at the end of the -financial year.</p> - -<p>There was trouble with Servia, it is true, -Austrian machinations had deprived Servia of -an outlet to the sea. Servia, being a pastoral -and agricultural country, wished to sell her products, -and Austria, the natural market, was -closed to her.</p> - -<p>The Austrians, who were very short of meat, -promised to take over Servian meat, but the -Hungarian agrarians, or large land-owners, who -wanted to keep up the prices of their own -products, managed to prevent this. They -appointed veterinary surgeons to examine imported -meat; and by unjustly condemning the -Servian meat at the frontier, they succeeded in -preventing its import. This line of conduct -caused much greater discontent among the -Servs than a downright refusal to admit their -products would have done. They naturally -objected to being cheated by their powerful and -unscrupulous neighbours, and the friction -caused by the “Servian Pig” question was continual. -Otherwise the Balkans were strangely, -almost uncannily, quiet. There were no massacres<span class="pagenum" id="Page_6">6</span> -to report, no bands who roamed the -country and committed depredations. It seemed -that the two monarchs could have nothing to -discuss. As the Emperor brought the King -back to the Hotel Elisabeth in the afternoon, -the faces of both monarchs could be seen very -plainly in the blaze of the sun that was pouring -down with great fierceness. Emperor Francis -Joseph looked much older than he had done -that morning. His face was drawn, the fine -lines on the parchment-like skin were deepened. -It did not need any unusual acuteness to see -that something had gone wrong. King Edward -walked up to his suite of rooms with something -weary in his step. The Emperor, freed from -the restraint of the King’s presence, returned to -the Imperial villa, his slight frame shrunken to -half its usual size, his soldierly bearing gone.</p> - -<p>All Ischl went home to dress for the gala performance -at the tiny Court theatre. It was -always difficult to get tickets at the bijou theatre -when members of the Imperial family were expected; -on the night of King Edward’s visit it -was impossible to obtain them. The police -excluded all foreigners by careful manipulation. -By evening it was already known in Ischl that -the Emperor and the King had quarrelled violently. -Attendants, posted behind doors, ready<span class="pagenum" id="Page_7">7</span> -to spring to attention, overhear many things. -They could give no details of what the subject -under discussion had been, but they said that -Emperor Francis Joseph had lost his temper in -the presence of a foreign King, and although -outbursts of this kind were common enough -within the family, it was an unprecedented thing -in the presence of a stranger. They knew that -the occasion had been no ordinary one, and that -the future policy of the country had been under -consideration.</p> - -<p>Just as the curtain went up for the performance -of some light musical comedy, the sort of -play that is at its very best in Vienna, the -thunderstorm that had been threatening all day -long, broke outside. The rain rattled down on -the roof of the theatre. The real heroine of the -piece, who had been brought down from the -capital on purpose, was a dazzlingly beautiful -woman; she laughed, danced, and pirouetted all -over the stage. She was the very embodiment -of Vienna “cheek.” Just at the end of the first -act—royalty never sees a piece through when -on State visits—she abruptly turned her back -towards the Imperial box. She was lightly clad, -even for the Austrian stage, as she tripped -laughingly to the front, and carried out her -instructions. A thrill went through the audience.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_8">8</span> -Would the King understand? His British -phlegm stood him in good stead. He remained -in his seat, although he was sufficiently -acquainted with Austrian manners and customs -to comprehend the somewhat heavy witticism. -Only when the curtain fell did he rise and leave -the theatre. “What was the meaning of the -insult?” asked all Ischl. “What did it -portend?” They learnt the answer just -seven years later to the very day.</p> - -<p>The people about the palace discussed the -incident at the theatre. They understood that -it was meant as a hint to the King that his -presence in Austria was not desired, if he came -to discuss politics. As a private friend and a -brother monarch he was always welcome. He -had attempted to show the Emperor that the -close alliance with Germany was not for the good -of Europe. Not merely that, but Austria-Hungary -herself would imperil her existence as a -great Power if she allowed herself to become -merged in Germany. The aged Emperor, who -had long been accustomed to depend upon -Germany for assistance against the Slavs, would -not listen to the King. He was perhaps aware -that his policy was wrong, but being obstinate, -like all the Habsburgs, he would not acknowledge -it. He did not intend to alter his policy<span class="pagenum" id="Page_9">9</span> -at the eleventh hour, in any case. If there must -be a change let his successor see to it. King -Edward made due allowance for the Emperor’s -age, but it is doubtful whether he ever -again made any direct effort to turn Austria -from her fatal path. She stood at the -parting of the ways. Her Emperor -chose her destiny that summer day in Ischl. -Diplomatists and Ambassadors took up the -King’s task; they repeatedly pointed out the -disastrous consequences of the close alliance -with Germany. Instead of discussing the -situation with Italy, Austria-Hungary informed -Germany of what was happening. Instead -of keeping the balance equal between -Italy and Germany, Austria-Hungary really -concluded a partnership with Germany; the -Triple Alliance degenerated into a Dual -Alliance that kept up an understanding with -the third partner. Italy was quick to realise -this. So long as Russia and France were allied, -and occupied a position that was a set-off to that -held by Germany and an Austria that had not -given up her liberty of action, European peace -was assured. Great Britain and Italy were not -bound to their Allies to any great extent.</p> - -<p>The result of the meeting at Ischl soon made -itself felt. Italian diplomatists began to back<span class="pagenum" id="Page_10">10</span> -out of their obligations towards Germany and -Austria-Hungary. Their policy of “cooling -down,” at first barely perceptible, took form -somewhat later, at the renewal of the Triple -Alliance, when Italy promised very little in -return for the many “benefits” heaped upon her -by Germany. Great Britain, aware of the -danger of the centre of the European chessboard -being occupied by one vast State, stretching -from the North Sea and Baltic to the -Adriatic, was more inclined to listen to -advances from France and Russia, and to -deliberate upon the advantages of a closer contact -with Germany’s enemies. The suggestion -made by France, that Great Britain should -introduce conscription, prevented the understanding -becoming anything more. France -pointed out the necessity of preparing for an -aggressive move on the part of Germany, but -Great Britain would not even consider a proposition -so far from her theories of government as -was conscription.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_11">11</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_11">CHAPTER II<br> - -<span class="subhead">THE EMPEROR’S ILLNESS</span></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="firstword">The</span> Austrian Court returned to Vienna as -soon as the first snows on the mountains -round Ischl gave warning that the summer -season was at an end. Emperor Francis -Joseph, who is a strenuous worker, and carries -on the business of State daily, whether in -residence in Vienna or in the country, began -his life as usual. On certain days of the week -he held general audiences, and received anyone, -high or low, aristocrat or peasant, who -wished to present a petition. He was always -up at 4 a.m., and had got through most of his -State duties by 8 a.m., when he began to receive -Ministers and others. In the month of October -it was suddenly announced that the Emperor -was ill. The news caused great consternation, -as the monarch had never been ill in his life. -He had been confined to his room for some<span class="pagenum" id="Page_12">12</span> -time as a young man after an attempt made on -his life, when he was stabbed in the neck, -but he had never had the slightest ailment -since. His life was carefully regulated by the -Court physician, Doctor Kerzl, a military -surgeon, a rough doctor of the old school, -who had grown old with the Emperor. -Members of the Imperial family frequently tried -to have a younger and more up-to-date man -appointed as Court physician. They considered -that the Emperor’s health was so -precious that its care ought not to be confided -to a man who had gained his experience with -the Army. The Emperor, however, stood firm, -and the results of the somewhat draconic -treatment have certainly justified his decision. -The Emperor sleeps on a camp-bed, eats the -heavy Vienna food with relish, and is always -accustomed to drive in an open carriage without -his military cloak. It is probable that he -took the chill during the drive.</p> - -<p>Specialists were summoned to the Emperor’s -bedside, and they found that the Royal patient -was suffering from inflammation of the lungs. -He, however, refused to go to bed. Crowds -of people went out to the summer palace of -Schönbrunn, where he was staying, and waited -under his window until he appeared to reassure<span class="pagenum" id="Page_13">13</span> -them, when cheers rang out and echoed along -the arched corridors beneath the palace. The -anxiety felt by the common people was shared -by everyone in Austria-Hungary, and the one -hope of high and low was that the Emperor -might live. This was not so much on account -of his personal popularity, although this was -great, as because of the dread of the future. -The heir to the throne, Archduke Francis -Ferdinand, was the most hated man in Austria-Hungary. -The Emperor’s death meant that -he would succeed to the throne. The Emperor -himself felt a profound hatred for his heir, and -it was a matter of common knowledge that he -was filled with a firm determination not only -to recover from his illness, but to outlive his -heir. Day after day the struggle went on within -the white walls of Schönbrunn Palace; the -daily papers spoke of the Emperor’s illness as -a slight cold, for the monarch was not satisfied -with reading extracts from the official organs, -as was his ordinary custom, but insisted upon -having all the papers, opposition organs as well -as bounty-fed periodicals, brought to his room. -He wished to find out whether the doctors were -telling the truth about his illness. The three -specialists came to the conclusion that he could -not recover; Doctor Kerzl alone stood firm and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_14">14</span> -said that he would get well again. The -Emperor refused to take to his bed, having a -superstitious horror of lying down in the daytime. -Kerzl supported him in this, and it is -probable that he owed his recovery to it. The -disputes among the doctors were unseemly, and -the specialists insisted on calling the family to -Vienna. Archduchess Gisela, the Emperor’s -elder daughter, arrived in great haste, and his -younger daughter, Valerie, also appeared on -the scene. Both women are very pious, and -they immediately wished the Emperor to receive -Extreme Unction. The Archbishop of -Vienna, with a retinue of priests, actually came -out to Schönbrunn to administer it, but they -were met downstairs by Frau Catherina Schraatt, -who told them that it would frighten him to -death, and induced them to return without -carrying out their mission. Archduke Francis -Ferdinand arrived at the capital. He and his -morganatic wife, Duchess Hohenberg, established -themselves at the Belvedere Palace for -the season. The Archduke, a man who lacked -refinement and who was utterly devoid of tact, -immediately began to act as if he had already -succeeded to the throne. Statesmen, fearing -that the Emperor would never recover, were -afraid to oppose him, and he got an insight<span class="pagenum" id="Page_15">15</span> -into affairs of State during the Emperor’s illness -that enabled him to assume a position that -he never gave up afterwards. The Habsburgs -were obliged to look on while Duchess Hohenberg, -then merely Countess Chotek, took a -position that would never have been conceded -to her had the Emperor been in his usual health. -Kaiser Wilhelm, ever watchful, began to count -on the possibility of the Emperor’s death, and -the friendship between him and the Archduke -dates from this epoch. Kaiser Wilhelm did -not like the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary; -he recognised the fact that he would -have to deal with a determined man, who knew -exactly what he wanted and would refuse to -believe the flattering assurances that satisfied -Emperor Francis Joseph, who, although still -in full command of his mental faculties, was -beginning to feel the weight of years. The -Emperor was never so acute a man as his heir; -the Archduke, too, had a wife whose intelligence -was remarkable. Countess Chotek was -ambitious, and her husband was accustomed to -following her advice in State affairs. Kaiser -Wilhelm therefore shared the wish of the -Austrian people, that the aged Emperor might -long be spared to them. Week after week -went by. People from all parts of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_16">16</span> -monarchy sent the Emperor quaint remedies, -charms, and specifics of all kinds to cure his -illness; several officials were engaged all day -in writing to thank the senders, who were not -even aware of what ailed the Emperor. When -it was finally announced that he was out of -danger there was great jubilation throughout -the realm; the people poured scorn upon the -specialists, and acclaimed Dr. Kerzl as the -saviour of the country whenever they could -catch sight of his rough, honest face, bronzed -by exposure upon many a battlefield. The -Emperor had given his attendants great trouble -during his illness and convalescence, as he had -refused to allow anyone to enter his rooms except -Dr. Kerzl, his soldier-valet, who slept upon -a rug in the antechamber of his bedroom, and -the sentry, who always paced to and fro outside -the Emperor’s bedchamber, and watched -through a spyhole, cunningly made in the door, -for any change. No woman was allowed to -enter the suite of rooms during the night hours, -the patient saying he preferred an orderly to -nurse him.</p> - -<p>Gradually the Emperor recovered his powers. -He was never the same man again; his vigour -was gone, and, although he was little changed -in appearance, his grasp upon affairs had<span class="pagenum" id="Page_17">17</span> -weakened. The Archduke, who disliked Vienna -cordially, remained in town, a thorn in the -Emperor’s side. The latter, however, could find -no pretext for dismissing him to the country. -Councillors, already anticipating the probable -demise of the reigning monarch at no distant -date, advised the Emperor to consult with his -heir and to try to inculcate the inexperienced -man with some of his statecraft. The Emperor -was induced to bestow some powers upon the -Archduke, although much against his will, and -a new era in the history of the country began.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_18">18</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_18">CHAPTER III<br> - -<span class="subhead">ARCHDUKE FRANCIS FERDINAND</span></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="firstword">All</span> Europe was asking one and the same -question at this epoch: “What kind of a man -is the heir to the throne?”</p> - -<p>They got the answer that he was “a little-known -man,” and this was true to a certain -extent. The Emperor, an old autocrat, never -allowed any member of the Imperial family to -take a leading part in public affairs. They -were expected to do their duty in opening -charitable institutions, presiding at <i lang="fr">fêtes</i> in -provincial cities, but in both Vienna and Budapesth -they found it advisable to keep well in -the background. Whenever a young Archduke -became too popular, even in the ballrooms of -Vienna, he was promptly banished to some out-of-the-way -place, ostensibly on a mission, but -really as a punishment for presuming to court -popularity.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_19">19</span></p> - -<p>This was well understood among the Habsburgs, -who, as a rule, did not care for Court -life. Most of the Archdukes lived on their -country estates, where they enjoyed almost -regal power for nine months of the year, merely -coming to Court to pay their respects to the -monarch at the New Year.</p> - -<p>Archduke Francis Ferdinand was very fond -of power and very ambitious, but he did not care -for playing the <i lang="fr">rôle</i> of heir to the throne when -he had reached middle age and was at the -height of his powers. He therefore remained -in the country for the greater part of the year.</p> - -<p>This did not increase his popularity. People -grumbled at the sadness that hung like a pall -over the Court. They said that it was merely -a resort for military men and officials, and -wished that young life could be introduced to -restore Vienna and Budapesth to their former -gaiety. Archduke Francis Ferdinand had -laboured under great disadvantages since -sudden and unexpected events had made him -heir to the throne. His attendants and the -Court officials summed up the position in one -sentence: “He has never been trained for a -throne.” He was entirely lacking in tact—a -quality which, if not a natural gift, must be -acquired by painful experience by personages<span class="pagenum" id="Page_20">20</span> -who will one day occupy a throne. He spoke -no languages except his own. He had, of -course, some knowledge of French and Italian, -and was learning Hungarian; but he was -not in a position to carry on delicate -negotiations in French. He had a bad -record even for an Austrian Archduke. His -youthful career had been full of incident, and -his doctors had been compelled to put a sudden -stop to a course of youthful dissipation by -sending him on a voyage round the world. -He was reported to be suffering from consumption -in its preliminary stages, and it was said his -only chance of life was a complete change of -climate. The Archduke, who was an artist and -well acquainted with ancient and modern culture, -started off on the Imperial yacht for the -East with nothing but pleasurable feelings. His -favourite study was ethnology, and he made a -collection of objects of great interest during -this voyage. They were to be seen in one of the -galleries of the Hofburg, which had recently -been added to the main block of the town palace. -The Archduke converted the new part into a -museum, as the Emperor had forbidden the -architect to fit the new building with lifts or -other modern appliances. Lifts he hated, and -firmly refused to enter one even when he was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_21">21</span> -having his portrait painted by an artist whose -studio was on the sixth floor of a Vienna house.</p> - -<p>The Archduke, who was intensely modern, -decided that a palace without lifts and proper -heating appliances was not fit to live in, and -promptly converted the new gallery into a picture -gallery and museum without waiting for -the Emperor’s advice or permission.</p> - -<p>The aged Emperor and his heir clashed in -every direction; they were diametrically opposed -in all their tastes and convictions. Both -were pious to an exaggerated degree. The -Emperor disliked the Jesuits; his heir consorted -with them constantly, and listened to -their advice in matters of State. This alone -would have been sufficient to prevent the Emperor -from ever wishing him to succeed to the -throne. The Archduke, too, although so pious, -had contrived to estrange both the Church and -the Emperor by one act of boyish folly. As a -young officer he was stationed at a depôt in -the depths of the country to learn his profession, -far from critical crowds. One day he was -riding across the fields, when some peasants, -carrying the mortal remains of one of their -fellows, crossed by the footpath. The Archduke, -in a fit of youthful exuberance, set his -horse at the bier and cleared it at a jump. The<span class="pagenum" id="Page_22">22</span> -priest protested at the act of sacrilege. The -story reached the ears of the Emperor, who -never forgave him. Although the Archduke -was not careful of the feelings of the Roman -Catholics, the non-Catholics in the country -believed that he would be capable of persecuting -them with a rigour such as had been unknown -since the Middle Ages. At the time of -the Emperor’s illness the Liberal papers prophesied -in their leading articles that he would -build up martyr fires around the Cathedral of -St. Stefan, in the centre of Vienna. They said -he would show the utmost relentlessness in -burning or hanging his Jewish, Protestant, and -Mahommedan subjects, all of whom were accustomed -to a wide tolerance, based on indifference -to them and their doings. The Archduke was -bitterly hated in Hungary; it was commonly -reported that his life was not safe in that part -of his future kingdom. He gave colour to these -reports by his strange conduct. When he went -down to Budapesth he did not put up at an -hotel, as was customary. He remained all night -in the royal train, which was run up the line to a -siding, no one being aware of the exact spot -at which it had drawn up. This confession of -fear and lack of confidence in the loyalty of his -subjects did the Archduke great harm. The<span class="pagenum" id="Page_23">23</span> -alternative explanation, sometimes advanced, -that the Archduke, who was known as the -meanest man in the kingdom, merely wished to -save an hotel bill, did not improve matters. -The hotel-keepers looked upon members of the -Imperial House as most desirable guests; they -never overcharged them, for the advertisement -was worth a great deal to them. Archdukes who -neither commanded a palace to be prepared for -their coming nor put up at an hotel were -naturally not popular with anyone. Archduke -Francis Ferdinand crowned all his other -delinquencies by his marriage. Instead of contracting -an alliance with some powerful reigning -house, he made a morganatic marriage with -a lady-in-waiting. Countess Chotek was a -Bohemian aristocrat, it is true, but she was not -a peer of any member of the House of Habsburg. -The Emperor allowed the marriage to -take place, and when all the circumstances are -taken into account, especially the ease with -which persons whose existence was disagreeable -to the Vienna Court were removed, it can -only be concluded that the Emperor approved -of the marriage. He evidently did not wish the -children of the Archduke to come to the throne -on account of their father’s tendency to tuberculosis, -which was reported to have gone to the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_24">24</span> -brain. It was common knowledge that the -Archduke was accustomed to fly into fearful -rages. Whether this habit, which is common -to all the Habsburgs, was owing to epilepsy, or -some obscure brain disease, it is difficult to say; -but the Emperor evidently shared the common -feeling that it was some obscure affection of the -brain, and shared the doctors’ opinion that the -Archduke’s descendants ought not to come to -the throne of Austria-Hungary.</p> - -<p>Archduke Francis Ferdinand, who was -always short of money, tried to engage in business, -and, as usually happens with men of his -position, made a sad failure of it. Instead of -leaving the management of his estates to -stewards, who would only take their customary -perquisites, he engaged in business transactions -himself. He was badly swindled, and gained a -reputation for meanness which was richly -deserved. His varied excursions into the -realms of speculative business were attended -by no better luck. He dared not associate himself -with eminent business men, so he summoned -a number of companions to his side who -were difficult to shake off. With them he embarked -upon business of an illegitimate kind. -His only excuse was his complete lack of understanding -of all matters relating to business.</p> - -<figure id="i_24" class="figcenter" style="max-width: 24em;"> - <img src="images/i_024.jpg" width="993" height="1326" alt=" "> - <figcaption class="caption"><span class="smcap">The Duchess Hohenberg.<br> -wife of the Archduke.</span></figcaption></figure> - -<figure id="i_24b" class="figcenter" style="max-width: 24em;"> - <img src="images/i_024b.jpg" width="989" height="1329" alt=" "> - <figcaption class="caption"><span class="smcap">The Archduke Francis Ferdinand.</span></figcaption></figure> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_25">25</span></p> - -<p>Neither Archduke Francis Ferdinand nor -his morganatic wife had the tact or sense to hide -the impatience with which they awaited the aged -Emperor’s death. The “parrot” story, as it -was called, went the round of the Vienna <i lang="fr">cafés</i> -at this period. A bird of very rare plumage, -evidently the property of some aristocratic personage, -was found straying in the public gardens -of Vienna. A gardener promptly caught it and -took it round to the police, where lost property -of all kinds was deposited, until its owner could -be found. The sergeant in charge put the bird -in a cage and forgot all about it. Shortly afterwards -he was startled to hear the parrot begin -to discourse with great fluency when it had -become used to its surroundings. It referred to -various members of the Imperial family in -terms of the very scantiest respect. “That -old cat Valerie” was its delicate way of referring -to the Emperor’s younger and favourite -daughter. “Peacocks, sluts” were terms of -abuse applied to Archduchesses who either -overdressed or neglected their toilettes. The -sergeant became pale with fright. It was <i lang="fr">lése-majesté</i> -to listen to such words, and the penalty -might be death. When the parrot broke into -a steady stream of talk, with a kind of refrain, -“He’ll live to be a hundred, Sofie,” in an exact<span class="pagenum" id="Page_26">26</span> -imitation of the gruff tones of the heir to the -throne, who was evidently referring to the Emperor, -the sergeant felt that any further eavesdropping -would be dangerous. He picked up a -cloth, threw it over this utterer of high treason, -and carried the loquacious bird to the chief of -the police. The cloth was removed, and the -indignant parrot, unused to such treatment, -began worse than before. The sergeant was -dispatched in all haste to find a very thick black -cloth that might be calculated to damp even the -ardour of an Imperial parrot, and, carefully -wrapped up, the bird was sent to the Belvedere, -where the Archduke and his wife were in -residence.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_27">27</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_27">CHAPTER IV<br> - -<span class="subhead">COUNTESS CHOTEK</span></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="firstword">Countess Chotek,</span> afterwards Duchess -Hohenberg, the morganatic wife of the late -Francis Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of -Austria-Hungary, was a most remarkable -woman, and her history is perhaps the most -romantic that was ever written. She belonged -to an impoverished Bohemian family, which -ranked high among the ancient aristocracy of -that nation. She was brought up very quietly -and was accustomed, as a girl, to ride in the -tramway in Dresden, where her father held a -post in the Diplomatic Service. Her dresses -were very plain, even for an aristocrat. The -peculiar charm that she possessed, however, -made her an object of much attention. She was -a big blonde, as stately as an empress, and at -the same time a woman who knew how to make -herself agreeable in conversation, as her life -had given her an intimate knowledge of men<span class="pagenum" id="Page_28">28</span> -and things that was unusual in a woman belonging -to a noble family, in Austria-Hungary, -where the little aristocrats are convent-bred, and -never encouraged to form opinions of their own -upon the current topics of the hour. She was -very ambitious, and intelligent to an extraordinary -degree. She was a woman who knew -just what she wanted, and who would not have -hesitated to use any means that were necessary -for the attainment of her object. She made her -entrance into the Austrian Imperial family in a -very subordinate position. She became lady-in-waiting -to the beautiful daughters of Archduke -Frederick, the richest of all the Archdukes. Her -life in his family was probably not disagreeable, -but decidedly monotonous, as the family spent -most of the time on lonely country estates in -Hungary. Archduke Francis Ferdinand frequented -the Vienna palace, on the Albrecht -Platz, where Archduke Frederick lived when in -residence at Court. Everyone believed that he -was about to marry one of the Archduke’s -daughters, and the match was regarded as a -good one. The girls had large dowries, and -relationship between the heir to the throne and -the branch of the family to which they belonged -was very distant. It is probable that the Archduke -had some such arrangement in his mind<span class="pagenum" id="Page_29">29</span> -when he visited the house. He, however, fell -violently and irretrievably in love with the lady-in-waiting, -a woman in the early thirties, and -regarded as long past marriageable age in Court -circles. The romantic story of the marriage is -well known, but the fact that the Archduke, in -marrying the lady-in-waiting, made an inveterate -enemy of Archduke Frederick was -never appreciated at its proper value abroad. -In Vienna itself the gravity of the position was -well understood. No better-class tradesman in -Austria would allow such an insult to his -daughters to go unrevenged, for the Austrian -father is very jealous of his daughters’ -reputation. No young man is permitted -to visit at a house regularly without -having the clearest “intentions.” At the Court -this unwritten law is much stricter than among -the people. The Archduke, in selecting the -lady-in-waiting, was casting a slur upon the -Archduchesses she attended. Fortunately, -there were several girls, and as he had never -singled out any one of them for particular -attention, there was no open rupture. It is certain, -however, that the Archduke behaved in a -very ungentlemanly way, and that his conduct -was totally lacking in delicacy. Archduke -Frederick never forgave the insult, and the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_30">30</span> -other members of the House of Habsburg sympathised -with him in his wrath at the incident. -Indeed, the outraged father had plenty of occasion -to remember it. His daughter, Archduchess -Isabella, who had hoped to become the future -Empress of Austria, made an unfortunate marriage -later on. Her parents, by way of settling -the incident of the heir to the throne, and laying -the ghosts of rumours that still hung round the -girl’s name, arranged a match with Prince -George of Bavaria. The Archduchess, who -hated the young man, actually set fire to her -wedding-dress on the eve of the marriage, -hoping that it would be put off, as she had -nothing suitable to wear.</p> - -<p>Incidentally, she set fire to the palace, and a -valuable collection of pictures in the adjacent -museum was threatened. The marriage took -place on the morrow, a dress having been hurriedly -contrived for the occasion. The girl fled -from her husband on the wedding journey, and -afterwards became a Red Cross nurse. For -these misfortunes the Archduke was regarded -as primarily responsible and they served to -make Countess Chotek still more detestable to -the Imperial family.</p> - -<p>On his marriage Archduke Francis Ferdinand -renounced all rights to the throne and to any<span class="pagenum" id="Page_31">31</span> -dignities or privileges belonging to members of -the House of Habsburg for his heirs. He and -his wife withdrew into obscurity, where a family -of beautiful children was born to them. This -led Countess Chotek to dream of altering the -laws of succession and securing the throne for -her eldest son. With this ulterior object in view -she came to Vienna at the time of the Emperor’s -illness, and tried to force her way into Court -society. Her rank entitled her to be received at -Court, but not to be admitted into the magic -circle of the Austrian Imperial family as one of -themselves. The etiquette of the Vienna Court -is the strictest in Europe, and is based upon -that ruling at the Spanish Court. The members -of the Habsburg family are all extremely -simple, but they permit no liberties to be taken -either with themselves or the family. Countess -Chotek, as she was then, appeared at the Court -ball unannounced. She intended to surprise the -Master of the Ceremonies, and force him to -allow her to enter with the Archduchesses. The -old man did not lose his presence of mind. He -met the difficulty in a very clever way. The -married Archduchesses walked in first, each -with her cavalier, selected especially for the -honour. After the long procession of handsome, -stately dames with flowing trains had passed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_32">32</span> -into the brilliantly-lighted room, the young -Archduchesses who were presented at Court for -the first time were led into the hall, each on the -arm of a handsome young officer. Eight girls, -dressed in simple muslin gowns that barely -reached to their ankles, and looking very -childish, as none was more than eighteen years -of age, came next in the long procession. The -Master of the Ceremonies, who had detained -Countess Chotek, found her a place, on the left -arm of the last cavalier, the youngest of the -Archduchesses occupying the post of honour on -the right. Countess Chotek entered the ball-room -inwardly raging. Everyone noticed the -insult, as the other ladies all had a cavalier to -themselves. The next morning the Vienna newspapers -alluded to the slight which had been put -upon the wife of the heir to the throne, and said -that the Master of the Ceremonies should have -remembered that the Countess was a woman, -and have refrained from so pointed an insult. -Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife left -Vienna the next day as a protest, and this was -the last occasion upon which he tried to force -his wife upon the Court.</p> - -<p>Kaiser Wilhelm, whose emissaries always -kept him well informed of every event, big or -little, in Vienna, heard of the incident. Now<span class="pagenum" id="Page_33">33</span> -was the time for him to interfere. The Archduke, -who had always turned a deaf ear to -blandishments from Berlin, would now be -accessible. The man who was too strong to care -to hear flattery of himself would lend a willing -ear to any defence of his beautiful wife, who had -been grossly insulted. The Archduke became -more deeply attached to his wife every year; -the inconveniences to which he was subjected -for her sake only strengthened his affection. -When, therefore, an invitation for the Archduke -and his wife came from Berlin it was gratefully -accepted. Kaiser Wilhelm, whose wife, the -Empress, has never been allowed to have much -voice in things, placed Countess Chotek in the -place of honour, and, what is vastly more -important, caused the fact to be chronicled in -the German and Austrian papers. The Archduchesses -in Vienna raged inwardly, for Countess -Chotek, the “scullery-maid,” as they were -in the habit of calling her, was being received -with Royal honours, and the rank accorded to -her in Berlin was such as would be given to a -future Empress. Kaiser Wilhelm won a warm -friend by this clever manœuvre, which incidentally -cost him nothing.</p> - -<p>The Archduke did not come to Vienna on -representative occasions after this episode, but<span class="pagenum" id="Page_34">34</span> -he kept in close touch with the Foreign Minister, -Count Aehrenthal, who looked to him for guidance -instead of to the Emperor. The War -Minister went to the Archduke’s Bohemian -palace when he wanted large estimates passed, -and induced the Archduke to exert his influence -in this direction. Meanwhile the favourite occupation -of the Archduke continued to be gardening, -and this taste took him all over Europe. -The Court Chronicle never spoke of the Archduke. -An accidental paragraph in some foreign -paper would reveal the fact that he and the -Countess were in Holland, attending sales of -bulbs. He even went to England incognito on -several occasions to visit far-famed gardens. -It is doubtful, in the light of later events, -whether all these journeys were connected -solely with gardening, although the Archduke -was a passionate horticulturist. Countess -Chotek always accompanied her husband, and -when, in the early spring, he went to Miramare, -near Trieste, or to the fairy-like island of -Brioni, she and the children went too. The -Archduke spent his time in superintending the -building of small swift cruisers, in inspecting -wireless telegraphic installations on the coast, -and in keeping the naval experts employed at -high pressure. He was the first Archduke who<span class="pagenum" id="Page_35">35</span> -was interested in the sea, the aged Emperor -caring so little for marine affairs that he did not -even possess a naval uniform among the large -and miscellaneous collection in his wardrobe.</p> - -<p>Countess Chotek, like many not born to the -purple, made mistakes of a kind that did not -add to her popularity. Her husband had great -possessions, and owned art treasures of inestimable -worth, but they were far from being a -source of revenue. In fact his income was not -sufficient to keep them up properly. His wife -had brought him no dowry. His growing family -was a source of expense. Thus ready money -was a scarcity in the family. Countess Chotek -tried to economise on her personal expenses, -instead of leaving it to her stewards, who understood -where a woman of that rank can be mean -and where she must be munificent. She became -involved in many discreditable <i lang="fr">affaires</i> through -her stinginess. One of these was a dispute with -a cabby at Salzburg. The Countess committed -an unheard-of indiscretion—she took a one-horsed -cab. No lady, <i lang="fr">en toilette</i>, can ride in a -one-horsed cab in Austria. If really poor she -can ride in the electric tramway, but for some -occult reason the cab is taboo. She must either -take a fiacre with a pair of dashing steeds, or a -motor-car. Countess Chotek not only hailed a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_36">36</span> -one-horsed cab, when a row of handsome and -well-fitted fiacres stood by, but refused to pay -the fare the cabby demanded. He had recognised -the lady, and naturally thought that she -would stand imposition, as ladies of the Imperial -family never go about unattended, and the only -explanation to his unsophisticated mind was -that the Countess was on clandestine business -of some kind, and should be blackmailed for it. -To his astonishment she marched him off to the -police-station herself. The police condemned -the unfortunate cabby to a fine, but the Countess -Sofia was felt to be in the wrong. What had -possessed her to ride in an “Einspanner”? An -elopement with the groom or automobile -chauffeur was quite an ordinary incident among -the aristocracy and speedily forgotten, but such -a mistake as going in the wrong kind of cab was -more than a misdemeanour, it was a lack of -<i lang="fr">savoir vivre</i> that the country could never forgive.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_37">37</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_37">CHAPTER V<br> - -<span class="subhead">VIENNA</span></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="firstword">If</span> you ask an educated, reflecting Austrian -under what form of Government he lives, he will -reply, “The Emperor of Austria and King of -Hungary is an absolute monarch; we live under -a despotism tempered by carelessness.” And he -will laugh flippantly. “So long as one man, the -Emperor, has the right to decide whether there -will be peace or war, without appealing to his -Ministers, the Constitution is a mere mockery. -We owe the only liberties we enjoy to the slackness -in the administration of the laws of the -realm; we have no rights.” “How is it that the -country has never demanded its rights?” -“Those who ask awkward questions in this -country are hanged or exiled.... Those who -wish to remain here keep a still tongue in their -heads.... We are talking treason now, and -there are spies everywhere.” Other Austrians<span class="pagenum" id="Page_38">38</span> -belonging to the intellectual class explain that -the men in power encourage frivolity systematically, -and provide amusement for the -people to prevent their thinking or reflecting. -Certain it is that Vienna before the war was the -chief centre of gaiety in Europe.</p> - -<p>In spite of the sombre shadow cast over the -Court, the city lived for amusement. It was the -only thing that the Viennese really understood. -In Advent things are relatively quiet; there is -the same round of gaiety as later in the year, -but the toilettes are sombre, and everything is -on a less magnificent scale than in Fasching, -the time between the Court Ball—when the -Emperor opens the real season—and the beginning -of Lent. The winter of 1908 was particularly -gay. There was skating all day and -dancing all night. Light sleds carried the girls -to balls when the snow had frozen hard and -horses, in their spiked shoes, could not get any -grip on the slippery paving-stones. Others -went in the electric tramway, which ran even -when the temperature was far below freezing-point, -and the drivers were provided with -astrachan masks and goggles, to prevent their -eyelids freezing to their cheeks. There were -balls every night given by different societies -and corporations of all grades and degrees,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_39">39</span> -from the artists’ ball to the chimney-sweeps’ -dance. No one ever dreamt of staying at home -during Fasching. Such details as lack of dress, -money or chaperones made no difference. If -you had no dress you borrowed a domino and -went to a masked ball. The balls often lasted -far into the next day, sometimes only closing -at four in the afternoon. Everyone can dance, -and did dance through the festive season, except -small children, who were learning their steps -at the dancing-school. Many began to dance -and skate before they were firm on their feet, -their parents so dreaded their not being skilled -in the things that “really mattered.” Old men -did not stay at home; they sat in a favourite -café, where a table was reserved for them, ever -since they had been saluted as “Herr Doctor” -for the first time by the waiter who judged that -they had reached manhood. The rule universally -accepted, and put into practice by rich and poor -alike, was: “Enjoy yourself while you can, you -never know what the morrow may bring.” In -the case of the Viennese it only brought new -varieties of enjoyment. No considerate -employer expected his staff to turn up in full -numbers after a <i lang="fr">redoute</i>. Sleep was rare in the -season. Many young men never went to bed at -all night after night; they left the ball-room at<span class="pagenum" id="Page_40">40</span> -dawn, took an ice-cold dip, and repaired to the -next café, where they drank cup after cup of -strong black coffee, to enable them to keep -awake during office hours. The employer said -nothing so long as the work was done.</p> - -<p>After the ball it was the rule to visit the -music-halls and night cafés, and this continual -gaiety left no time or inclination to discuss politics -or criticise rulers. Everyone was contented -and satisfied with things as they were. They -made no excuse for their frivolity. In fact a -man who showed no disposition to join in the -round of gaiety immediately became “suspect.” -An officer had more chances of making a career -for himself if he were a good dancer and could -pirouette his way into the good graces of the -commander’s aged wife than if he spent hours -over maps and plans. His brother officers -wondered why he wished to investigate -things.... Was he selling information to -Russia?</p> - -<p>At this epoch winter sports were beginning -to become a factor in the life of the Austrians. -Some girls asked their fathers to give them -the money ear-marked for balls to spend on -ski and a winter outfit. In the middle classes -the innovation was not regarded as an advantage. -Winter sports cost more than balls. The<span class="pagenum" id="Page_41">41</span> -girls were inclined to become too emancipated, -and their mothers spent anxious hours wondering -whether they had not taken cold or met with -accidents. In the upper classes winter sports -and dancing were combined. The Austro-Hungarian -aristocrat is accustomed to an outdoor -life, and the lower classes, too, went ski-ing in -the mountains just outside Vienna. The -Government, quick to see that it would be an -advantage to have soldiers trained to use skis for -the army, encouraged winter sports, put on cheap -trains and extra trams to enable the people to -go in for it thoroughly.</p> - -<p>The army of dressmakers, shoemakers, -florists, and others who live by manufacturing -articles for the ball season naturally -disapproved of winter sports; but it is doubtful -whether the new fashion really made much -difference to them, for the ball-rooms seemed -as full as ever.</p> - -<p>There were large numbers of strangers in -both Vienna and Budapesth; curiously enough -they were almost without exception people from -within the Empire or from the Balkans. Vienna -was always the capital of the Balkans. The -women came to shop there, girls were sent to -finishing schools in the capital, and it was a kind -of Mecca to which men from far-off places in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_42">42</span> -Rumania dreamed of coming once in their lives. -The Balkan kings visited Vienna, and reaped -credit with their peoples from having sat side -by side with the Emperor, the great stickler for -etiquette, the arbiter of rank for the East.</p> - -<p>Such was Vienna, and such were to a lesser -degree the provincial cities of Austria-Hungary, -which all modelled themselves on the capital, -when Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany and the heir -to the throne, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, -decided to embark upon an aggressive policy. -The Archduke fondly believed that the idea -originated with himself, and that he was right -in taking advantage of the temporary disablement -of the aged Emperor to strike a blow for -his country’s aggrandisement. He did not see -that he was doing an unwise thing in listening -to the counsels of a neighbouring monarch, -whose interests were by no means identical with -those of his own country, and acting on these -promptings, without consulting the Emperor. -Count Aehrenthal, the Foreign Minister, was a -creature of the new <i lang="fr">régime</i>, and he took his -instructions from the coming man. Changes of -policy for the Dual Monarchy are usually -announced at the meeting of the Delegations, -an assembly of members of the Austrian and of -the Hungarian Parliaments, who are delegated<span class="pagenum" id="Page_43">43</span> -by their fellows to represent them at the meeting. -The Delegations, which sit in Vienna and -in Budapesth alternatively, vote supplies for all -objects common to the two countries, such as the -army and navy. The small check that the -Austrian and Hungarian Parliaments can put -on their rulers lies here. The members of the -Delegations, however, were men who had axes -to grind and seldom interfered with the programme -announced by the Foreign Minister.</p> - -<p>It was at a meeting of the Delegations in -Vienna, in the winter of 1908, that Baron -Aehrenthal announced the fact that Austria-Hungary -had embarked upon an aggressive -policy. The days of quiet and tranquillity were -over; the country intended to join in the march -forward. It only sought commercial expansion, -it is true, but it was prepared to face all and any -consequences.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_44">44</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_44">CHAPTER VI<br> - -<span class="subhead">SALONICA</span></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="firstword">Aehrenthal</span> sketched a programme of commercial -extension in the Near East. The first -step to be taken was the building of the Sanjak -railway. The Sanjak is a narrow strip of barren -land which was at that period occupied by Austrian -troops. Aehrenthal now proposed to build -a railway through the Sanjak, with the terminus -at Salonica. This railway would give Austria-Hungary -the control of the Balkans as far as -trade questions were concerned. Salonica would -virtually become Austrian property, not by the -force of conquest, but by the natural sequence -of events. It had long been plain that the -Turkish Empire was crumbling. None knew -better than the Austrians that the hour for the -final dissolution of the Turkish Empire had -come. It therefore behoved Austria-Hungary -to anticipate her rivals and to secure the most<span class="pagenum" id="Page_45">45</span> -important port—Salonica. The building of the -Sanjak railway would have shortened the route -to the East by many hours. Many statesmen in -Austria-Hungary did not approve of the Sanjak -project. There was an alternative and much -quicker route over Albania. If a railway could -be built from Durazzo or Vallona across to -Salonica, two days could be saved on the route -to the East. Many statesmen favoured this -plan. The Sanjak was a death-trap, they said; -the line would run through gullies among -mountains where enemies could command it. -Besides the danger of enemy forces in case of -war, the wild bands of half-civilised folk in the -Balkans must be considered too. They might -plunder the train at any time; it would be very -easy to hold it up between the steep defiles. -In Albania there was flat, fertile country that -would be vastly more suited for railway building; -it could, besides, be opened up with advantage. -The only trouble with regard to -Albania was that there was a treaty between -Austria and Italy regarding any occupation of -that country. If Austria took northern Albania, -as she hoped to do, Italy was to have the -southern part. Vallona, the best harbour on -the Adriatic, lay in the part claimed by Italy.</p> - -<p>Thus Austria-Hungary hesitated between<span class="pagenum" id="Page_46">46</span> -two alternative schemes. The German element -in Austria was for pushing towards Salonica -over the Sanjak. The idea had come from -Berlin, and had been carefully suggested to -Austrian diplomatists by the Emperor’s advisers. -Aehrenthal announced it publicly at -the Delegations, and waited to see what effect -his audacious move would have upon Europe. -The Greeks sitting in the café in the Fleischmarkt -in Vienna were the first on that memorable -night of the Delegations’ meeting to catch -up the words, “To Salonica.” “Salonica is -Greek,” they said. “If it is wrested from the -Turks, it must fall to Greece.” Twenty-four -hours later Europe said what it thought of Austria’s -plans of expansion. The old Emperor, -Francis Joseph, who had probably listened in a -semi-comatose condition, as he frequently did, -to the report made by his Foreign Minister on -the Sanjak railway, summoned him to Schönbrunn -in haste. There, in his characteristic -way, in language so plain that there was no -mistaking it, and that would have done credit to -a Vienna cabby, the Emperor forbade any -thoughts of a forward policy. He had had misfortunes -enough in his long reign, he said. If -any innovation was to be made it could be -undertaken by his successor; for the rest of his<span class="pagenum" id="Page_47">47</span> -life there would be quiet. He understood that -Russia was aghast at Austria’s plans of aggression, -England was furious, and France asking -what it all meant. The announcement made at -the Delegations might be regarded as unspoken.</p> - -<figure id="i_46" class="figcenter" style="max-width: 21em;"> - <img src="images/i_046.jpg" width="1342" height="2186" alt=" "> - <figcaption class="caption"><span class="smcap">Baron Aehrenthal.</span></figcaption></figure> - -<p>Strange to say, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, -the heir to the throne, agreed with the Emperor. -He considered that the forward movement in -the Balkans planned by Aehrenthal was ill-judged. -He was aware that Kaiser Wilhelm -and the “German” party in Austria desired to -open the road to the East. The Archduke, -however, took a much clearer view of the -political situation than the Kaiser and his advisers. -He grasped the very obvious fact that -Italy was not a willing member of the Triple -Alliance. She was only waiting for an excuse -that would sound at all plausible to break loose -from her bonds. Why the Archduke should be -keenly aware of a fact that was never even suspected -by Kaiser Wilhelm is not easy to say. -Perhaps the intensity of his hatred enabled him -to read the national character aright, for the -Archduke hated Italy with a bitter hatred. He -possessed estates in Italy, and considered that -the Italian Courts of Justice had treated him -unfairly in a series of law suits he had had about -his property there. Moreover, there were differences<span class="pagenum" id="Page_48">48</span> -of temperament between the Austrians -and Italians. Francis Ferdinand was essentially -a “German” Austrian—that is to say, an Austrian -with leanings towards Prussian methods, -who wished to have the Austrian army reorganised -on Prussian methods. There was -something in the Italian character that roused the -Archduke’s anger; both he and Kaiser Wilhelm -felt the rage, often manifested by the savage -for things he cannot understand, at Italy and -Italy’s methods. This common dislike for Italy -which possessed both men was doubtless due to -a remarkable and startling change in the Italian -character. During the last twenty years the -Italians have organised themselves on German -lines; the Italian of to-day has all the efficiency -of the Prussian without his cumbersome -methods. When Kaiser Wilhelm went to Italy -unexpectedly to visit his friends there, he found -hydroplanes that excelled those at home moving -about in the limpid waters of the Adriatic. He -went to Miramare, swelling with anger. Both -he and Francis Ferdinand were sufficiently -intelligent to take in the position at a glance. -Italy was like a child that had stolen a march -upon the world in a night by attaining to her -full stature while the others slept. Both raged -at the unexpected turn things had taken. While<span class="pagenum" id="Page_49">49</span> -Kaiser Wilhelm was anxious to keep Italy as -an ally, because Germany and Austria-Hungary -had so small a coast-line, Francis Ferdinand, -with much truer insight into the interests of his -country, said, “Fall upon Italy unexpectedly -and crush her.” Kaiser Wilhelm realised that -the Austro-Hungarian fleet would only be of -use if it could emerge from the Adriatic. -Bottled up in the inland sea by the Italian fleet -it was a negligible quantity. He did not comprehend -the bitter hatred felt by every Italian -for the ancient oppressor, the Austrian. He probably -knew little of the ways in which Italians -in Austria were persecuted, in spite of the existence -of the Triple Alliance. The Government -went about its work in a very wary manner, and -incidents which would have opened his eyes -were carefully hushed up. It is probable, too, -that the Austrians deceived the Kaiser as to -the attitude of the Italians. Every Austrian -knew in his heart that there could never be anything -but war between the two countries. The -manner in which they habitually alluded to the -Italians was sufficient to prove their intense -hate. The Italian subjects living in Austria -reciprocated this sentiment in full. Whenever -they found an opportunity of paying back some -of the Austrian hate for them, they availed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_50">50</span> -themselves of the chance. Archduke Francis -Ferdinand always used his influence to prevent -Austro-Italians rising to power. He had officials -in Trieste removed from their posts merely -because they were “Italians.” Their places -were taken by Slavs, who regarded the Archduke -as their protector. As a matter of fact, -the Slavs were the only people in Austria-Hungary -who respected and liked the heir to -the throne. The Germans despised him. The -Hungarians frankly detested him, and the -Italians execrated him. The Bohemians, the -Croats, and the Serbs, all Slav races, regarded -him as their representative. In the racial contests -for place and power in Dalmatia, in -Istria, the Slavs who wished to oust the Italians -from their places appealed to the Archduke, -and immediately got what they wanted, while -the Czechs, who were in deadly antagonism with -the Germans in Bohemia, had a powerful advocate -in Countess Chotek. When the German -officials tried to introduce the teaching in German -instead of the Czech language into elementary -schools in Bohemia in Czech districts, the -Archduke stood by them and prevented any -encroachment by the German element.</p> - -<p>Thus Emperor Francis Joseph and his heir -agreed, although from different motives, in preventing<span class="pagenum" id="Page_51">51</span> -the plan of the building of the Sanjak -railway being pursued. Kaiser Wilhelm, who -had taken no part in the disputes that were -raging in Vienna, was glad that the idea of -Austria-Hungary’s embarking on an aggressive -policy should be ventilated, but did not wish -her to take any course that might lead to war -either in the Balkans or with Italy. Neither -country was prepared to embark on an aggressive -world-war. Kaiser Wilhelm encouraged -Austro-Hungarian statesmen to contemplate a -series of wars with poor and helpless neighbours, -such as Italy, Montenegro, and Servia, but he -was really thinking of executing his projects, of -placing Germany “über alles!” He knew that -this idea of aggressive warfare would render it -easier for the German party to obtain the armaments -required for the coming struggle, while -public opinion in the country would become -accustomed to the idea of a policy of expansion. -He cared little that the Archduke was preparing -for a <i lang="fr">coup</i> upon Italy when he was contemplating -a blow in the opposite direction. The -necessity for realising his plans made Kaiser -Wilhelm regard all means justifiable, even the -deception of his allies.</p> - -<p>The storm raised by the Sanjak railway project -gradually calmed down, and Count Aehrenthal,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_52">52</span> -baulked in his plans, retired to the background -to work out fresh plans for Austro-Hungarian -aggrandisement; while Archduke -Francis Ferdinand, still sore at the Court Ball -incident, sulked upon his magnificent estate at -Konospischt, in Bohemia, where he superintended -his wonderful collection of exotic plants -and tried to forget Vienna the dusty, that was -so bad for his lungs.</p> - -<p>Kaiser Wilhelm became increasingly aware -that the immediate necessities of the situation -rendered it important to gain Archduke Francis -Ferdinand to his side. The Kaiser was painfully -conscious that neither the aged Emperor -nor his heir had any real regard for him. They -were inclined to look upon him as an upstart in -many ways. The Kaiser’s sudden excursions -into realms that they regarded as distinctly not -regal annoyed them. What need had the Emperor -of Germany to seek distinction as a writer -of plays? By such tricks he brought down the -whole level of royalty. All the Habsburgs are -eminently dignified, and Kaiser Wilhelm always -seemed something of a royal mountebank to -them, with his strange longings after artistic fame, -his childish wish for popularity—a matter of the -most complete indifference to his brother -monarch in Vienna.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_53">53</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_53">CHAPTER VII<br> - -<span class="subhead">KAISER WILHELM IN VIENNA</span></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="firstword">Vienna,</span> startled for an instant by the events -connected with the meeting of the Austro-Hungarian -Delegations, soon sank back again into -complete apathy as regards foreign politics. -The Sanjak railway was forgotten and everyone -was thinking of how the short time between -Easter and the “Derby,” the final event of the -Vienna summer season, was to be spent, when -news came that Kaiser Wilhelm was about to -visit Vienna. He proposed to come to celebrate -the aged Emperor’s jubilee and to bring -his whole family with him. The Viennese considered -this most tactless. Emperor Francis -Joseph had lost his only son in a drunken brawl, -and now his professed friend wished to remind -him of the fact by bringing a family of handsome -young men to accentuate the contrast -between the lonely old man and the Kaiser in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_54">54</span> -the prime of life, surrounded by his six sons. -The Kaiser secretly planned another “honour” -for the Emperor. All the Federal Princes were -to arrive in Vienna before the Kaiser and to -await him on the platform. The Kaiser arranged -for them and their retinue to reach -Vienna separately and almost in secrecy. No -receptions were to be given them on arrival. He -only broke the news to the Emperor privately -when all the arrangements were complete and -some of the Princes already on their way -to Vienna. The Emperor thereupon lost his -temper, which had already been sorely tried by -the proposal to bring so many Imperial Princes. -He sent a message to say that his health would -not allow of him receiving anyone excepting the -Kaiser. The Kaiser had to abandon his plan, -which was to have the Emperor of Austria and -the German Federal Princes grouped together -on the little platform at Penzing, awaiting his -arrival “like the rising sun,” as the Vienna -papers put it, and allow the Emperor to do -homage to him among his vassals, thus recognising -him as overlord of all the German-speaking -peoples.</p> - -<p>The Press said what it thought of the Kaiser’s -overweening ambition, and he was very surprised. -The Austrians were not so stupid as<span class="pagenum" id="Page_55">55</span> -he had thought. They had grasped his plan -to make himself the man of the hour instead -of leaving the first place to the monarch whose -jubilee was being celebrated.</p> - -<p>Wilhelm’s fertile, restless brain had hardly -abandoned one project before it conceived -another. He left his bevy of handsome sons -at home, but took his only daughter with him -to Vienna. The heir to the Austrian throne, -Archduke Francis Ferdinand, had made a morganatic -marriage; his children could not succeed. -Archduke Carl Francis Joseph, the son -of Archduke Otto, who had lately died a -horrible death, would be the next heir. Why -should Princess Louise not become Empress of -Austria and Queen of Hungary? There -was the little difficulty about religion, but that -could be managed. Louise and her mother, the -Empress, were informed that they would be -allowed to accompany the Kaiser. It is likely -that the ladies had but small notice, for Princess -Louise wore skirts that were perfectly appropriate -to the palace at Potsdam, where she -ranked as the greatest tomboy of the family, -but they were decidedly too short and too tight -for the Austrian Court, where ample petticoats -are <i lang="fr">de rigueur</i>. A tall, thin girl, looking -absolutely irrepressive, stalked up the platform<span class="pagenum" id="Page_56">56</span> -by her mother’s side. Distracted ladies-in-waiting -had attempted to teach her the Austrian -Court curtsey—a most complicated manœuvre -that takes years to learn. They also tried to -instil some ideas of the strictness of the Austrian -Court etiquette into her mind. She was -the terror of the palace at home; the ladies-in-waiting -stood in great awe of the spoilt child. -They trembled when their turn to attend upon -Her Royal Highness came round. They feared -what would happen when she got to Vienna. -The change from the free and easy manners of -the Berlin Court to the unchangeable rules and -regulations of Vienna was enough to upset a -more placid girl. All the bowing and smiling -upset Princess Louise, whose education had -been very “Protestant.” She put out her -tongue at one of the stately Archduchesses—behind -her back, it is true, but the incident did -not go unnoticed. She dropped a bouquet that -had been presented to her because the weight -annoyed her. The Empress of Germany looked -dismayed at the dismal failure. She had some -idea of the Kaiser’s plans, and was aware five -minutes after the special train had pulled up on -the platform that the project had fallen through. -Wilhelm, who is not by any means sensitive, -had not marked the by-play. The look on the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_57">57</span> -horrified face of the Empress should have -warned him from committing a further error; -but he was always quite oblivious to atmospheres. -He turned round and, with a rough -shoulder movement that was visible to everyone -on the platform, he actually “shoved”—no -other word can describe the movement—the -Princess towards the young Archduke. The -Princess, well used to her father’s abrupt -manners, smiled at the young Archduke, who -rose to the occasion in a manner worthy of the -traditions of his family, which is celebrated for -its fine manners. But Kaiser Wilhelm’s matrimonial -plans had failed before they were really -made. All the women were against it. The -Habsburgs objected to the presence of a Protestant -in their midst even though she might forsake -her religion. They knew that anything so -foreign to themselves could never preside at the -Court of Vienna. Their opinion was shared by -their guest, who hated the gloomy Hofburg, and -cared but little for Schönbrunn, where the strict -etiquette rendered the mother of the future heir -to the throne a mere puppet in the hands of -attendants, who would not even allow her to -educate or control the destinies of her children. -Princess Louise put a final seal upon any possibility -of negotiations being renewed by her<span class="pagenum" id="Page_58">58</span> -very decided conduct during the subsequent -proceedings. Vienna was full of stories of the -strong-mindedness of the Kaiser’s only daughter. -It had had experience of strong-minded -Princesses in the past. It wished for nothing -more of the same kind. Kaiser Wilhelm had -lost.</p> - -<p>Baulked in his matrimonial schemes, he now -turned to the political situation. Emperor -Francis Joseph was irritable. The visit, -although on a much smaller scale than had been -originally planned, cost him much money, and, -though he had been extremely generous in his -youth, the Emperor had become strangely parsimonious -in his old age. He grudged the -great expense that was invariably entailed by -the Kaiser’s State visits. The programme -usually included some expensive outing. -Sometimes five miles of road had to be improved -up to the royal automobile standard. -At another time Wilhelm would take a fancy -to go shooting after his stay in Vienna, and -could not be induced to accept the simple life -that was the joy of the Emperor of Austria -when among the peasants. The hunting-box, -the whole forest, had to be brought up to the -standard of an American millionaire. The -Habsburgs, whose claim to rank was too ancient<span class="pagenum" id="Page_59">59</span> -and too secure to need any artificial pomp to -keep it up, rode through the deep forests on -small, hardy ponies. The Emperor of Germany -required a road, and insisted upon its -being cut right through the forest. He was -never secure of his position. Beyond all these -minor inconveniences he expected to be treated -with the utmost ceremony, and considered that -it was incumbent upon the frail old monarch -in Schönbrunn to fetch him at the railway -station, to take him to his rooms along the -chilly corridors of Schönbrunn Palace, and to -expose himself, in season and out of season, in -order to magnify the importance of his guest. -It was further reported in Vienna that Kaiser -Wilhelm, ever penurious, had come to borrow -money from the aged Emperor—one of the -richest sovereigns in Europe, if, indeed, not -the richest of all. All these things did not -endear Emperor Wilhelm to the Viennese. -They showed their feelings by refusing to get -out the best bunting and by cheering their Emperor -frantically when alone, and pointedly -refraining from any exhibition of enthusiasm -when the visitors passed. The people, too, -perhaps, had a true perception of what Kaiser -Wilhelm sought, and recognised that he was -really patronising the old Emperor, suggesting<span class="pagenum" id="Page_60">60</span> -that it was time he took a back seat in a dozen -insidious ways. Kaiser Wilhelm hoped Archduke -Francis Ferdinand would be easy to -manage, but was not convinced of this. Emperor -Francis Joseph watched the growing -intimacy between his heir and the Kaiser with -great misgivings. He knew that toils were -being wound round the Archduke, who believed -that he could accept obligations and not be -called upon to pay for them. The aged -diplomatist at his side knew better. The experience -of three-quarters of a century had -taught him the true inwardness of things. It -was vain, however, to utter warnings. He was -not even discreet. When in a fit of rage—such -as attacks all the Habsburgs who are epileptic—nothing -was sacred. A man who was not able -to control himself could not be trusted with -secrets that might imperil Austria’s relations -with Germany. Thus things drifted. Germany -obtained increasing power in Austrian -councils; the only man who could lay a restraining -hand upon his heir was old and weary and -unwilling for anything that spelt change or -unrest.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_61">61</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_61">CHAPTER VIII<br> - -<span class="subhead">AFFAIRS IN TURKEY</span></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="firstword">It</span> was clear to everyone who followed the -course of events in the Near East that the dissolution -of the Turkish Empire was at hand. -The race towards ruin, that had gone on slowly -before the introduction of the telegraph and -telephone, now began to suit its pace to the -times. Corruption of every kind was the order -of the day in Turkey. Nothing could be obtained -without bribery. Every kind of enterprise -was stopped by the extortions of the tax-gatherer. -Any man who was known to possess -ready money was plundered by corrupt officials. -The system of land-tenure prevented the -peasants from putting any money into improvements. -The great mineral wealth in Turkey -and the subject lands could not be touched, for -the law said that only the surface of the land -belonged to the proprietor; all mining rights -remained the property of the State. Mining<span class="pagenum" id="Page_62">62</span> -engineers who came to search for hidden -wealth were murdered by the peasants, who -feared that the Government would confiscate -their land. Men who went down to Turkey -to do business always spoke of the necessity -of adopting quite other methods than elsewhere. -Money, even in the case of respectable firms, -was not kept in the bank, where it would fetch -interest, but distributed among a number of -more or less distant relatives. Thus the -stranger had no means of discovering whether -his customer could pay or could not pay. The -latter always had a clear case for the Courts, -and could prove absolute penury whether the -necessity arose in connection with taxation or -with a tiresome customer. At the same time -all business there was done on the credit system. -The European agent, therefore, never dealt -direct, but depended upon the local agent, who -had a profound and up-to-date knowledge of -his customer’s financial standing. The fact -that no man could be forced to pay made tradesmen -very honest, and the Turk, even before -the revolution, had an excellent reputation for -uprightness throughout South-Eastern Europe. -“The Turk is a gentleman; he always pays,” -they said in Austria and in Hungary. Just as -large transactions were carried out in the latter<span class="pagenum" id="Page_63">63</span> -countries without the interposition of any legal -man, and sums running into thousands passed -from hand to hand in small notes to avoid -the heavy stamp duty, so the Turk transacted -business without documents, always -keeping to his word. The Austrian and -German agent who overran Turkey and -dumped his least marketable goods upon the -people, felt he was dealing with a kindred -soul, but, to avoid all risks, he fixed his prices -to allow for long waiting, and also to cover any -unavoidable bad debts. He had a serious competitor -in business in the Balkans, and was -gradually being routed from his long-established -haunts by the Italian “drummer.” The -Bohemian textile manufacturers had been -accustomed to regard Turkey and the Balkans -as a kind of dumping-ground for bales of goods -that had not “taken” colour properly and for -wares that showed some deficiency. The arrival -of cases of excellent wares from Milan at about -two-thirds of the price of the Austrian article -naturally damaged their market very considerably. -It is certain that much of the friction -between Austria-Hungary and Italy was due to -the growing keenness of competition in trade -upon the Balkans, and just at this period it was -getting very active.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_64">64</span></p> - -<p>Turkey hung thus, like an over-ripe pear, the -wasps swarming around her, her Sultan Abdul -Hamid committing crimes that cried to heaven, -when the news reached Vienna that the Third -Army Corps at Salonica was marching upon -Constantinople. The revolution and the deposition -of Abdul Hamid were accomplished with -a celerity that gave rise to the suspicion that -Austria knew more of the whole affair than she -chose to admit. The Austrian Government -made desperate efforts to keep the news from -getting out until everything was accomplished, -and it is more than probable that the Young -Turks were financed by the Austrian Government. -It is equally certain, however, that the -Young Turks chose a moment that suited themselves, -and had not consulted Austria as to -details such as dates. Austria had set a vast -machine in motion, and could only stand aghast -at the completeness of the success of the rebels. -It was not what she intended. With the opening -of a Turkish Parliament many questions -that might have drifted indefinitely became -pressing. The chief of these was the future of -Bosnia and Herzegowina. Austria-Hungary -had occupied these lands. For many years she -had carried on a rule that was not pleasing to -the population, formed almost exclusively of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_65">65</span> -Serbo-Croats, who wished to join their Servian -neighbours across the frontier. With what the -Austro-Hungarian administrators regarded as -singular blindness, they felt that they would -prefer the very progressive rule of King Peter -to the retrogressive government of subject-nations -by the Central Power. The few -Mohammedan Albanians in Bosnia were content -with the existing state of affairs, which -differed little from that under Turkish rule. As -they were merely 3 per cent. of the population, -however, they were of minor importance, -although men of prominent position in most -cases.</p> - -<p>The establishment of the Turkish Constitution -changed the whole aspect of affairs as -regards Bosnia and Herzegowina. The countries, -although occupied by Austria-Hungary, -were still under the suzerainty of Turkey. -They would have the right to send deputies to -represent them at the new Turkish National -Assembly. If this were permitted, Austria felt -that it would be only a question of time before -she was called upon to evacuate the annexed -lands. Turkey might become regenerate. She -would, then exercise the leading <i lang="fr">rôle</i> in the -Balkans that Austria had reserved for herself.</p> - -<p>Austria-Hungary decided that it was the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_66">66</span> -moment for action. Only one course was open -to her. She must proclaim the annexation of -Bosnia-Herzegowina. Kaiser Wilhelm was -consulted upon the advisability of this step. -He said that the step must be taken without -warning. It must come upon Europe as a surprise. -Other countries had proclaimed annexations—why -not Austria-Hungary?</p> - -<p>Archduke Francis Ferdinand bitterly disapproved -of Austria’s attention being turned to -the East instead of to Italy. His influence was -at a very low ebb at this particular time. Emperor -Francis Joseph had regained his health. -It was even thought that the robust old man -might outlive the heir to the throne.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_67">67</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_67">CHAPTER IX<br> - -<span class="subhead">THE ANNEXATION</span></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="firstword">The</span> proclamation of the Annexation of -Bosnia and Herzegowina in 1908, with the -evacuation of the Sanjak as a compensation to -Turkey, took Europe by surprise. The general -feeling was one of utter astonishment, that -Austria-Hungary, herself far along the road to -bankruptcy, should presume to annex anything. -It is doubtful whether any one realised that Germany -stood firm behind her in her high-handed -action. Even if this were known vaguely, no -one was aware that Germany had been consulted, -had fathered the plan, and perhaps even -conceived it in all its naked unscrupulousness. -When the spasm of astonishment was over there -was a loud outcry. Austria-Hungary had -“torn up” the Treaty of Berlin in violating -Article 29. An army, that was ready for the -eventualities that the country shrewdly suspected<span class="pagenum" id="Page_68">68</span> -might ensue, was hastily thrown upon -the Bosnian frontier, another was pushed up -towards Russia. Germany also despatched a -large force to the Russian front. The country -resounded with the noise and confusion of a -mobilisation, for, strange to say, Austria-Hungary, -although aware her troops would be required, -had made no definite preparations. -Stories of Bohemian regiments, driven into -troop trains covered by their officers’ revolvers, -ran like wildfire through the country. Further -reports soon proved that the mobilisation was -simply organised confusion. Germany heard -and marked. There could be no war under -such conditions. Meanwhile, the Austro-Hungarian -mobilisation was followed by rapid -action on the other frontiers. Russia put troops -on her frontiers. Servia, feeling concerned for -her safety, increased her frontier forces. Count -Aehrenthal, besides promising to evacuate the -Sanjak, undertook to compensate Turkey financially -for the loss of her provinces. In all these -arrangements it must be noted that Turkey was -never consulted. She had to look on while her -territory was taken away, powerless to defend -her interests. This was a matter of quite -secondary interest to the Great Powers, who -simply demanded to know what were the intentions<span class="pagenum" id="Page_69">69</span> -of Austria-Hungary. The winter of -1908–09 was spent in negotiation. The soldiers, -carefully provided with winter clothing, spent -the months on the chilly frontiers, and -pitiful letters of complaint of the severity -of the Galician and Servian climates -reached Vienna. These were from the -common soldiers, whose lot has always -been a hard one. They were subjected to the -severe discipline that prevails in the Prussian -army, but whereas the Prussian gets his full -allowance of food-stuff and has the proper -clothing for the climate at the end of October, -the Austrian trooper is, as often as not, supplied -with ice-making machines in December and -woollen sleeping-sacks in July. New needs that -cropped up at the front were only met long after -the cold that made them indispensable had -changed to spring-like warmth and the armies -felt the inconveniences of an inefficient officialdom -very severely.</p> - -<p>The young officers at the front, who were well -provided with money, spent a healthy winter. -Ski-ing was one of the chief amusements; they -brought the sport back to Vienna, where it had -previously been something of a novelty. Otherwise -the social life of the people was but little -affected by the diplomatic trouble that was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_70">70</span> -causing such perturbation at the Ballplatz. -There was some complaining at the scarcity of -men. Vienna hostesses had always counted on -providing each girl with a choice of partners; -this year the available men were either getting -on in life or unduly young, as the mobilisation -had swept up the rest. Those who remained at -home, too, were overworked, and could not -spend their days in semi-somnolence in the -office and their nights in the whirling activity of -the ball-room. It was only a year later, on -returning from the annual holiday, that people -began to notice that prices had gone up. The -explanation was simple enough. The army, -after the unsuccessful mobilisation which had -revealed all kinds of deficiencies, began to make -numerous demands. The guns they had tested -during the very frequent frontier skirmishes -whose history has never been written were useless. -Much of the ammunition was counterfeit. -Stories of corruption touching even the -highest officials were current. Some great personages -were dismissed without the customary -decoration, the Emperor plainly saying that he -would show no mercy to those who had -betrayed their country. The excuse that they -had no idea that a war was perhaps pending did -not palliate their crime in the eyes of the aged<span class="pagenum" id="Page_71">71</span> -Emperor, who is a soldier <i lang="fr">par excellence</i> in all -that concerns discipline and order.</p> - -<p>The discovery of many lacunae and “discrepancies” -in the service made Austria-Hungary -herself chary of going to war. When the -chance of a compromise came she was ready to -take it. This was the easier for her, as Germany, -who was prepared for a world-war in the -month of October, absolutely refused to back -Austria-Hungary in an adventurous policy in -December. The reason was plain. Germany -and her Emperor had believed all the reports -they had received of Austria’s readiness; it was -only when they saw how the mobilisation hung -fire, and realised how unwilling her men—especially -those belonging to the subject races—were -to fight, that they saw they had been -deceived, not intentionally, but by the difference -between what the Austrians believed and -the actual state of affairs. Kaiser Wilhelm -began to see for the first time that he could not -take the Emperor’s word for things; not that the -aged man had the faintest intent to deceive him, -but simply that he lived in a world created by his -courtiers, and existed in the atmosphere prevalent -at Courts a century ago. His councillors, -old men like himself, never told the Emperor -anything unpleasant. If they believed that he<span class="pagenum" id="Page_72">72</span> -did not wish to hear it, the truth was carefully -concealed. It is doubtful whether the Emperor -ever knew of the discontent in the ranks of the -army.</p> - -<p>Kaiser Wilhelm had but small difficulty in -holding back the politicians who sat in Vienna -and appreciated his arguments. Modern wars, -said the Kaiser, cannot be waged without munitions -and money. Austria-Hungary had -numbers of men, but her munitions were of -ancient pattern; her guns were not fit for active -service. Wealth she possessed in plenty, as -Austria-Hungary is a rich country, but it was -not realised. It was all invested in lands, -machinery, and other plant. Her subjects were -not accustomed to direct taxation to any extent. -The military party could not grasp these arguments.</p> - -<p>A great nation ought not to stoop to negotiate, -it said. Why should they hesitate when -their army was over two millions strong?</p> - -<p>It is a curious fact that during the negotiations -no one mentioned the really salient point -in so many words, nor asked, “By what right -had Germany, through Austria, arrogated to -herself the power to disturb the peace of Europe -and to steal a march upon her neighbours in the -night?” Neither country has ever advanced a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_73">73</span> -reason to excuse this action. The first cause was -doubtless Kaiser Wilhelm. In the plenitude of -his arrogance, which made him consider himself -beyond all human laws, he regarded the rights -and wishes of others as entirely negligible quantities -where the greatness of the German -Empire, which meant his greatness, was concerned. -Every German child was taught that -Germany should be supreme over all. In the -schools they learnt that nothing, not even truth -or justice, could be allowed to interfere with -Germany’s commercial progress. The young -men who stole into Italy or Bohemia as clerks -and took copies of the names of customers for -the use of their countrymen, were not considered -thieves in the usual sense. They were simply -German patriots; men who had been reared from -childhood to consider that the old standards had -fallen, and a new German philosophy had taken -its place. This teaching had one object, and -one only, the aggrandisement of Germany. -Kaiser Wilhelm was at the head of this movement. -He regarded the other nations as effete -and degenerate. They had no right to block the -way of the Prussians, who were a reincarnation -of the Goths of old, and who would sweep everything -before them. Prussians of high standing -were not backward in expounding this theory.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_74">74</span> -The other German races murmured at the -“unscrupulousness” of the Prussian. They felt -that men of this character were dangerous, and -that they ought not to be entrusted with the -supreme command in the Empire. Austria-Hungary, -meanwhile, chafed at the bit that she -was beginning to feel. After all the delicate -questions had been settled and the terms of the -agreement arranged, her statesmen sighed and -said: “This has been a mistake, we ought to -have gone to war.”</p> - -<p>Statesmen saw that they had placed themselves -too unreservedly in Germany’s hands. -Peace, too, had been preserved by unusual -means. When things had reached a very critical -stage, the aged Emperor Francis Joseph -stemmed the current that was carrying the -country towards war. He let it be known that -he objected to the peace being broken. He -wished to end his days in tranquillity. Such -respect was felt for the Emperor that this was -sufficient to turn the scale in favour of peace. -Austrian statesmen, however, were encouraged -in an irresponsible feeling that they might go to -great lengths in threatening war without being -called upon to back up their threats by action. -The Austro-Hungarian supreme War Lord -could save the situation by a word. Germany<span class="pagenum" id="Page_75">75</span> -could prevent things reaching a climax if the -Emperor’s petition for peace were not sufficient.</p> - -<p>These ideas were radically wrong. The -Emperor tacitly undertook not to break the -peace again when he made his appeal. It is -certain that he never intended to do so. But this -should have hampered his statesmen. It did -not. Instead of feeling that the Emperor’s -pledge to Europe laid a responsibility upon -them, they, on the contrary, felt that their acts -were always liable to be disavowed by the -monarch, and that they were not forced to show -the same caution as they would if their decisions -were final. In the same way, they failed to -realise that Germany would inevitably demand -compensation for her protection. The noblemen -who held the helm in Vienna were not a match -for the calculating business men who were pursuing -a “real” policy at Berlin, and who had -little to do with ideals.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_76">76</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_76">CHAPTER X<br> - -<span class="subhead">PRINCE EGON FÜRSTENBERG AND COUNT TCHIRSKY.<br> -HOW THE KAISER “WORKED” VIENNA</span></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="firstword">Kaiser Wilhelm</span> had the good sense to keep -away from Vienna during the time of the -annexation crisis. Very few knew the extent of -his influence in the Austrian capital, nor had -they any idea how it was exercised. The -Kaiser was always well informed of everything -that was happening in Austria, and obtained his -knowledge by attaching personages like Max -Egon Fürstenberg to his person. The Kaiser -never selected a friend except for the advancement -of his own ends. Prince Max, who had the -position of a reigning sovereign, without the work -or responsibilities that were formerly attached -to the title and possessions, had the <i lang="fr">entrée</i> to all -the most exclusive houses in Germany and -Austria-Hungary. Here he shared State secrets -that it was given only to very few to know.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_77">77</span> -Kaiser Wilhelm was quick to see the advantage -of attaching such a man to his side. The Prince -was flattered by the monarch’s notice, and never -thought that casual remarks that he let fall were -treasured up by his Royal host. The German -Kaiser and the Prince even speculated in stocks -and shares together, financed companies, and -indulged in business that was quite legitimate -for the wealthy Prince, who could afford to lose -heavily, but very dangerous for a monarch -whose purse was always exhausted.</p> - -<p>Prince Max, who is easy-going and good-humoured, -cared little for his failures, but -Kaiser Wilhelm lost prestige with his people -through his financial transactions. Prince Max -was very irresponsible in many ways. Like many -other Austrians, he failed to see that his country -was on the edge of a volcano. Things had -always settled themselves before, and they -would again, he thought. It is doubtful whether -he realised that he was a mere tool in the hands -of the Kaiser, and even if he did so, his sardonic -contempt of life made him indifferent to the unpatriotic -<i lang="fr">rôle</i> that he was playing in giving away -his country’s secrets to her worst enemy. Intelligent -and well-versed in the traditions of his -family that has produced so many famous men, -it is probable that Prince Max could have saved<span class="pagenum" id="Page_78">78</span> -Austria from falling into the hands of the Germans -had he realised what was happening. -Unfortunately, he was too much occupied in -pursuing the latest craze of the moment to think -of serious matters. Under his charming manners -he possessed a certain acumen, but was inclined -to think the Germans were guided by the same -motives as he was himself. The over-civilised, -over-polished man of the world fell an easy -prey to the cold, calculating monarch on the -other side of the frontier.</p> - -<figure id="i_78" class="figcenter" style="max-width: 22em;"> - <img src="images/i_078.jpg" width="1348" height="2160" alt=" "> - <figcaption class="caption"><span class="smcap">Prince Max Egon Fürstenberg.</span></figcaption></figure> - -<p>Prince Max Egon Fürstenberg was one type -of the Kaiser’s familiars. Count Tchirsky, -the German Ambassador at Vienna, was the prototype -of the others. The German Ambassador -in Vienna was the <em>doyen</em> of the Diplomatic -Corps. Cold-blooded, calculating, deep, he was -the very embodiment of the Kaiser’s ideal politician. -Tchirsky did not know what scruples -meant, and his many years’ experience of the -Court of Vienna enabled him to put his fingers -upon every weakness there. He saw only the -defects and missed much that was fine in the -character of the men with whom he had to deal. -They spoke of him as the “Old Spider” of the -Metternichgasse, where he had his palace. He -did not play a leading <i lang="fr">rôle</i> in society; visitors to -Vienna knew but little about him, if indeed they<span class="pagenum" id="Page_79">79</span> -realised his existence at all. He carried on a -bitter warfare against the members of the diplomatic -body who tried to oppose the Triple -Alliance. His machinations were less openly, -but none the less fiercely, directed against Italy, -the nominal, but unwilling, ally of the Central -Empires. Tchirsky, a man of dark plots, -contrived to acquire interest in one of the leading -Vienna papers. This interest developed -into the effective control of the organ. He was -able, thus, under the guise of a newspaper -attack, to render Vienna almost intolerable for -any diplomatist whose presence he considered -detrimental to the welfare of Germany. When -the Emperor “conspicuously turned his back -upon the Russian military attaché” at a Court -ball, the fact was recorded with great gusto in -Tchirsky’s paper. The attaché, who was -compromised in a spy case, would have left -Vienna by the first train on the morrow in any -case. Emperor Francis Joseph was a soldier -and no courtier, and when he turned his back -upon a foreigner there was no mistaking the -action. It was done squarely and openly. The -record of the German-owned Press did not improve -the strained relations between Russia and -Austria-Hungary, for the fact that Germany -directed the paper’s policy was an open secret.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_80">80</span> -A pro-English American Ambassador was subjected -to attacks of a kind that could only be -conceived by the fertile brain of Count -Tchirsky. The Ambassador was accused of -being parsimonious, and his personal habits were -described with an acrimony that showed he had -a powerful enemy. The coarseness of the language -used, too, exposed the source; only a Prussian -could employ such machinations against -an enemy. How the Austrians, who prided themselves -on their hospitality and their courtesy to -strangers, could allow such an attack to appear -can only be explained by the growing helplessness -of their statesmen when confronted by the -powerful German. Tchirsky further distinguished -himself by making an attack through -the Press upon the wife of the British Ambassador. -How far he was responsible for the -famous Cartwright interview it is difficult to say. -The blow, it was known at the time, came from -Germany. Austrians might have listened to a -private conversation at a table in Marienbad, -and put the words uttered by various members -of the British Colony into shape as their views -upon the Morocco question, but it needed the -unscrupulousness of a German to conceive the -plan of putting the pronouncements into the -mouth of the British Ambassador. The latter<span class="pagenum" id="Page_81">81</span> -was too astonished by the impertinence of the -act to realise what it meant. Indeed, it is possible -that the Ambassador’s indignant denials of -ever having entered into any discussion with the -man who claimed to have obtained the interview -were suppressed like many other items of news -and facts. The only denial that did appear was -late and inadequate. The British, bound by -traditions, never even suspected that German -diplomacy could resort to such means for gaining -an advantage. No one realised their absolute -deadness to all sense of morality. When -Count Tchirsky did sally forth from his -chilly palace in Vienna, it was to compass the -undoing of the frivolous Austrians. He would -exact the payment of a pledge, given -over wine. Bargains, made in the ball-room, -were reduced next morning to -writing, then stored away among the archives -at Berlin, and the carrying out of the conditions—conditions -favourable to Germany and disastrous -to Austria—would be exacted with the -cruelty and callousness of a Prussian politician. -Had Tchirsky himself hung back, there were -others to egg him on. The ideal condition of a -Europe in which Germany was supreme must -be realised. Any remnants of conscience that -Tchirsky might have possessed had long<span class="pagenum" id="Page_82">82</span> -been stifled by intercourse with his Imperial -master, who regarded himself as far above all -moral law. He was the supreme War Lord. -His word had established a new morality quite -different from that generally accepted. The -military training enjoyed by almost all Germans -made them the more ready to accept this -point of view. Discipline, enforced until the -power of independent reflection has been -lost through want of use, relieved them -of the necessity of considering the morality -of their acts. The hymns of praise of -Germany’s successful policy, sung by -philosophers and by the pastors of religion, -who were foremost, as usual, in advocating the -policy of expediency that Germany might be -exalted, lulled any scruples felt by -Tchirsky’s subordinates. He, himself a survival -of a former age, was incapable of imagining -anything of the kind. Truth was what the -supreme lord decreed to be truth. Honesty was -merely another word for expediency. The Ambassador -was surrounded by a number of men, -with no reputation to lose, who brought him -news of every fresh turn of events in Austria-Hungary. -They cared little that they were -betraying their country to a hard taskmaster. -The present benefits of a flourishing banking<span class="pagenum" id="Page_83">83</span> -account were ample compensation for their -treachery. These causes all combined to render -Tchirsky the least popular man in Vienna. -When his name was mentioned, every tongue -was suddenly frozen into silence. Was the -inquirer a spy? Did he wish to sound the secret -feelings of someone present? The Viennese -felt a distrust that was rather instinctive than -realised. It was the premonition of the closing -of the brutal hand of German power upon the -crowd of gay butterflies on the banks of the -Danube.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_84">84</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_84">CHAPTER XI<br> - -<span class="subhead">THE “GREAT SERVIA” IDEA—SERVIAN ORGANISATION</span></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="firstword">While</span> Austria-Hungary, with Germany behind -her, was discussing the tearing up of the -Treaty of Berlin with the rest of Europe, both -Powers failed to observe developments that -were taking place under their very eyes. The -Austro-Hungarian official sent off to Bosnia or -Croatia cared very little about the people entrusted -to him. His one and only idea was to -scheme and plan until he obtained his move to -Vienna. He took no means to detect and watch -the conspiracies against the Government that -were being constantly hatched in the cafés of the -town where he lived. In a fit of sudden and -uncalled-for energy, he would make a search for -cups and saucers decorated with the Serb -colours or vindictively punish the parents of a -small child for permitting her to wear a Serb<span class="pagenum" id="Page_85">85</span> -sash round her waist, instead of a simple piece -of ribbon. This unexpected activity naturally -raised the wrath of the Serbo-Croats, the more -so because really seditious acts frequently -escaped notice, or, if the administrators knew -about them, they avoided taking cognisance of -them, as it meant the opening up of large questions -and much trouble with the central authorities -in Vienna. Thus the Serbs, who lived -under Austrian or Hungarian rule, were often -permitted to go to great lengths without any -interference. The sudden swoops of an enraged -magistrate, who took action rather because the -plotters had interfered with his personal convenience -than because it was really incumbent -upon him to do so, produced a feeling of insecurity -among the subject races. They regarded -the local governor somewhat in the light of a -dangerous but slumbering beast, and they -prayed that his slumber might continue undisturbed. -Some, however, went the length of trying -to twist his tail, when they knew that he had -been sent to the provinces in disgrace, as was -generally the case. If a man had been exiled for -more serious offences than uncouthness of -manner, or a failure to respond to the friendly -advances of the chief’s elderly wife, and her -invitation to shine at her somewhat monotonous<span class="pagenum" id="Page_86">86</span> -afternoon teas, the Serbs, who were always well-posted -in the reasons that led to an official being -sent to the provinces, felt that he was not in a -position to injure them without damaging himself, -and behaved accordingly. The eight million -Young Slavs, as they call themselves, under the -dominion of Austria or of Hungary have always -been well organised. When one of their number -arrives at either Vienna or Budapesth he calls -round at his Union. Although he may not know -a single word of German or Hungarian, -the society find him a job. Accustomed to heavy -labour, the Serb or Croat is much sought after, -especially in the lower ranks of service. Time -goes by, the man-servant or maid-servant has -learnt the language and is firmly established in -the household. There is trouble in the home -because of the failure of a German tailor to keep -his word. The Slav servant has a relative who -is willing to undertake the job, although it is -nearly midnight. He is hastily fetched, and by -the advice of his friend within the camp fixes his -charges a trifle below those asked by the German. -He remains master of the situation, the -German being ousted. Gradually the household -needs are supplied by Slavs, who carry out -orders promptly and carefully, and have none -of the supercilious “take it or leave it” manner<span class="pagenum" id="Page_87">87</span> -of the German purveyor. The Austrians always -say “Let one Slav into the house, and they rule -the ingoings and outgoings for the future.”</p> - -<p>The Slav is always an enigma, which years of -close intercourse cannot solve. His aspirations, -his outlook on life are a sealed book to the West -European. The all-pervading and very distinct -impression which remains is that the Slavs have -very distinct national aims, which they are prepared -to pursue with an utter persistence and -ruthlessness, of which no other peoples are -capable.</p> - -<p>Just at this period the Young Slavs within the -Austro-Hungarian realm were making a determined -effort for liberation. They felt, and felt -justly, that they were oppressed. They thirsted -for education and paid large taxes to secure that -same education in order to enable their children -to take their places as equals with the dominant -races. Austria and Hungary both dreaded the -rise of the Slavs, and restricted their education -as much as possible, devoting the funds voted -for the purpose to other objects.</p> - -<p>Things were so bad in this respect that a commission -was sent over from the States to ascertain -how it could be possible at this date in the -civilisation of the world that such a large proportion -of emigrants to America should be<span class="pagenum" id="Page_88">88</span> -illiterate. In some provinces it appeared from -the Government statistics that 69 per cent. of the -annual recruits could neither write nor read. The -lack of education was most felt among the Serbs, -Croats, Poles and Little Russians. The Slavs, -who possess an uncommon amount of commonsense, -felt that this withholding of education was -immoral, and that it served some deep ulterior -purpose. The Bohemians, who inhabited a rich -manufacturing district, by force of much agitation, -were able to enforce their demands for -education. The Poles were miserably neglected, -their representatives who attended the Vienna -Parliament were fêted and made much of, and, -aristocrats themselves for the most part, they -were easily persuaded to forget the wrongs of -their people at home. In the Bukowina the -people were on a low level, and hardly realised -their position. In Croatia, Dalmatia, and -especially in Bosnia, things were different. Italy -was close by, and the Slavs learnt how things -were managed in that very progressive and -modern State. Servia and Montenegro were -governed on lines that contented the peoples -there, and the Serbs across the frontier felt that -they would be better under the rule of King -Peter than subject to a governor who was so far -from the centre that he could practically deal<span class="pagenum" id="Page_89">89</span> -with them as he pleased. It was seldom that -the governor really understood the vernacular. -Being entirely German in his sympathies, he -naturally felt no interest in the Slav aspirations, -except a desire to crush them. While Vienna -was using up her strength in arguing with -Europe, the Slavs considered that their opportunity -had come for the establishment of a vast -Slav Empire, consisting of all the countries inhabited -by Slavs in Southern Austria and -Hungary, which was to be placed under the rule -of the King of Servia.</p> - -<p>Negotiations for a union between Montenegro -and Servia, for the establishment of a -common customs tariff, a common army, and for -the pursuance of a common foreign policy, were -being carried on. Servia hoped to extend her -territory to the sea. Whether she thought to -incorporate the Slavs of Austria and Hungary -among her people is difficult to say, but she, like -the rest of South-Eastern Europe, was aware -that Austria-Hungary was rotten to the core. It -must in the near future follow Turkey and -share its fate. As events move much more -quickly to-day in the epoch of telegrams and -railways than they did in the period of coaches -and couriers, a much more rapid dissolution of -the Empire was to be expected than in the case<span class="pagenum" id="Page_90">90</span> -of Turkey that had been tottering for centuries. -While the Austrian and Hungarian Slavs were -looking to King Peter to deliver them -from Austrian and Hungarian tyranny, Austria -was intriguing, and encouraging the Serbs in -Servia to rebel. She had as little success with -the Serbs as with the Italians across the Italian -frontier, as both peoples are ardently patriotic, -and even the poorest scorned Austrian gold. -The determination of the Young Slavs to live -under the rule of a monarch of their own race -became strengthened at every fresh proof of the -effeteness of Austro-Hungarian rule. Themselves -strong and virile, they felt that they required -administrators who could deal with the -problems that came to them for settlement in the -rough-and-ready manner peculiar to the other -side of the border; they had always completely -misunderstood the shelving of petitions, the -cumbersome multiplication of documents, peculiar -to Austro-Hungarian officialdom. Rapid -justice, even if less correct in the matter of form, -was preferable, they felt, to the long and unprofitable -dilatoriness of the proceedings under -an administration more especially careless in -dealings with things that concerned people -living far from the capital.</p> - -<p>Austria-Hungary heard but little of the growing<span class="pagenum" id="Page_91">91</span> -discontent in her outlying provinces. Assassinations -and attempts on the lives of administrators -multiplied, but the rulers in Vienna, busy -with things nearer home, simply suggested -“that a heavier weight should be placed upon -the safety-valve.” After an outrage some few -ringleaders were hanged, half a dozen newspapers -suppressed, and then the incident was -put away with other events of grave portent, -signs of the times which, however, were not -allowed to disturb the gaiety of the capital.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_92">92</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_92">CHAPTER XII<br> - -<span class="subhead">ALBANIA AND MACEDONIA</span></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="firstword">It</span> is difficult to understand the complete indifference -with which the growth of the Great -Servian idea was regarded in Vienna. Eight -million Serbo-Croats under Austro-Hungarian -rule were eager to join forces with their brothers -across the frontier, five million Serbs and Montenegrins. -Whether the indifference manifested -at Vienna was owing to the attitude of supercilious -contempt of what was going on around -them which was generally adopted by Austro-German -officials, or whether they were really -ignorant of the extent of the movement, it is -difficult to say. It is possible that politicians, -who did reflect upon the very evident increase -of disaffection in the South, merely regarded it -as an indication that the small Germano-Austrian -and Magyar minorities must throw in -their lot with Germany. Certainly the relative -numbers of Germans and Czechs, of Maygars<span class="pagenum" id="Page_93">93</span> -and Serbs were most alarming. Officials in high -places naturally judged the position more accurately -than could the man in the street, because -the published statistics giving their relative numbers -of Germano-Austrians and Czechs, of -Serbo-Croats and Magyars, were always manipulated -to such an extent that they were quite -useless for scientific purposes. Another set of -correct figures was kept for the purposes of administration. -With an insolent disregard of her -complete lack of success in ruling the Serbo-Croats, -Austria-Hungary not only added more -millions to her realm by annexing Bosnia and -Herzegowina, but she now embarked on new -schemes of annexation and colonisation.</p> - -<p>New Turkey had less vitality than the old -ruin that had just crumbled to pieces. The -Young Turks, when asked why they had not -seized their opportunity of securing the benefits -they so much desired, which had been within -their grasp, said sadly that appearances were -deceptive. There had never been a chance of -regeneration for the country. The same power -which had promoted the revolution had corrupted -the new Parliament—German money. -Austrian interference had rendered them mere -puppets in the hands of unscrupulous Germans. -They had not realised this until too late. They<span class="pagenum" id="Page_94">94</span> -had merely delivered their country over to a -worse foe than Abdul Hamid, who, whatever his -vices and faults might have been, acted in his -own interests and in the interests of Turkey. -Germany had encouraged the revolution merely -to precipitate the final ruin of Turkey. She now -thought that the moment for dissolution could -not be postponed. Austria, acting for her, proclaimed -the fact of Turkey’s disintegration upon -the housetops, and suggested that Albania and -Macedonia should be made autonomous. The -proposal sounded fair and just. Everyone knew -that the Macedonians had been fighting for -liberty for centuries. The claims of Albania -were not so clear. Those who lived close to the -Balkans understood what the news of outrages -and massacres was worth. Outrages and massacres -were certainly common enough in both -Macedonia and Albania, but news from the -Balkans never penetrates to Mid-Europe, unless -it is to the advantage of some Great Power that -it should do so. Indeed, events of great importance -happened in the outlying provinces of -Austria-Hungary without the rest of Europe -knowing anything about them. Rebellious -Poles were shot down in hundreds by dragoons -in broad daylight. Even in Vienna and Budapesth -the soldiers dealt with the crowd in the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_95">95</span> -most brutal manner, killing and wounding -unarmed citizens. Official telegrams would -report riots, mentioning a small number of -injured and one killed. Thus it may be understood -that news from the Balkans, especially -when it dealt with outrages, was always political -in its aim, and always biassed. Just at this time -Albanian massacres began to be very frequent. -Now persons acquainted with Albanians will -always be very sceptical as to these same massacres. -The Mohammedan Albanian, a member -of the predominant race in the country, is -very frequently a highly polished gentleman. -He speaks French very fluently of the variety -spoken at Constantinople and throughout the -Balkans. Few Europeans can beat him in accuracy; -none come anywhere near him in fluency, -the result of much practice. He can neither -read nor write, but having been partially -educated at Constantinople, he possesses great -culture. Underneath is the wild man of the -highlands, who carries on blood feuds with the -neighbouring tribes, and never hesitates to slay -a Turkish tax-gatherer at sight. “Turkey,” say -the Serbs, “tried to tax the Albanians for -thousands of years; she has never succeeded in -obtaining a single <em>para</em>; she commuted the taxation -for soldiers, and all the finest Turkish<span class="pagenum" id="Page_96">96</span> -soldiers are really Albanians.” This was literally -true. Practically all the handsome Turkish -guards are Albanians, and they have won -Turkey her reputation for producing splendid -soldiers. The Albanian, too, is an excellent -merchant; he can only be compared with the -Italian for financial capacity. He naturally filled -many of the important posts under Abdul -Hamid. Albanians seldom marry into alien -races. After twenty years spent in Constantinople, -the Albanian returns home to settle -upon his small farm, if he cannot establish himself -upon the ancestral property. It is often a -mere slip of barren land upon the hillside, where -ploughing must be done by hand, because no -horse or mule could keep a foothold on the steep -slant. He purchases the property and founds a -family. It is clear that a man of this disposition, -with influence at Constantinople, would -not allow his people to be massacred unavenged. -If the cunning tax-gatherer dare not approach -the mountains, even when guarded by a troop of -Turkish soldiers, it is unlikely that the somewhat -effete men who compose the real Turkish -army would venture up country merely for the -sake of massacring odd Albanians. The latter -seldom congregate in cities, but are scattered far -and wide throughout a roadless country. The<span class="pagenum" id="Page_97">97</span> -Turks sometimes sent large and well-equipped -expeditions to Albania, to avenge the killing of a -governor or some other important functionary -who was misguided enough to venture into their -midst. These expeditions burnt out villages and -killed every inhabitant they could lay hands on -in the approved Turkish fashion. But the result -of such expeditions was not great. The Albanians, -who have an excellent system of couriers, -spread the news of any attempt against their -liberties. The inhabitants took to the mountains -and slaughtered a large proportion of the -invading force from behind rocks, and from -almost inaccessible fastnesses among the mountains. -But such expeditions, owing to their cost -in men and arms, were very rare. Owing to the -jealousies of Turkey, Austria, and Italy, the -Albanian never lacked weapons. One nation -or the other was always ready to supply him -with munitions to carry on his nefarious plans -against the others.</p> - -<p>The Christian Albanian is perhaps a trifle -fiercer than his Mohammedan brother. He has -not enjoyed the advantages of a long stay in -Constantinople. He knows the Serb language, -having learnt it from the wild mountain Serbs -on the other side of the frontier. He is quite -savage, like his neighbours. There is little to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_98">98</span> -choose between the Miridites and Malissores on -the Albanian side of the border, and the Montenegrins -and Serbs across the mountains. The -Albanian, in some cases, however, has had a -chance of improving his general education. He -is an inveterate emigrant. There is a large -standing colony of Albanians in the United -States. In Boston alone there are many -thousands. They are young men, almost exclusively, -for the Albanian does not take his -womenfolk with him, nor does he settle beyond -the ocean. He simply goes abroad to make his -fortune. He works without ceasing in the -great factories of the States, he denies himself -every kind of pleasure, and eats the commonest -food, prepared in a large eating-house for -members of his race, and saves continually. -Existence, supported upon a handful of maize -or macaroni, cannot be interesting, but he is -willing to undergo the time of stress for the purpose -of developing into a landed peasant-proprietor -in his own land. He is then permitted -to marry, and becomes the head of the family. -His brothers who have tilled the land at home -are denied the privilege of marriage until much -later on in life, or maybe never reach a state of -affluence that permits them to enter wedlock -at all.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_99">99</span></p> - -<p>It gives a foreigner something of a shock to -hear a handsome brigand fresh from his -mountains speaking perfect Boston English, -and using with the utmost assurance words that -have been buried in oblivion since the time of -Shakespeare.</p> - -<p>Such is the Albanian of to-day. Reports of -massacres carefully spread from the Central -News Bureau, under German influence, at -Salonica, were not accepted as facts in the -south-eastern part of Europe. Italians, -acquainted with the scene of action, reckoned -up that if the reports issued in the Austrian -papers were true, every Albanian must have -been massacred on ten different occasions, -besides being tortured and wounded times without -number.</p> - -<p>The interest shown by Austria-Hungary and -Germany in the welfare of Albania was much -deeper than that shown in Macedonia, because -Albania commanded the Adriatic. Italy took -an equally great interest in Albania, and to prevent -any mistake about the final fate of the -country, began colonising it, planting her -traders all along the coast. There was a treaty -between Austria and Italy, to the effect that -neither country should make any move in -regard to Albania without consulting the other.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_100">100</span> -Neither considered that the spirit of the agreement -prevented the carrying on of intrigue. The -Albanian, skilled in the diplomacy of the East, -pitted one set of agents against another, and -stored up rifles of the newest pattern for the -carrying out of his private vendettas and the -repulsing of any attempt to civilise him.</p> - -<p>This was the condition of Albania when -Austria-Hungary thought good to duplicate her -annexation trick. She proclaimed the autonomy -of Albania and Macedonia overnight, without -consulting the other Powers. Her idea of autonomy -was rule under a German prince, who -would use his influence for his Fatherland. -Austria meant to make another Bulgaria of -Macedonia, and another Rumania of Albania. -Italy protested against this arrangement. She -objected to the ever-handy German princes -being placed on thrones near the sea-coast. -Servia and Montenegro, too, were afraid of -German influence being extended in Albania, -and did their best to foment trouble there. -Servia had long regarded the route over -Albania as her one chance of an outlet to the -sea, and saw herself deprived of “her little -window into the Adriatic” by the plan that -would make Albania a sphere of Austro-German -influence.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_101">101</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_101">CHAPTER XIII<br> - -<span class="subhead">THE BALKAN WAR</span></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="firstword">Germany</span> and Austria were considering how -the Turkish Empire could be liquidated in a -manner to secure the greatest advantage to -themselves, and in their egoistical view somewhat -neglected the other factors in the situation. -Russia had great interests in the Balkans. Italy -was looking towards the time when her surplus -population could be sent there to colonise the -rich lands that had been so neglected under the -rule of the Turks. The third factor—which -Germany and Austria did not think -worth considering at all—was the Balkan -peoples themselves. Under Russian protection, -they had conceived a grand scheme. -A Balkan League was formed. Bulgaria, -Servia, Greece and Montenegro forgot all their -disputes and became allies. Their Ministers -drew a map of the Balkans, apportioning out<span class="pagenum" id="Page_102">102</span> -among themselves the provinces that then -belonged to Turkey, the distribution being made -according to the nationality of the peoples who -inhabited each district. Each country, they considered, -was to be ruled over by a king of its -own nationality, if possible. All the Bulgars in -Macedonia were to be united under the sceptre -of King Ferdinand. The Kingdom of Servia -was to stretch to the Adriatic, Albania was to -be divided between Montenegro and Servia. -Both countries would then have fine ports in the -Adriatic. Greece was to extend her coastline -considerably. She was to have those parts of -Macedonia and of Albania that were inhabited -by Greeks.</p> - -<p>The Bulgarian people were the soul of this -movement for liberation. King Ferdinand, who -was always a German at heart, and who ruthlessly -betrayed his adopted country to serve -German interests, was probably dragged into -the scheme by his enthusiastic people very much -against his will. The Bulgars who lived in -Austria and in Hungary boldly said that they -had been preparing for the war against Turkey -for forty years. “Every effort has been made -by great and small for nearly half a century to -throw off the Turkish yoke, and at last we shall -do it,” they said. And this in spite of the Germanophile<span class="pagenum" id="Page_103">103</span> -King. Bulgarian gardeners, who are -employed all over Eastern Europe because of -their extraordinary skill, came to Hungary, -toiled through a lifetime, saving every possible -penny of their earnings to return home with -money for the war fund. Their hate of the Turks -was intense. They wished to free their fellow -Bulgars, who were oppressed by the Turkish tax-gatherers, -and who had very little benefit in -return for years of toil spent in cultivating -tobacco-fields. While the Bulgars themselves -were working for an ideal, Ferdinand and his -Ministers wished to take possession of the rich -tobacco-lands in Macedonia, which brought -large revenues to the Turkish State. The -Bulgars’ great enthusiasm was only damped by -a profound mistrust of their Prince. They knew -that Ferdinand ranked as one of the best diplomatists -in Europe, and were proud to have so -rich a man upon their throne. But they felt that -in the difficult enterprise they were about to -undertake a monarch with more honesty of purpose -would have been fitter to deal with the -situation.</p> - -<p>Although the Balkan League was formed -with the ostensible purpose of freeing Balkan -lands from Turkish rule, the discontent in the -Balkans was due to other causes. Montenegro<span class="pagenum" id="Page_104">104</span> -had no outlet to the sea that was suitable or big -enough for her needs. If she had possessed Cattaro, -one of the many excellent ports on the -Hungarian coast, Servian goods could have been -exported as well as Montenegrin products. It -was Austria-Hungary who always opposed this. -If she had allowed the Serbs to send their -agricultural products to other parts of Europe -beyond the Austro-Hungarian frontier all would -have been well. There was a shortage of meat -in Germany and Italy, as well as in Austria -itself. But Austria, to please the Hungarian -agrarians, interfered with all export trade into -Austria or Germany, and thus made the Slavs -on the Balkans determined to find an outlet to -the sea.</p> - -<p>The Balkan war was really the curtain-raiser -to the Great War. The King of Montenegro -was the first to begin. His troops were mobilised -in twenty-four hours. The Balkan League had -advised him that the war was about to begin, but -it is more than possible that his very precipitate -action hastened a war that was not perhaps -inevitable. The news that Montenegro had -mobilised was not taken seriously in Vienna. A -story went the round of the cafés that it was all -a put-up affair. Nikita, they said, had been -engaged by Pathé Frères, he was to receive a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_105">105</span> -large sum of money for the films of a real -mobilisation, and perhaps a miniature battle -with the Turks thrown in. Very soon, however, -it was seen that the Balkans were in deadly -earnest. The Austrians, who knew something -of the fighting qualities of the Turks, never -doubted that they would have a complete walkover. -The Turks had money, they had arms. -The Balkan peoples had none. Austria was -perhaps not aware that Germany had supplied -Bulgaria with large stores of guns and ammunition. -The poor Balkan people had paid very -dearly for the antique patterns, and been -swindled most atrociously over the whole deal. -The sights of the guns were wrong, and the Bulgarian -gunners had had no instruction in their -work.</p> - -<p>Servia was supplied with French guns, and -French gunners accompanied the consignments -to their destination, and taught the Serbs how -to manage the complicated weapons. Montenegro -was well supplied with ammunition. -Where did it come from? The wild mountain -tribes, both in Montenegro and in Albania, were -always supplied with the latest thing in rifles -and full supplies of ammunition. They had -been disarmed time and time again, but they -merely surrendered ancient heirlooms, rifles<span class="pagenum" id="Page_106">106</span> -that served their grandfathers or great grandfathers. -The good weapons were hidden in -caves in the mountains, or buried until better -times came, and they could carry them again.</p> - -<p>The first Balkan war began, and the unexpected -happened. Turkish troops were routed -by the Bulgars, who fought with a courage and -a determination that won them the respect of -Europe. The Bulgars pushed on to Adrianople, -but could not take it because the German guns -were useless. The Bulgars raged against the -Germans. Did the Germans simply look upon -them as savages who could be supplied with inferior -goods, or had they supplied the -guns knowing that they would be used against -the Turks? Neither Germany nor Austria -wished the Turks to be defeated. They were -pleased that the Balkan peoples should be -weakened by fighting among themselves, but -were very surprised and disappointed at the -course taken by the war and the total defeat of -Turkey.</p> - -<p>After the war was over, the Balkan peoples -began dividing up the spoils. Austria, with -Germany behind her, interfered in the settlement. -She would not allow Servia to have the -territory she had conquered in Albania, or any -outlet to the sea. Servia thereupon demanded<span class="pagenum" id="Page_107">107</span> -part of Macedonia, instead of the territory -assigned her by the preliminary agreement. -Ferdinand of Bulgaria was inclined to yield -this, but Austria encouraged him to stand firm, -promising to help him if he could not defeat -that handful of savages, the Serbs. Russia, -who had encouraged the formation of the -Balkan League, saw that if the States began -fighting among themselves, they would lose all -their gains, and publicly advised the Balkan -kings to refrain from fighting and to be satisfied -with the land they had conquered. The States -had enlarged their borders considerably; it -would take years to consolidate them. Russia -counselled them to attend to that business first, -and then think of further conquests. This -counsel did not please Bulgaria. King Ferdinand -wired to Vienna for advice. Austria-Hungary -and Germany saw their chance. The -Balkan peoples were disunited. They must be -encouraged to fight among themselves. Austria, -acting without Germany, despatched a two-thousand -word telegram to Ferdinand of Bulgaria. -It promised an attack upon Servia from -behind, while she was engaged with Bulgaria -in front. The preparations made just before -an army is mobilised were hastily put through. -Men were warned for active service, and every<span class="pagenum" id="Page_108">108</span> -preparation made for starting a Balkan campaign. -When everything was ready Austria-Hungary -notified her allies. It was soon -apparent that they refused to join in the campaign, -or even to stand by their ally.</p> - -<p>Italy—as was discovered long after—said -that the Triple Alliance was defensive, and not -offensive. She not only refused to aid Austria, -but would not promise to remain neutral during -the expedition. Germany, seeing that an -Austrian expedition to the Balkans meant -trouble with Italy, persuaded Austria to back -out of her promise. Germany was not sorry that -Austrian prestige should suffer. She did everything -she could to discredit her ally in the -Balkans.</p> - -<p>When Bulgaria had been completely beaten -by her despised neighbour, Serbia, Rumania fell -upon her from behind and annexed a large -piece of territory. Ferdinand’s treachery to his -allies had met with the deserved reward. The -Kaiser had no pity for him, and was not slow -to point out that whoever relied upon Austria -was deceived. Had Ferdinand applied to -Berlin, instead of to Vienna, things would have -gone differently.</p> - -<p>Ferdinand, broken, aged, a politician who -has lost his game, a King bereft of territory,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_109">109</span> -a soldier who had been defeated, fled from Sofia -to Vienna. At last he was forced to leave even -that refuge. If Austria-Hungary had meant to -leave him to unravel the tangled skein she had -encouraged him to weave, she should have told -him so before, and not abandoned him in the -darkest hour of his life. The Emperor felt the -justice of the reproaches that Ferdinand made -him. He wished to be rid of the troublesome -monarch. The Vienna Press was let loose upon -Ferdinand. Stories to his discredit were circulated -everywhere. While his wife comforted -the wounded, said the leading papers, he stayed -in the capital because he was afraid to return. -He spent his time in frivolity, joking with ballet -girls behind the scenes, while his consort was -purchasing artificial limbs for the maimed from -the money that should have been devoted to her -own personal uses. Ferdinand soon discovered -that in Vienna, as elsewhere, nothing succeeds -like success, and that failures are not wanted, -either there or in other foreign countries. He -crept back to his summer palace, had the guards -doubled, and lived in fear and trembling. His -throne was so shaken that it seemed very doubtful -whether it would regain its equilibrium.</p> - -<p>In disavowing Ferdinand Austria-Hungary -lost her influence in the Balkans.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_110">110</span></p> - -<p>At this period Russia and Italy, the new -Balkan Powers, were in the ascendant. Austria -advised Ferdinand to wait his time, when Bulgaria -would be able to take vengeance upon her -neighbours, and reap the reward of her -treachery. Ferdinand, thoroughly tired of -promises, and bitterly regretting his treachery to -his allies, which had brought him the reward -he so richly deserved, thanked fate that his wife -and sons were popular in the country, and that -he could leave for his Hungarian estates. He -was sure that they could look after the interests -of the dynasty much better during his absence -than when he was there, only able to make -lame explanations of his conduct in the past -and his inexplicable quarrel with the other -Balkan States.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_111">111</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_111">CHAPTER XIV<br> - -<span class="subhead">KING FERDINAND OF BULGARIA, THE VAINEST MAN IN EUROPE</span></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="firstword">King Ferdinand</span> was an interesting study -as he crept away from Vienna, all his hopes -bankrupt, his people’s future compromised. -The people there considered him almost one of -themselves, for the Coburgs had always lived in -Vienna. Prince Philip had a palace that commanded -a fine view right across the Ringstrasse. -His brother Ferdinand lived there -when he came to Vienna, and was thus able -to come to and fro, <i lang="la">incognito</i>, whenever he -pleased. The rest of Europe had no idea of -the frequency of his visits to the capital. Perhaps -it was only the theatre-managers who -really were aware how often he was present in -a capital where everyone was at liberty to come -and go, unmolested by the crowd, unless he -came as a monarch in state, when the Viennese -were the first to acclaim one of their children -“who had gone so far in the world,” as they -expressed it. The general feeling in the city was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_112">112</span> -that Ferdinand was a great artist in diplomacy, -perhaps the greatest in Europe. In the capital -of Austria he met many statesmen who came -there—to the “very edge of civilisation,” as -they put it—to confer upon the problems that -then troubled Europe. Kaiser Wilhelm frequently -rushed through to Vienna in his automobile, -without warning, and took part in a -short discussion of the situation, at which -Ferdinand assisted on many occasions. Kaiser -Wilhelm, with his usual astuteness, understood -how to manage Ferdinand. He did not need -money; that was a great relief to the Kaiser, -who was invariably short of it himself. The -Coburg family fortune was sufficient to provide -for all his private wants on a liberal scale. -There is not the slightest doubt that Ferdinand -would have lost his throne long before had he -been forced to ask his subjects for money to -supply his personal needs. His independence -in this respect placed him on a footing with the -proudest monarchs in Europe. Kaiser Wilhelm, -prodigal of things that cost him nothing, -was able to lavish his gifts of wondering admiration -upon the King of Bulgaria. He tactfully -praised qualities that his friends imagined -they possessed, and his delicate flattery of his -best “democratic” manner, that seemed to say<span class="pagenum" id="Page_113">113</span> -there was no difference in rank at all between -the king of a Balkan State and the Emperor -of Germany, made Ferdinand a puppet in his -hands. Wilhelm flattered him into seeing things -with his eyes, and mesmerised the dazzled -monarch, who had been a poor lieutenant, -into thinking that he was really being taken -into the confidence of German statesmen and -allowed to read the secret thoughts of the great -War Lord himself. The other Balkan sovereigns, -who had a clearer idea of the reality of -things, could not have been gulled so easily. -They would have realised that there was a -reason for this preference, shown only of recent -years, for a man who commanded the route to -Constantinople. Ferdinand, student of political -history, a consummate diplomatist, was, nevertheless, -blinded by the Kaiser, who appeared so -simple—indeed, almost childlike—in his aims, -and so far removed from the world of diplomatists -to which Ferdinand belonged. This -apparent simplicity of character, which has -puzzled so many, is due to a warped mind. -Kaiser Wilhelm has long considered that -nothing mattered compared with the glorification -of Germany. The Almighty he considered -had entrusted him with the task of -elevating the German nation. It was the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_114">114</span> -supreme people of the earth. It ought to be -raised to a position which would make all other -people subservient to it, and the humble instrument -for this work was himself. He thus considered -himself at liberty to break any law that -stood in his way, and, being a firm believer in -the creed that the end justifies the means, he -was able to impress even people of great and -unusual acumen with a sense of his probity. -King Ferdinand would not trust the King of -Montenegro, although Nikita was an open-handed, -open-hearted old mountaineer. He -was, however, quite willing to accept Kaiser -Wilhelm’s estimate of himself as a man with a -single aim that must be accomplished at any -cost. The King of Bulgaria prided himself -upon being the “Little Czar” of the Balkans, -and aped the great Russian Czar in many ways. -He was naturally encouraged in this by Germany. -His insatiate vanity prevented him from -seeing that the delicate flattery poured into his -ears by German diplomatists was merely dictated -by self-interest. They wished to detach -him from Austria and secure the allegiance of -Bulgaria for Germany, to the detriment of -Emperor Francis Joseph and his prestige -among the Balkan peoples. Ferdinand would -swallow any bait, walk into any trap, if an<span class="pagenum" id="Page_115">115</span> -appeal to his vanity were made. Order after -order was bestowed upon him; he received so -many decorations that his uniform shone like a -coat of mail with the small medals that are worn -instead of the large originals. When he made -his triumphal progress to Vienna for the first -time in his new capacity as king, his tunic was -one mass of sparkling Orders. The Viennese, -who are accustomed to decorations on a wholesale -scale, as they are conferred for very slight -services in Austria-Hungary, and worn with -great ostentation by all and sundry at the Court, -said he glittered and sparkled like a dancing -girl at a fair. They were quick to mark the -point where the grandiose becomes ridiculous. -They saw that a king so overloaded with -Orders was absurd, not regal. “But, after all, -for the Balkans—perhaps it impresses those -savages down there at Sofia,” and with a shrug -of their shoulders they turned to look at his -handsome sons, Slavonic in type, and without -decorations; for Ferdinand never allowed his -sons to play a leading <i lang="fr">rôle</i> in any way. They -were simple soldiers, who might mingle with the -people and play the democrat while he acted the -sovereign lord.</p> - -<figure id="i_114" class="figcenter" style="max-width: 24em;"> - <img src="images/i_114.jpg" width="996" height="1335" alt=" "> - <figcaption class="caption"><span class="smcap">King Ferdinand of Bulgaria.</span></figcaption></figure> - -<figure id="i_114b" class="figcenter" style="max-width: 24em;"> - <img src="images/i_114b.jpg" width="995" height="1328" alt=" "> - <figcaption class="caption"><span class="smcap">King Nikita of Montenegro.</span></figcaption></figure> - -<p>The sons made a much better impression -upon the populace than the father. They<span class="pagenum" id="Page_116">116</span> -seemed to fit the frame into which they were -born much better than the king who had been -transported from living among the gayest and -most cynical people in Europe to deal with the -crude realities of the Balkans. Ferdinand had -left his country repeatedly when the fear of -assassination was too much for him. He has -always been a coward. Even his soldierly -training did not give him a grasp of what is -expected of a man and a monarch. Like Kaiser -Wilhelm, he always wore a mailed shirt or -some other form of armour. Like Kaiser Wilhelm, -he felt peculiarly safe in Vienna, as the -police system is so perfect that any attempt -upon the life of a monarch is almost impossible. -They manage to keep a record of the business -of every person who comes to the city. No -suspects dare venture into the zone controlled -by the Vienna police. The Austrian Emperor, -as long as his health allowed, strolled about the -city quite unconcerned for any danger. Kaiser -Wilhelm found, too, that he could promenade -unguarded, simply because the police had -eliminated all chance of trouble. After the -perils of Sofia Ferdinand enjoyed this feeling -of complete security among the light-hearted -Viennese. He would never have definitely -broken with the Emperor of Austria, because<span class="pagenum" id="Page_117">117</span> -his favourite retreat would have been closed to -him for ever. He had the feeling deep in his -heart that he might be forced to abdicate at any -moment. Then Austria would afford him -shelter. There he could keep up his state, -receive the respect and homage due to one who -had been king and retain his <i lang="fr">amour propre</i>.</p> - -<p>It is probable that Ferdinand had but a low -estimate of the intellectual attainments and the -mental grasp of the Emperor of Austria himself. -Like all the members of a younger -generation who listened to the wisdom of Kaiser -Wilhelm, he regarded him as “played out” and -a “back number.” This made him an easier -tool in the hands of Kaiser Wilhelm, and also -led to his getting a reputation for treachery -which perhaps he did not wholly deserve. -There was a very general feeling in Austria-Hungary -which was sedulously fostered by -Kaiser Wilhelm and his agents that promises -made to the aged Emperor were not binding. -They were only given to humour the old man, -who was already in his dotage. Ferdinand of -Bulgaria on several occasions failed to keep his -engagements to the Emperor, although they had -been solemnly made. Kaiser Wilhelm contrived -to make Ferdinand and others besides -see that the aged Emperor was not a factor to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_118">118</span> -be reckoned with seriously, and that the Empire -was crumbling visibly. He and Germany were -all that mattered in Europe. These influences -go far to explain Ferdinand’s policy during the -Balkan war and afterwards. A man who can -be led by his vanity is unfit for any position of -importance, and still less to rule with an absolute -sway such as he exercised in Bulgaria. -His Parliament, which should have exercised a -restraining influence, was rendered useless, as -the leading members could be “bought” at any -time. Ready money is rare in the Balkans, and -the Austrian diplomatist knew full well the price -of every politician at Sofia. It was amazingly -small. Sometimes they stood out for an Order -as well as money as the price of their dishonour, -but as a rule money was sufficient to buy them -to betray their country. It is surprising that -men who had risen straight from the soil should -have shown themselves so venial, but they had -the example of their king before them, and this -explains much. The atmosphere at Sofia was -one of intrigue and crime. No one could stand -against it. The common people, sturdy -peasants, dimly comprehended that their king -was not doing the best for them. They wished -to join in any plot for his undoing that might -be suggested to them. They looked towards<span class="pagenum" id="Page_119">119</span> -the Czar of All the Russias to deliver them -from a distasteful alliance with Germany and -Austria-Hungary. This made Ferdinand -anxious to conciliate Russia if he wished to -retain the sympathies of his people. The Austrians -failed to understand these “extra tours,” -as they called Ferdinand’s sudden <i lang="fr">volte-face</i> -in favour of Russia and the Slavs. The -Viennese, although they liked him, mistrusted -him profoundly. Just as some strange instinct -led them to suspect the bluff friendliness of -Kaiser Wilhelm, they regarded Ferdinand as -an unknown book—a book of possibilities that -might be to their advantage or might betray -them to Russia, for both Germany and Austria-Hungary -regarded the growing Russian menace -with fear—a fear perhaps shared by Ferdinand, -who had seen that Servia and Montenegro, who -trusted implicitly to Russia, had accomplished -much of their aims. They had fulfilled many -of their aspirations, and were in a fair way to -realise the rest. Ferdinand, instead of obtaining -advantages for his country, was now bribed -to quiescence and silence by a new honour. The -Golden Fleece was conferred upon him. This -gratification of his vanity bound him closer to -Austria-Hungary, for he owed the decoration to -the good offices of Emperor Francis Joseph.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_120">120</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_120">CHAPTER XV<br> - -<span class="subhead">THE PRINCE OF WIED</span></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="firstword">The</span> Powers of Europe decided that Albania -should be constituted an independent kingdom, -and a king chosen from among the European -princes. The new ruler was to belong to some -family that had possessed sovereign rights in the -past, and this limited the choice very much. He -was to come to his new home with all the lustre -lent by the acknowledgment of his fellow rulers -to one of equal birth. Many candidates, more -or less suitable, were ready to accept the throne. -Europe discussed their relative merits. The -only people who had no voice at all in the -matter were the Albanians themselves. They -naturally did not want a sovereign chosen by -the Powers, but one selected by themselves. -They frankly said a complete stranger should -be chosen, as the Roman Catholic tribes would -not acknowledge the domination of a Mohammedan;<span class="pagenum" id="Page_121">121</span> -the Mohammedans would object to the -chief of one of the Christian tribes; and the -Greeks would submit to neither. Europe knew -full well that the task of civilising the nation -would be no easy one, and it was generally -thought that the life of the new king would not -be worth a month’s purchase. Some of the malcontents -were certain to attempt his life, almost -as certain to succeed in killing him. Other -people said that the task of ruling over Albania -need not be more difficult than that of civilising -Rumania or Bulgaria, and that it was only a -question of finding the right man. Unfortunately, -the Powers did not act loyally towards -the new country. They made no attempt to -study the interests of the population, but sought -a ruler whose selection should provoke the -minimum of objection from the other Powers. -Germany wanted to place a German prince -on the throne. Italy naturally objected to any -man who would be a mere puppet in the hands -of Austria or Germany. Austria objected to any -Italian candidates. Finally the Powers agreed -to accept a prince of irreproachable reputation -and sprung from a very old family, but utterly -devoid of brains. The Prince von Wied -was selected for his lack of any prominent -characteristics. The new prince had the outward<span class="pagenum" id="Page_122">122</span> -appearance of a monarch, being extremely -tall and handsome, while his reputation as a -military man left nothing to be desired. Nothing -had ever been heard of him outside or indeed -inside Germany, and the news was soon circulated -in the inner circles of diplomacy that he -had simply been selected as a figure-head. It -was never expected that he would accomplish -anything in any way. He had spent his life in -German military circles and was the “ideal -officer.” Like most of his brethren in arms, he -was empty-headed, possessed of an intelligence -below the average, and spent his time in looking -after his estates. This negative information -was not unsatisfactory. The most important -fact about the prince was carefully concealed, -however. He was deep in debt. This was common -among the young German officers, but whereas -their debts were limited by the fact that purveyors -refused to trust them, the Prince of -Wied was heavily involved. The Albanians, -who had agents all over Europe, discovered his -predicament. They considered that a Balkan -king must possess a fortune of his own, as they -did not wish to pay a large civil list. All the -Balkan princes who had come as strangers into -the land brought riches and not debts with -them. This gave them weight, not only among<span class="pagenum" id="Page_123">123</span> -their peers, but also among their subjects. A -prince or king cannot be a pauper. Quite apart -from minor considerations, his monetary difficulties -would make him venial. The Albanians, -accustomed to bribery and to rulers of very -questionable morality, openly voiced this objection. -They had no opinion of German or any -other probity when exposed to temptation. The -Italians in Albania, who had hoped for an -Italian duke to forward their interests, did -their best to exaggerate the financial straits of -the Prince von Wied. While many stories about -his poverty were heard, nothing was said about -the family estates, which had been sufficient -guarantee for the moneylenders. The moneylenders, -who were ready to trust the Prince of -Wied indefinitely, refused however to leave their -money with a Balkan prince; that was a -different matter. Jokes were heard in the -cafés about the “pauper king” and Europe’s -appointment of a “beggar sovereign.” The -Servians, whose kings were poor but honest, -openly derided the new importation. All these -reports spread throughout Albania like wildfire. -It is remarkable that news is circulated -much more quickly in Albania than in civilised -countries. It is always the salient facts that -are seized upon, unimportant details being<span class="pagenum" id="Page_124">124</span> -neglected in a manner peculiar to people who -can neither read nor write, and whose heads are -therefore phenomenally clear. Descriptions of -the Prince, allusions to his martial figure, were -good enough for the German papers.</p> - -<p>Albania did not heed them. She knew that she -was to be governed by a man who knew no word -of the language, who brought no troops with -him, and who not only had no money but was -deep in debt. It was not thus that Albania -pictured her king. She would even prefer to live -under the domination of one of the native -princes, who would have been as successful as -the King of Montenegro in keeping his subjects -in due order. There were several of these men -who could have mounted the throne, and who -would have known how to wield the sceptre. It -did not suit Europe to create an independent -Albania, however. Neither Italy nor Austria -really wished the new venture to be a success, -as they desired to share Albania, dividing it into -two spheres of influence.</p> - -<p>Prince von Wied had one saving virtue—he -was modest and had no delusions on the subject -of his capabilities. He hesitated greatly before -accepting the charge. Alone, he would never -have assumed the office thrust upon him. Unfortunately, -he had a wife who was both ambitious<span class="pagenum" id="Page_125">125</span> -and lacking in intelligence. The Princess -of Wied imagined that the Albanians could be -ruled by the introduction of the same methods -that impressed the intellectual circles in a German -town. She was accustomed to preside over -a number of ladies, “seekers of culture,” and -thought that she could exercise a similar influence -over the Albanians. Neither she nor her -husband realised that, when they left Germany -for Albania, they were stepping right out of the -twentieth century into the tenth. They both -imagined that the Albanians would be impressed -by the antique furniture which they sent -on in advance to furnish the villa at Durazzo, -not realising that the Albanians, accustomed to -all the pomp of the Turkish pasha, simply regarded -their “antiques” as a collection of -quaint-looking lumber. The Albanians were -correct in their estimate, for the objects which -Princess von Wied considered so valuable were -seen to be mere rubbish by the connoisseur. -The Vienna furnishers who came down to -arrange for the arrival of the new Prince, were -horrified at the condition in which they found -the palace. It was built, like all Albanian -houses, as a kind of fortress. There were no -windows at all on the lower floors. Loopholes, -from which the muzzles of guns projected,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_126">126</span> -served instead of windows. Large apertures -were too dangerous in a country inhabited by -natives who were in the habit of potting-at the -occupants of rooms on the ground floor. Inside -the immense barn-like house the Vienna furnishers -found vermin of all sorts. This is -common in Albania, but the state of the palace -was such that it should have warned -them that the coming Prince was not -popular, for they might have known that the -rats had been introduced into the apartments -as a protest. The rat-holes were hastily -stopped up with cement, the mildewed walls -were draped with costly hangings, but the workmen -who were taken down for the job felt that -it was no place either for a lady or children, -and said so freely. Although they could not -speak the Albanian language, they felt the antipathy -of the natives. They were aware of the -opposition that showed itself in a hundred -different ways, too small to particularise, but all -of which revealed dangers and difficulties for -the new monarch.</p> - -<figure id="i_126" class="figcenter" style="max-width: 34em;"> - <img src="images/i_126.jpg" width="2169" height="1329" alt=" "> - <figcaption class="caption"><span class="smcap">The Prince of Wied.</span></figcaption></figure> - -<p>The Prince made a round of the chief Courts -of Europe, before reaching his new country. -His fellow sovereigns were willing to do all -they could to give him a good “send-off,” and -he was fêted everywhere. Diplomatists, accustomed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_127">127</span> -to judging men, thought very -poorly of his chances of success. He -had numberless opportunities of finding -out something about his future subjects. -Men fresh from the Balkans were invited to -meet him, but he did not care to avail himself -of their information. Neither did he consult -any statesmen of experience as to how he should -act in any given circumstances; he appeared to -think that he would know all this by instinct -when once he had assumed the crown. Thus -those accustomed to the cares of State watched -the new man depart with strong misgivings.</p> - -<p>The manner of his arrival was the initial -mistake. He slipped into his new kingdom -almost unannounced. He sneaked into the -country like a political refugee who wishes to -avoid the notice of the police. A handful of -Albanians, gathered together at the last moment, -shouted “Hurrah!” when he appeared, but -even their enthusiasm was purchased, and not -having been paid for on the usual scale, was correspondingly -feeble and ineffectual. After -making this unfortunate entry, the Prince -settled down to do—nothing. The Albanians -had learnt that the money given by the Powers -for the administration of Albania had been applied -to pay the Prince’s private debts, as the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_128">128</span> -creditors had refused to allow him to leave Germany -with his obligations unsettled; and they -refused to welcome him. The Princess decorated -her house, and attended to the furnishing -of rooms for her children. She, at least, was -delighted at the chance of being able to play at -being a real Princess. The Prince himself was -less contented. He was doubtful of the intentions -of Essad Pasha, and confused by the -different instructions he had received. Kaiser -Wilhelm had promised to stand by him in -his usual “shining armour” fashion, if he did -exactly as the German envoy suggested. The -Prince, however, was shrewd enough to see that -German influence was of little value in the -Balkans. Italy was evidently the dominant -Power in Albania. Her agents had spent money -freely. The Prince had reason to believe that -Austria and Germany had also made large expenditures -on the glorious work of colonisation, -but he failed to observe the fruits. The younger -generation of Albanians spoke Italian, which -was taught in the schools. Proficiency in Italian -was necessary for all who engaged in commerce -and trade, as all the coasting business was with -Italy. Although attempts had been made to -establish schools where instruction was imparted -in German, they refused to attend them and were<span class="pagenum" id="Page_129">129</span> -very averse to adopting German habits or customs. -While the Prince spent his time in avoiding -complications, by remaining within the -palace, the Princess conferred with Viennese -decorators about the furnishing. This naturally -prejudiced the local workmen, and showed that -she had not any grasp of the first duties of a -ruling princess. Shortly after the arrival of the -new Royal family, news was received that -Albanian insurgents were advancing upon the -capital. No one knew what they wanted. It is -doubtful whether they knew themselves. They -were aware that there was loot to be had in the -palace. Perhaps that was the secret of then -coming. The Prince, who had insisted upon two -warships being stationed off Durazzo, now telegraphed -for aid. More ships were sent. The -Powers regarded this as unnecessary—Durazzo -is situated at the farther end of a peninsula. -The only path between Durazzo and the mainland -is over a bottomless morass. The insurgents -could only approach the place in single -file and the approach to the palace could be -swept by the cannon on the warships.</p> - -<p>The Albanian insurgents might attempt a -surprise attack, but all through the night searchlights -swept the narrow neck of land that led to -Durazzo.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_130">130</span></p> - -<p>The Prince was afraid of the unknown. -Away from drill books and civilisation, he was -quite helpless. It was at this critical moment -that one of the cleverest diplomatists in Europe—the -Italian Minister, Alliotto—who had been -sent to Albania with a watching brief, played -his trump card. When the danger seemed -worst, he persuaded the Prince to flee. The -“modern knight,” the representative of up-to-date -chivalry as practised in the Guards in -Berlin, actually fled from his new country and -took refuge on the battleship. After several -hours’ stay on the ship nothing happened, and he -realised that he had been fooled by the astute -diplomatist. The palace was not looted, could -never have been looted, with the guns from the -warships turned upon the twisting path across -the marshes. No single Albanian insurgent -could reach the spot. He left his wife and -children in safety, and returned to the capital -he had left, to resume a crown as one resumes an -umbrella laid down at the club. He was received -with derision. All Europe had got news -of his flight. The Italian diplomatist had taken -care of that. Photographs were taken on the -spot. They showed the Prince leaving the palace -in a panic and getting into the ship’s boat, and -afterwards climbing up the side of the ship.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_131">131</span> -They were circulated through the European -Press. Pictures of the palace, and of the small -groups of tatterdemalions who had forced a -German Prince and military expert to abdicate, -were sown broadcast. Europe did not know -that a swift little Italian boat had been waiting -for weeks to carry away the news. The Italians -knew that Germany and Austria would contradict -the news of the Prince’s flight. So they -said: “Photographs cannot be contradicted. -Let us have plenty.”</p> - -<p>The Prince was the laughing-stock of -Europe. He was forced to abdicate. Even -the Kaiser felt he could not advise him to remain -on the throne after the painful incident. -He did not even dare to return to Germany, but -spent months in Italy, travelling, before he -cared to face the music at Berlin. Germany and -Austria had played against Italy for diplomatic -supremacy in Albania. Italy had won all along -the line. Not only had she succeeded in disgracing -the German princelet, she had attained -her own object, too—lowering Austrian prestige -in the Balkans and raising her own.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_132">132</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_132">CHAPTER XVI<br> - -<span class="subhead">THE KING OF THE BLACK MOUNTAINS</span></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="firstword">The</span> most interesting figure in South-Eastern -Europe was King Nikita. He ruled over the -smallest patch of country that can call itself a -kingdom, but he is, perhaps, a more consummate -diplomatist than any of his fellow Balkan -monarchs who have been swayed by the King -of Montenegro without suspecting it. He has -great influence in a number of countries. This -is due to his extraordinary foresight. He had -a family of girls, who came of untainted stock, -with a family reputation for sound health, both -physical and mental. Surrounded by his handsome -family, he realised that Europe was tired -of German princesses—that their presence in -every Court of Europe was unpleasing to many -monarchs, who did not wish German women to -know State secrets and to be in a position to -pass them on to powerful relatives at home.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_133">133</span> -He appears to have made a complete study of -the subject of royal marriages. His girls, unlike -the ordinary Balkan princesses, were -brought up very simply. It is even reported -that they were able to milk the cows and goats -that strayed near the country home where they -were educated. They had a training in practical -housework, which took the place of the -frivolities that usually go to make up princesses’ -lives. When they became of marriageable -age, Nikita secluded them more carefully -than before. No breath of scandal ever touched -them. But their good qualities were reported -far and wide, and did not escape those monarchs -who were in search of a wife for the heir to the -throne. Nikita managed to secure the throne of -Italy for one daughter. The Italians are always -grateful to the King for bestowing his daughter -upon their ruler. The children that have been -born to him are healthy beyond those of any of -the aristocrats that surround the throne, for they -inherit the sound constitution of their grandfather, -the heartiest and halest man in Europe. -The Grand Duke who took a daughter of the -King of Montenegro to preside over his vast -estates in Russia has never regretted his choice. -Although both men have a needy father-in-law, -and perhaps grudge the money that frequently<span class="pagenum" id="Page_134">134</span> -flows to Cettinje, they have secured wives with -virtues that are worth much gold. The King -of Montenegro enjoyed immunity from attack -because of his highly placed sons-in-law, and -was able to play a part in the politics of Europe -that would not have been possible under other -circumstances. After having taken the title of -King instead of Prince, he came to Vienna to -pay his first visit in the new capacity. Emperor -Francis Joseph, ever ready to support all dignitaries, -received him in a worthy manner, putting -a suite of rooms reserved for kings at his disposal. -King Nikita, who was seldom seen in -Vienna, was decidedly popular, and the crowd -showed great enthusiasm in welcoming him. -He managed to enhance the importance of his -visit by a circumstance that caused much speculation -at the time. It was arranged that Nikita -should go to the races and watch the Austrian -“Derby,” the closing event of the early summer -season. He was accompanied by Archduke -Francis Ferdinand and Duchess Hohenberg -and a number of other members of the Imperial -family, who always crowded into the Imperial box -at the races, as they are all intensely interested -in all that concerns horses. The King of -Montenegro is also interested in everything -connected with outdoor sports, and looked forward<span class="pagenum" id="Page_135">135</span> -to the event. Early on that Sunday -morning the rumour was circulated in Vienna -that an attempt was to be made upon the life of -the visitor. Why anyone should wish to assassinate -the King of Montenegro was a mystery—whether -the King had the report circulated -himself to increase his importance, or what it -meant, was not clear. All Vienna hurried -down, in spite of the blazing heat; no one -wished to be absent at such a time. The police -had taken precautions, which showed that they -at least anticipated something. Every visitor -to the Imperial enclosure had to walk through -a long line of detectives and diplomatic agents. -If none of them recognised him, he was followed -and carefully hustled, as if by accident, -into a corner far off the Imperial box. Other -detectives crowded him and ascertained whether -he had a bomb about his person by bumping -against him. Persons in official capacities were, -on the contrary, propelled as if by some unseen -force to the front of the box, where they were -forced to remain by pure physical pressure of -the cordon of police in plain clothes, in spite -of the blazing sun that beat down on the racecourse. -The old King came into the box. -Duchess Hohenberg sat at his right, and entertained -him in her best and most vivacious<span class="pagenum" id="Page_136">136</span> -manner. He greatly appreciated the trouble -that she was taking with him in pointing out the -different horses and telling him which colours -belonged to this great aristocrat or that great -politician. Archduchess Maria Annunziata, the -abbess of a Bohemian convent, who had been -charged with the task of conversing with the -King, was only too willing to relinquish her -seat of honour and to retire to the back to -watch the racing with one of the juvenile Archdukes. -The King watched the pretty woman -by his side with admiration; her animation -pleased him. Nikita felt in his element, the -most important man in the place. He did not -cut a bad figure even among the Austrian and -Hungarian Archdukes, who are finely-built -men, many of them being extraordinarily handsome. -After the event of the afternoon was -run and the cheering had ceased, the King, -Archduke and Duchess departed, as is the -custom of royalty. The members of the Imperial -family stayed to watch the rest of the -events, and only left five minutes before the -end.</p> - -<p>Upon the departure of the King and the -Archduke the police cordon immediately relaxed. -Persons who had been sandwiched in -to form part of the buffer that protected the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_137">137</span> -Imperial box had free passage. The feeling of -oppression, of expectation, relaxed. But still -there was no explanation of the mysterious -threats against the life of so unimportant a -sovereign as the King of Montenegro. In the -light of after events it occurred to many who -assisted at that running of the Derby that it -was the life of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand -which was sought on that day. It was the first -time for many months that he had appeared in -public, and the dislike felt for him both by the -people and by his near relatives had reached -a dangerous pitch. No such tragedy as happened -later at Sarajevo took place simply -because the Austrian police was so efficiently -organised and so powerful that it could prevent -anything of the sort by a process of elimination. -The same process might be witnessed -every summer in Ischl, where no one was -allowed to take up his residence unless he could -give a satisfactory account of himself to the -police. This was easy in Austria-Hungary, as -there was no shifting population to be dealt -with. An exact record of the past life of every -person resident within the empire is kept. All -suspects are watched. Thus Austria was the -safest place in Europe for monarchs.</p> - -<p>King Nikita departed as he had arrived, amid<span class="pagenum" id="Page_138">138</span> -the acclamations of the population. He had -been gratified by the invitation, and King Peter -of Servia had been correspondingly humiliated. -He had never been invited to come to the -Austro-Hungarian Court. This was a standing -source of annoyance to the Serbs, who considered -that it would have given him the prestige -that he somehow lacked. They considered -that the tragedy that had preceded his accession -to the throne should be forgotten after the lapse -of years. Emperor Francis Joseph, one of -whose chief aims in life is the maintenance of -the dignity of rulers and the magnifying of the -vocation of kings, did not take this view. He -said that as long as he lived King Peter should -never come to Vienna. It would, perhaps, have -been better had less been done to honour the -King of Montenegro under these circumstances. -In this and many other trifling affairs the -wounds already inflicted upon Servian <i lang="fr">amour -propre</i> were kept open instead of being allowed -to heal.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_139">139</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_139">CHAPTER XVII<br> - -<span class="subhead">EMIGRATION PROMOTED BY GERMANY—SOCIAL QUESTIONS IN THE DUAL MONARCHY</span></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="firstword">The</span> numbers of emigrants to Canada, the -States, and South America had been increasing -in an alarming manner for many years. The -large band of men who left their country -might be divided into two classes. The larger -class was composed of men who, weary of living -under Austro-Hungarian administration, left the -country for good, worked for money to build up -a new home beyond the seas, and subsequently -sent money to pay the fares of their wives and -children, or other relatives to the new country.</p> - -<p>The second class of emigrant that swelled -the returns was the “season emigrant.” He left -for one, two, or three years, supported his family -at home while working abroad, and returned -with his savings at the end of the time to enrich -the country of his birth. This class of man<span class="pagenum" id="Page_140">140</span> -increased the prosperity of the country. The -American Government encouraged the permanent -emigrant and objected to the “season” -emigrant, who refused to become naturalised, -and formed part of a large foreign element that -it always regarded as potentially dangerous. -The Austro-Hungarian Government, on the -contrary, naturally encouraged the “season” -emigrant, and did everything possible to deter -men from agricultural countries from emigrating -permanently.</p> - -<p>During the Balkan wars the subject-races, -always oppressed by the Central Government, -were subjected to much harsh treatment because -disorders were feared. Repressive measures -were carried out very cruelly; no allowance was -made for race and natural sympathy with their -relatives across the border. The governors -cared nothing if they could cow the population -into obedience. The more independent spirits -naturally escaped beyond the seas to avoid persecution. -The mobilisation and the long time -that the army remained on the frontiers made -the Slavs fear that a war was coming. They -did not desire to fight against the Serbs nor the -Russians. The Austro-Italians who inhabit the -southern coast-line and man the Austro-Hungarian -fleet did not wish to be called upon to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_141">141</span> -fight against Italy. Thus almost all the inhabitants -near the coast considered it better to -get away while they could, and emigration on -a vast scale began. Whole regions were depopulated. -It was impossible to move off the -main route of travel in Austria-Hungary at this -period without being literally besieged by -would-be emigrants. How could they learn -English? Could it be done by correspondence? -What other qualifications were necessary -for emigrants to the States? It seemed as if the -whole agricultural population was packing up -to leave.</p> - -<p>The Emperor once wished to send some rare -game to New Zealand, and asked for a couple -of men to accompany them. The entire country-side -offered to travel with them to the far-off -land, intending never to return. Istria, Hungary, -Galicia, and the Bukowina swarmed with -emigration agents. These agents were quite -unscrupulous in their methods. They simply -desired to make money quickly. They got the -usual bonus from the companies on each emigrant -induced to travel by their line, and besides -were subsidised by big companies who wished -to populate large tracts of land abroad. These -companies promised the emigrants free holdings. -The peasant, who was greedy for freehold<span class="pagenum" id="Page_142">142</span> -land, naturally jumped at the offer, and -left his village without much persuasion. The -agents, knowing full well that the Austro-Hungarian -Government must not get information as -to the way in which the country was being -literally bled of its best military material, -shipped the young men of military age <i lang="la">viâ</i> -Bremen or Hamburg. The wives and children -went <i lang="la">viâ</i> Trieste or Fiume. Thus the figures -sent in to the Austro-Hungarian Government -gave no indication of what was going on. This -business went on undetected for about ten -years.</p> - -<p>Suddenly the explosion came. Archduke -Francis Ferdinand, the heir to the throne, discovered -that a hundred thousand recruits fit -for service had got away in a single year. An -inquiry was held into the matter. A ramification -of frauds, such as could only exist where -the officials were in sympathy with the population, -was discovered. In many cases boys were -registered as girls with female names. When -they grew up they left the country or remained -in some remote village where no one had any -interest to reveal their presence. Their employers -did not want to spare them for the army. -Others whose mothers had not been sufficiently -far-seeing to arrange matters early in life<span class="pagenum" id="Page_143">143</span> -emigrated, with documents borrowed from a -friend for the occasion. The documents were -then sent back by messenger over the frontier -to the rightful owner. When either of these -methods was impracticable, medical certificates -testifying unfitness were procured. Certificates -of this kind were cheap. The demand was so -great that there was a keen competition, and -military doctors were not able to stand out for -large bribes, especially in out-of-the-way places. -The feeling of the whole country was with the -man who refused to fight for the German and -Magyar overlords.</p> - -<p>A number of emigration agents were hastily -clapped into prison, travelling offices were -closed, and a minute investigation was -begun.</p> - -<p>Archduke Francis Ferdinand, who undertook -the task himself, soon discovered that Austria-Hungary -had been drained of its best fighting -material by Germany. Cheap passages had -been offered to emigrants by the Hamburg and -Bremen lines. They were no doubt anxious to -make substantial profits. He went into the -figures and was startled to find that the heavy -Government subsidies enabled them to carry -emigrants at a loss. He immediately detected -the hand of Kaiser Wilhelm behind this. Germany<span class="pagenum" id="Page_144">144</span> -had robbed her Poles of their land in -order to colonise German Poland with Teutons. -The Kaiser was now trying to drain Austria-Hungary -of its Slav population and to replace -them by German emigrants. That was the -meaning of the great emigrant traffic and of the -secrecy with which it had been carried on.</p> - -<p>Francis Ferdinand was furious when he discovered -the truth. Men of military age were -not allowed to cross the frontier without explaining -where they were going.</p> - -<p>The emigrants, however, got away in -hundreds every week, in spite of all restrictions. -The trouble that had been made about -recruits leaving the country convinced people -on the frontiers and at the sea coast that a great -war was coming. The Slavs and the Italians, -who were determined not to be involved, took -train to the nearest frontier station and simply -walked across without passports. It was soon -discovered that as the German emigration -figures fell, the numbers of young men of military -age leaving Russia and Italy for the States -increased. Emigration had not been stopped; -it had only been diverted to other channels. -This discovery enraged the Austrian Government.</p> - -<p>Sentinels were posted on the frontiers to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_145">145</span> -watch for young men, but as the sentinels belonged -to the disaffected races the men got past -all the same.</p> - -<p>The restriction upon emigration pressed -particularly hardly upon the Bosnian Slavs. -The seething discontent that had increased -every year since the annexation would never -have become dangerous had the restless spirits -been allowed to leave for the States. Families -would have felt that their sons were safe from -the bad treatment in the army and would have -waited patiently until they had enough money -to join them in the States. The sudden checking -of all these hopes, the shutting of the only -door of escape, brought the discontent to a -head. There were rumours of disaffection -among the subject-races everywhere. Sure of a -warm welcome from their fellow-countrymen -on the other side should trouble force them to -leave, the people along the frontiers became -very restless. There was every indication that -the Austro-Hungarian conglomeration of -nationalities and States could not be kept -together much longer. Archduke Francis -Ferdinand was pleased at these indications. -He, in common with the remainder of the military -party, was looking for an excuse for a war. -Thus he and the army put more pressure upon<span class="pagenum" id="Page_146">146</span> -the Serbs in Hungary instead of relieving them -from some of the grosser forms of oppression. -Kaiser Wilhelm encouraged the Archduke in -this policy. He wished Austria-Hungary to -realise that it had reached a crisis in its history -that could only be solved by a war.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_147">147</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_147">CHAPTER XVIII<br> - -<span class="subhead">THE AGRARIANS AND THE SHORTAGE OF FOOD</span></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="firstword">The</span> Agrarians, or great landowners, both in -Austria and Hungary were largely responsible -for the Great War. If commercial relations -between Austria and the Balkans had been -satisfactory there would have been no discontent. -The Balkans are agricultural lands; large -crops of corn, vegetable products, and meat -were produced. Hungary is also a rich agricultural -country, and supplies its own needs entirely, -with a surplus for Austria. Austria and -Germany cannot exist on the produce of their -land. Both countries have densely populated -manufacturing districts that must be supplied -with food. Hungary wished to obtain the best -prices for her commodities. She therefore -objected to Balkan products being imported. -The goods had to enter over her railways. She<span class="pagenum" id="Page_148">148</span> -prevented their coming in by imposing vexatious -restrictions and refusing cargoes on all kinds of -grounds. Austria would not forbid the import -of meat and other products directly. This -would have prejudiced her political relations -with the Balkans. Nor did she wish to -discourage the Balkan peoples from breeding -cattle. The shortage of meat in Austria might -force the Government to import it at any time. -So she took a most unworthy course. She -allowed the Agrarians to carry on their nefarious -methods and thus earned the bitter hatred -of the Balkan peoples, especially of Servia and -Montenegro. For some years cattle-breeders -in the Balkan countries did not realise why -their products were returned so frequently. -Finally, discovering that they were simply the -playthings of the Agrarians, they ceased to -breed cattle and turned their vast pastures into -corn land. The Agrarians, men who travelled -but little and had no grasp of the speed with -which innovations are introduced and new plans -adopted in this century, were sadly surprised -and not a little dismayed when they discovered -that the Serbs and other Balkan countries had -no more meat for sale. Every summer there -was a considerable shortage of meat in Austria -and the cities of Hungary. This was due to a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_149">149</span> -number of causes insignificant in themselves, -but far-reaching as regards the history of -Europe. The butchers said the regular annual -shortage was largely owing to supplies being -sent to Germany, to Bohemia, and the Tyrol -in the tourist season, when large quantities of -meat were required for the foreigners who came -into the country. The real reason was that -the country was being drained of its best -blood by emigration. Farmers were forced -to kill off their cattle because there were -no shepherds to care for it. The day -of the small peasant-proprietor was over. -He had left for the States. It was found -more profitable to grow corn than to keep cattle -for the market on the immense farms on the -great Hungarian plains. No one had realised -that the Balkan States had rendered themselves -independent of Austria-Hungary, and that no -supply would be forthcoming even when the -frontiers were thrown open. The Agrarians, -when they heard of the shortage, suggested that -the people should do without meat. Riots -ensued, and violent scenes occurred in Vienna. -The military was brought out to disperse the -crowd. Hungarian hussars were brought from -Budapesth to shoot on a crowd chiefly made up -of Germans and Slavs. As the soldiers<span class="pagenum" id="Page_150">150</span> -rode forward to charge the people in front -of the Vienna Rathhaus, women climbed into -their saddles, and, rendered desperate by -fear for their husbands and children, wound -themselves round the waists of the hussars, thus -effectually preventing them from using their -swords. Some men had four women hanging -from their waists as they charged upon the -crowd. The horses, trained for show and -parade, were very careful not to dislodge the -extra riders and advanced at an amble. The -Hungarian officers who led the men tried to -incite them to show a different spirit, but although -they charged the crowd not more than a -hundred civilians were seriously injured. The -men cut the air above their heads with their -long sabres, and although they were Hungarians -and Magyars, and were faced by a -crowd they disliked and despised, humanitarian -feelings were stronger than the commands of -their officers. Many people in Vienna that day -doubted whether conscripts would ever fight -against the populace. Before night, however, -the spirit of the troops changed. The people, -desperate with hunger, put up barricades in -some of the chief streets; they tore down the -gas lamps and set fire to the stream of coal-gas -thus released. They plundered the shops of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_151">151</span> -unpopular tradesmen and distributed eatables -among the crowd. When the troops appeared -they were received by a shower of stones, while -even the pavements were torn up to provide -missiles. The soldiers, thoroughly enraged, -turned a murderous fire upon the people. The -city was put under martial law, and everyone -who ventured through the streets was searched -for weapons. Walking the streets was a dangerous -pastime for strangers, as sentries only -challenged once and shot if the command to -halt were not complied with. Similar riots on -a larger scale took place in Budapesth. They -were suppressed in a more brutal manner than -those in Vienna, while in Prague the situation -became so alarming that a revolution was -feared. It was then that the Agrarian party -became alarmed, and agreed to a suggestion -for the importation of frozen meat from Argentina. -A committee of officials and experts was -sent to Argentina to arrange for the sending of -frozen meat to Trieste. The Argentine Government -was ready to comply with all the very -intricate demands and requirements of the Austrian -Government, and, being unversed in the -history of the Balkans, believed that Austria -was capable of a perfectly straightforward deal. -One party of the Government, seeing the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_152">152</span> -gravity of the disturbances, really wished to -alleviate the sufferings of the people by the -importation of frozen meat. The Agrarians, -on whose head the blood-guilt of the -European war really rests, played the -same unstatesmanlike trick upon Argentina -as they had successfully carried out in -the case of the Balkans. The first load of -meat duly arrived. It was sold immediately. -This did not suit the short-sighted Agrarians, -who immediately began a plan for the defeat -of the innovation. With the consent of the -Government they began an agitation against -frozen meat. Butchers circulated stories that it -was unsound, and as it was sold at prices that -corresponded very nearly with those of fresh -meat, it naturally remained on their hands. -This was seized upon as an excuse by the -Government to stop the import of any more -meat. Even then the Government could not -act with common straightforwardness. The -cargo was allowed to come, and turned back at -Trieste. The boat ran over to an Italian port, -where the meat was sold without difficulty. But -Austrian credit had suffered largely. The -political relations with Argentina were strained, -and the country lost many a good customer -through her dishonesty. This mattered little<span class="pagenum" id="Page_153">153</span> -to the Agrarians, who got good prices for their -meat.</p> - -<p>Another attempt was made to introduce sea-fish -for popular consumption. The Government -put a quick goods train service on from -the Adriatic, and with cars especially constructed -for keeping fresh fish in ice through -the hot nights. This did not suit the Agrarians, -who had immense breeding-places for carp and -who reared trout in their streams. As was to be -expected, the trains were delayed, and the fish -reached Vienna and Budapesth in a state unfit -for food. No statesman in Austria-Hungary -raised his voice against this trickery. No one -cared whether the people starved or not, provided -the Agrarians were satisfied. Archdukes, -who might have raised their voices and have -made them heard, were themselves engaged in -trade. They had immense dairies and other -establishments, where the produce of their -lands was sold. Their interests were contrary -to those of the people and to those of the -country at large. They sided with the -Agrarians in what was a crisis in their own -history and that of their country. Meat riots -were succeeded by disturbances about house -accommodation. In order to keep up rents, -regulations preventing the building of new<span class="pagenum" id="Page_154">154</span> -blocks of flats were made in both Vienna and -Budapesth. Similar enactments existed in -many other large cities in Austria-Hungary, -but they pressed hardest of all in the capitals. -The landlords, freed from healthy competition, -not only demanded high rents, but they refused -to accept tenants with children. Men well able -to pay high rents were forced to go from house -to house begging the porter to show them flats, -and were turned away time and time again -simply because they had the misfortune to have -a family consisting not of six healthy children, -but of one quiet child of ten. At one period -things were so bad that a workman with six -children, who had been unable to get accommodation -anywhere, camped out with his family -on the Graben, the chief promenade in the very -centre of the city. Others knocked up wooden -shanties on Crown land near the mountains. At -last the city decided to put up a number of sheds -for the accommodation of persons who had been -expelled from the flats because they had children. -In Budapesth things were much worse. -There were riots, and the effigies of unpopular -landlords were burned. Troops were called out -and rioters shot, but this brutal suppression of -the working class only increased the irritation -felt against the Government. It was clear even<span class="pagenum" id="Page_155">155</span> -to the uninitiated that affairs were reaching a -climax. The discontent that had begun in the -working classes was quickly spreading to the -small employé and even to the professional -classes and officers in the army. This was due -not only to lack of food or accommodation, but -to the enormous increase in the cost of living, -which had its root in the alarming rise in taxation. -This taxation was due to the two -mobilisations during the Annexation crisis and -the Balkan wars, which had cost Austria-Hungary -many millions. The discovery that many -things essential to an army were lacking had -led to reckless expenditure. Not only had -money been spent on legitimate needs, but immense -swindles had been perpetrated in connection -with army supplies. Highly-placed -personages had been connected with these incidents -which consequently were never properly -sifted, those most deeply implicated having the -power to prevent investigation. Further, mistakes -on a vast scale were made. The type of -cannon recommended for the army, and supplied -to all the regiments, proved to be quite -useless when employed in frontier skirmishes. -It was replaced by new weapons at enormous -cost. Other occurrences of the same kind led -to the Budget being far above the yearly income<span class="pagenum" id="Page_156">156</span> -of the State. It became apparent to all -responsible for the conduct of the State -that something must happen. The strain -was too great—a breakdown somewhere was -inevitable.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_157">157</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_157">CHAPTER XIX<br> - -<span class="subhead">COUNT LEOPOLD BERCHTOLD AND COUNT STEPAN -TISZA, THE MEN WHO DECIDED ON WAR</span></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="firstword">Count Berchtold,</span> the Austro-Hungarian -Minister who was responsible for the policy that -led to the Great War, is the prototype of the -Austro-Hungarian aristocrat, and essentially a -gentleman. He was for this reason totally unfit -to cope with the crowd of unscrupulous pro-German -politicians around him. He was -brought up in the old school, and no one who -knows him personally would hesitate to describe -him as a gentleman <i lang="fr">par excellence</i>. The fine, -delicate features, the slim, slender hands, and -a bearing that has something almost apologetic, -are characteristic of the man. He is the ideal -landowner and feudal lord, able to manage -large estates, a merciful landlord who would -remit rent in bad years, a kindly neighbour, and -valued friend.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_158">158</span></p> - -<p>Count Berchtold’s greatest interest was horse-racing, -and his large fortune enabled him to -keep a splendid stud. He invariably attended -all the big race-meetings, but he was there -merely to watch the horses, not to meet the -representatives of the diplomatic and political -world like his fellow-officials. His eye never -wandered from the course during the whole -meeting. Other politicians never so much as -glanced at the horses; they were concentrating -their attention on more important matters. A -secretary posted them in the events to enable -them to discuss them when necessary, to keep -up the farce that they were there to watch the -horses. They watched their opportunity to slip -up to some great man and discuss some point -at issue between them in a friendly and casual -way. The Foreign Minister knew nothing of -such manœuvres. If he wished to discuss a -delicate matter with the Ambassador of some -unfriendly Power, he sought him in his Embassy -and at once raised the question to an affair -of State instead of ascertaining in a non-committal -way how matters stood before formulating -a demand. Count Berchtold was essentially -an honest and straightforward man when -he took over the onerous duties of Foreign -Minister, and had no slur upon his character.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_159">159</span> -He was very loth to assume the responsibilities -of office, and only accepted at the Emperor’s -direct request. He felt that he was not fit to -take the helm of State at such a critical moment. -There is not the slightest doubt that the Count -was correct in the estimate of his own powers. -It would have required a much less simple-minded -man to guide the country through the -troubled waters which seethed all around. The -Hungarian aristocrat, perhaps more than the -Austrian noble, lives a somewhat secluded life -far from railroad and market town. He is -brought up in the same way as the old feudal -barons in the Middle Ages. He is surrounded -by a swarm of servants, whom he regards more -in the light of serfs than free men. He fills -the obligations as well as enjoys the privileges -of a feudal overlord. The young aristocrat -enjoys life. It is made up of hunting, often in -the primæval forest; he is constantly invited -to shooting-parties, and spends his time in that -and other manly and outdoor occupations. He -is always an expert climber, can stalk a chamois, -and would never fear for his footing on the -most precipitous rocks. He can fence, box, and -is, of course, an expert swordsman. He never -knows when he may be called upon to fight a -duel, with any weapons. He learns to speak<span class="pagenum" id="Page_160">160</span> -four or five languages from native tutors. He -must be proficient in German, French, and, if -possible, English and Italian, before he leaves -the schoolroom. He acquires these languages -without trouble, often from his nurses, and -learns to ride while still little more than a baby. -All these accomplishments fit him to cut a figure -in the fashionable world, but form a poor equipment -for battling with foreign diplomatists, who -have had the advantage of a training in a much -severer school. Even if the education, which he -receives at the hands of a tutor, chosen rather -for his sporting proclivities than for his erudition, -is completed by a university course, no -professor in Austria-Hungary would venture to -deal with a young aristocrat in the same fashion -as with a student belonging to the middle -classes. Thus, although the aristocrat is peculiarly -suited to occupy important positions on -account of his birth and manners, he is frequently -unfit to deal with very intricate -problems or to match his wits against those of -other politicians. Count Berchtold was a great -favourite in Vienna because of his hospitality. -The Hungarians are known far and wide for -their hearty hospitality, and he even excelled -the traditions of his race. He gave entertainments -at the Ballplatz, the Austro-Hungarian<span class="pagenum" id="Page_161">161</span> -Foreign Ministry, close to the Hofburg, that -were unique of their kind. He had a kindly -word for everyone who entered the vast <i lang="fr">salles</i> -that opened one into the other at the top of the -great marble staircase. Beneath the historic -portraits he entertained Archduchess and -peasant deputy with unvarying affability. -When he was seen in other social centres it -was always conceded that he was the most distinguished-looking -man in the room. The tall, -dark figure flitted restlessly to and fro, always -anxious to contribute his part to making the -entertainment a success. But close observers -noted something in the formation of the skull -and the glance of the eye that denoted lack of -firmness. He was a man who could be persuaded -against his better judgment. Had he -been called upon, like most of his predecessors -in office, to be a mere figurehead, all would have -been well, but under the actual circumstances it -was fatal to the peace of Europe. It is more -than probable that Berchtold was chosen to fill -the important post at the suggestion of Count -Tchirsky, or some other emissary of Kaiser -Wilhelm, who desired to have a weak man in -power in Vienna.</p> - -<p>Once he had taken office, Count Berchtold -discovered that all quiet was at an end. There<span class="pagenum" id="Page_162">162</span> -were constant attacks upon him in the German -subsidised Press of Vienna. During the long -diplomatic struggles that took place while he -held office he was accused of hesitation and of -vacillation. He was, however, merely trying -to steer a middle course between the two -policies dictated by the two parties within the -Empire. The Emperor was firm in his desire -to die in peace. His reign had begun with the -loss of territory following upon defeat on the -battlefield. It was well known that he absolutely -refused to contemplate any policy that -might lead the Empire into further hostilities. -It was the Emperor who sent the autograph -letter to the Czar in the Annexation year, -begging him to allow him to go down to the -grave in peace, and to desist from a war which -seemed inevitable. On the other hand, Archduke -Francis Ferdinand was anxious for a war. He -was at the head of the military party, composed -of the younger aristocrats, who were more or -less tools in the hands of Kaiser Wilhelm. -They comprehended nothing of what war meant -at this period in the world’s history. They suspected -nothing of the plans of Kaiser Wilhelm, -who pushed the Emperor of Austria into the -foreground when he wished the scales to be -turned in favour of peace, and skilfully brought<span class="pagenum" id="Page_163">163</span> -forward the military party when he wished -Austria-Hungary to threaten war. Count -Berchtold was very sensitive to public opinion; -the attacks made upon him by the Press, hinting -that he was lacking in courage, annoyed -him. They also prepared public opinion for -war. Austria-Hungary was depicted as the -sufferer from a hundred slights—as the down-trodden -country that was forced to bear all -kinds of insults. Insults from Servia, insults -from Montenegro, had been accepted lying -down. All news of what the small Balkan -States had to endure before they made the protests -was, of course, suppressed. Their point -of view was never considered. Caricatures of -Count Berchtold, showing him on his way to -Salonica but frightened to go on by the claws of -the Russian bear, were published in the comic -papers. The lengths to which these papers -went in turning the Foreign Minister to ridicule—a -deadly crime in Austria-Hungary—was -indicative of the strength of the Imperial Germans -in Austria. They were even able to protect -their minions against the Austrian censor. -When any politician showed indications of -strong-mindedness and of a disposition to resist -German influence, the terrors of the German -subsidised Press were turned upon him. He<span class="pagenum" id="Page_164">164</span> -invariably had to go. The Press in Count -Berchtold’s case, however, was merely used to -bring him to a sense of his own impotence and -to deceive him as to the state of public opinion. -The Germans did not desire his dismissal, -although they frequently had rumours of his -impending resignation published. His being -in office suited their purpose much too well for -them to wish to see him leave his place. Count -Tchirsky and other pro-Prussians filled the -air with rumours of the Emperor’s inability to -rule. They said that the old man was in his -dotage. This sounded reasonable, although -it was by no means the case. Count Berchtold -was naturally inclined to believe these reports, -as, although he was very loyal to his sovereign, -he, like many other men of the modern school, -could not comprehend the monarch’s peculiar -idiosyncrasies, and was apt to mistake his -religious fervour for an expression of feeble-mindedness. -This rendered Berchtold ready -to believe the insinuations that were cunningly -suggested to him that the Emperor could not -be trusted with secrets of State. He might tell -all to his father-confessor, who would report it -to Rome, where the hated Italians might learn -it, said the German diplomatists. Berchtold -thus entered on a course that led to the undoing<span class="pagenum" id="Page_165">165</span> -of his country. He acted without consulting -the Emperor, and concealed important facts -from him at times of crisis. His tempters no -doubt showed him good and sufficient reason -why he should do this. The course was, however, -a lapse from honesty—an honesty that had -been Berchtold’s chief virtue. So long as the -supreme power was vested in one man, that -man, whatever his age, should have been in possession -of the full facts of the case. The Emperor -of Austria alone had to decide whether -there should be peace or war, and his Foreign -Minister had no right to deceive him on any -point. Count Berchtold and the German -Ambassador had guilty secrets between them. -It was thus that the Ambassador got his hold -over the Foreign Minister and used it mercilessly. -The country gentleman could not believe -that the German aristocrats around him -were liars and were capable of acts unthought-of -by persons of his simple creed.</p> - -<p>History will pronounce judgment on Berchtold. -Contemporaries see him as a weak man, -who lost his country’s cause through a complete -inability to cope with the scoundrels who surrounded -him. He was unable to comprehend -the peculiar art of lying that German diplomacy -had brought to a fine art, the sphinx-like promises<span class="pagenum" id="Page_166">166</span> -that could be made and interpreted according -to need. A man of less honourable -instincts would have been more capable of dealing -with the situation; a man of character might -have saved his country.</p> - -<p>Count Tisza, the Hungarian Premier, was a -man of iron will. He was frequently called -the Hungarian “Cromwell,” “the man with the -mailed fist.” He had fought more duels than -any other Hungarian aristocrat, and his courage -was well proven. Not only had he physical -courage, but moral courage as well. Like -Count Berchtold, he had received the education -and training of a Hungarian aristocrat. -He is an autocrat of the old school, whose strong -will has never been broken by opposition. -Possessed of great strength of character, but -educated in an atmosphere of unreality, he had -no grasp of what was really happening in Europe. -Tisza always prided himself on his loyalty to -the Emperor. When the sovereign told him to -reduce the rebellious Hungarian Parliament to -order, he did not hesitate to order the soldiers -to drag out offending members. On another -occasion he had armed men placed at the -entrance to the House to prevent the entrance -of all refractory members. The Emperor and -Tisza both looked upon the Parliament as a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_167">167</span> -necessary evil that must be dealt with in the -best way circumstances allowed. Neither of -them considered that the people had any -rights. They were not of the same flesh and -blood as Emperors and Counts.</p> - -<p>This autocratic idea, born of circumstances -and surroundings, led both men to act in a -most tyrannous way towards the people. Tisza -especially had a profound contempt for the -mob. He looked upon the subject-peoples as -beneath contempt. Neither he nor his Imperial -master could brook Notes send by the Serbs. It -seemed to them the acme of impertinence that -a nation of so little importance should dare to -address the Emperor of Austria as an equal.</p> - -<p>Count Tisza has always been most anxious -to make Hungary equal to Austria. He considered -that the two nations should enjoy equal -rights. He resented the fact that the Court -was established at Vienna, and that Budapesth -always took a second place. Tisza and every -Hungarian statesmen knew that the common -funds were spent for the benefit of Austria -rather than for that of Hungary. At the same -time Hungary, who claimed equal rights with -Austria, always refused to take a half of the -common expenses on her shoulders; the Hungarian -share was always a third, Austria paying<span class="pagenum" id="Page_168">168</span> -two-thirds. Hungary is very wealthy, but has -very little ready money. Her nobles regulate -taxation and take great care that the burden -falls on the people in the way of indirect taxation -of necessities. Before the war there was -no income tax in Hungary, although the -revenues enjoyed by the great landowners are -immense. Kaiser Wilhelm was very exactly -informed of the relations between Austria and -Hungary. He took pains to attach Tisza to -his person. Tisza was invited to Berlin frequently; -he was summoned to confer with the -Kaiser constantly, while Count Berchtold was -seldom consulted. The Kaiser dazzled Tisza -and the Hungarians with promises of assistance -in their fight against Austria. The Kaiser -seemed to be the only man who comprehended -their position. An ambitious and warlike -people, the Magyar minority could not be -swamped by the Slavs within the kingdom, or -overwhelmed by the Germans in Austria. -Count Tisza, although a very strong man, is -not capable of comprehending a character like -that of Kaiser Wilhelm. Single of purpose -himself, he cannot comprehend duplicity in -another. Like the Emperor Francis Joseph -and Count Berchtold, he was duped. He -desired to go to war with Servia because, like<span class="pagenum" id="Page_169">169</span> -Count Berchtold, his personal vanity had been -hurt. He could not take an international view -of the situation. The great Slav peril within -the Empire seemed more important to him than -the fear of All-German domination.</p> - -<figure id="i_168" class="figcenter" style="max-width: 24em;"> - <img src="images/i_168.jpg" width="1015" height="1357" alt=" "> - <figcaption class="caption"><span class="smcap">Count Berchtold.</span></figcaption></figure> - -<figure id="i_168b" class="figcenter" style="max-width: 24em;"> - <img src="images/i_168b.jpg" width="1013" height="1372" alt=" "> - <figcaption class="caption"><span class="smcap">Count Tisza.</span></figcaption></figure> - -<p>Count Tisza might have done much to save -his country from ruin; instead, he preferred to -see the subject-races oppressed. He considered -that a war that would enable the Government -to thin out the Slavs, by letting them fight one -against the other, the soldiers from within the -Empire against those without, would secure the -supremacy of the Magyars. He failed to comprehend -that the Magyars were to be thinned -out in their turn to make way for Germans who -wished to exploit the rich treasures of Hungary -and exhaust her mineral wealth.</p> - -<p>Count Tisza was a gambler accustomed to -play with gentlemen; when he played at statesmanship -with the German Emperor he did not -count upon his adversary using loaded dice.</p> - -<p>The very uprightness of his character prevented -his suspecting others. The man in the -street suspected Kaiser Wilhelm; the Premier -did not.</p> - -<p>The Hungarian aristocrat had never been -“up against life”; he had no instinct to guide -him. He fondly believed that he was twisting<span class="pagenum" id="Page_170">170</span> -the Kaiser round his finger and using him for -his own ends. These ends were the glorification -of Hungary, for Tisza is a patriot to his -finger-tips. Unfortunately, he was deeply -imbued with the sentiment that a king cannot -commit meannesses. He placed the Kaiser on -the same level as a Hungarian noble.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_171">171</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_171">CHAPTER XX<br> - -<span class="subhead">AUSTRIA-HUNGARY AS A MILITARY AND NAVAL POWER</span></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="firstword">In</span> 1907 Austria-Hungary, where conscription -is in force, had an army of about three million -men when fully mobilised. These men were -of excellent physique, since they were selected -as the most promising material among a number -of men fit for service. Every year when the -annual contingent of recruits came up for service, -a larger number were passed as “fit” than -could be put into training. About a third of the -“fit” were sent home; they were selected by lot, -and although they were not called upon to serve -immediately, they were under the obligation to -do so when required. Thus there was a large -second line of untrained men fit for service and -ready to be called up when necessary. The high -standard of efficiency resulted in only the very -best material being selected; there were many<span class="pagenum" id="Page_172">172</span> -among the rejected who could be called to the -colours in time of necessity.</p> - -<p>Besides this, the military authorities pursued -a definite policy. They were willing to grant -exemption to the city man who could be usefully -employed in clerical work in war time, and -devoted their energies to training the peasant -for actual fighting.</p> - -<p>All this resulted in the official figures of the -available men giving no real estimate of the -numbers that were actually available.</p> - -<p>Much money and attention were devoted to -the minor branches of the service. Armament -factories were increased and flying fields established -in connection with all the army corps -headquarters. The preparations for a possible -war, while being carried on with great energy -and at great expense, were somewhat delayed -by an incurable habit, peculiar to the Austrians, -of giving great attention to branches of the service -that were anything but essential. Experiments -were made in ski-running on the Alps in -winter. Small companies of men were frequently -lost in the Tyrol while trying to cross difficult -ground. It was felt in the country generally -that the attempts to get over the glaciers and -snowfields might just as well have been made in -summer, when there was not the same danger<span class="pagenum" id="Page_173">173</span> -from avalanches, and even if war with Italy -were inevitable, ski-running practised within -view of the Italian frontier was not likely to -calm Italian susceptibilities. Aviation, which -had long been recognised as the war weapon of -the future, was quite neglected. The Government -refused to purchase the necessary airships. -The Austrians, with all their mechanical genius, -were not able to make the motors for aeroplanes. -Austrian inventors had to obtain motors from -France before their airships could fly. The -conservatism of thought and methods which -made the Austro-Hungarian Government -neglect the air service, led them to misread the -signs of the times, and to allow the fleet to sink -to a mere nothing. Although they were building -up the fortifications along the Austro-Hungarian -frontier, a queer optimism made them -count upon Italy’s help in the Mediterranean. -Meanwhile they worked up their land fortifications. -The Austro-Hungarian naval ports are -models of what Nature can do in the way of -natural defences. Cattaro is practically impregnable -from the sea side. The gulf winds in and -out, and the approach to the city can be defended -at every turn. The military and naval -authorities felt quite secure of Cattaro, and it -was only in the Annexation year, when there was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_174">174</span> -trouble with Montenegro, that it was discovered -that the cannon on the summit of Mount -Lovcen could be fired right into Cattaro. The -boundary line between Austria-Hungary and -Montenegro runs close to the summit of the -mountain. The Austrians considered that it -would be very easy to capture the top of the -precipitous mountain should war break out between -the small country and themselves, but it -was a very serious offset to the value of Cattaro. -There was a large choice of suitable naval -ports along the coast besides Cattaro. The only -consideration that made a selection difficult was -the question of railway communications with the -interior.</p> - -<p>Sebenico was also built out as a naval base, -but, like Cattaro, there was no railway to connect -it with the interior, as the narrow gauge Bosnian -railways were of little practical use for military -purposes. They were either light mountain -railways or narrow gauge. This meant -that all transports must be unloaded at the -Hungarian frontier. Neither Cattaro nor -Sebenico could thus be utilised as first-class -naval bases until the Bosno-Herzegowinan railway -system had been changed. Plans for this -project were made and the money was voted, but -the work had not been begun at the outbreak<span class="pagenum" id="Page_175">175</span> -of the Great War. The naval authorities established -excellent wireless stations and repairing -shops at these ports. The Government was disinclined -to spend money on these ports, because -the population was either Italian or Serb, and -not easy to cow into subjection, like inland -peoples. A seafaring people were always able -to make good their escape should danger -threaten. If the sea coast were watched too -carefully for them to get away by boat, there -was a wild mountainous district behind, where -a man could hide among the rocky crags undisturbed -until the hue and cry after him had died -down. Just as the Bohemians near the German -frontier were always inclined to be restive, and -the Government more or less obliged to take a -lenient view of their offences, so the Dalmatians -were seldom subjected to persecution. Austria-Hungary -never let off her wrath on those able -to defend themselves.</p> - -<p>Political considerations hampered the Austro-Hungarian -Government in her choice of ports -and in her shipbuilding. Austria wished to get -all the shipbuilding orders, and was willing to -make concessions to Hungary in agricultural -affairs in order to secure them. Hungary, however, -was not disposed to accept these.</p> - -<p>Austria-Hungary only settled upon a definite<span class="pagenum" id="Page_176">176</span> -naval policy after the Annexation crisis. It was -decided then that the new boats should be built -in Trieste, and then tugged round to Pola for -fitting. The Hungarians complained bitterly, -and insisted upon some orders being placed at -Fiume also. Slips for Dreadnoughts were -prepared in Hungarian dockyards. The first -Dreadnoughts, however, were built at the -Stablimento Tecnico, in Trieste. This caused -a storm of indignation all along the Adriatic. -Austria had fostered Trieste at the expense of -all other ports—both Hungarian and Italian—on -the sea coast. Two railways carried goods -from Trieste to Vienna. Preference tariffs were -given to goods shipped over the Austrian ports. -Italian firms found it cheaper to get their goods -via Trieste than via Venice. Every form of ruse -and trickery for magnifying the importance of -Trieste and decreasing that of Venice was used. -In some cases, Austrian firms received large -State subventions to enable them to undersell -Italian firms. Thus Trieste absorbed much of -the trade that formerly went <i lang="la">via</i> Genoa to -Switzerland and Germany. In bolstering up -Trieste and its trade the Government was not -actuated by commercial considerations only. -The mercantile fleet proved an excellent training-school -for sailors; the population was composed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_177">177</span> -mostly of Italians and Slavs, seafaring -people who had been accustomed to earn their -living on the water for generations and generations. -Austria-Hungary, when contemplating -her failures in many parts of the country, could -always point to Trieste as a complete success. -Unfortunately, Kaiser Wilhelm also regarded -the seaport as an entire success. The splendid -docks, stretching miles inland, where light boats -could be built, the yards at Montfalcone, all -stirred a feeling of covetousness in the monarch, -who was never satisfied. He actually commenced -negotiations to get possession of -Trieste. He needed a port in the Mediterranean -or in the Adriatic for the re-fitting, re-fuelling, -and provisioning of German ships in times of -peace. Austria-Hungary refused on one occasion -to cede her best port to Kaiser Wilhelm, -but an agreement that Germany could use it as -a coaling-station was entered into.</p> - -<p>The first Dreadnoughts built for the Austro-Hungarian -Navy just after the Annexation -crisis were laid down secretly. Although permission -to build Dreadnoughts had been given -at the Delegations, many Members of Parliament -opposed the granting of the money, on the -ground that Austria-Hungary could not afford -to embark on a policy that might embroil her<span class="pagenum" id="Page_178">178</span> -with other nations. Her army was sufficiently -large to protect her and assure her that respect -among the Great Powers that she had a right -to demand. The Government, to save argument, -thus laid down the Dreadnoughts without announcing -the fact. When the news that the first -ship was partially ready and the second had -already been laid down was made public, the -other nations of Europe naturally felt that -Austria-Hungary had stolen a march upon -them. She specialised in building submarines -and torpedoes at this time. The necessary -expense was provided for by a special species -of book-keeping. Money voted for education -and similar purposes was devoted to the construction -of submarines, and the public and -Europe were kept in ignorance of the true uses -to which it was put.</p> - -<p>Archduke Francis Ferdinand, the late heir to -the throne of Austria-Hungary, was especially -interested in shipbuilding. He had a valid excuse -for remaining far from the capital. The fine -dust from the limestone with which Vienna is -built injured his lungs, which were already delicate. -He therefore stayed for the greater part -of the year at Miramare, a beautiful castle close -to Trieste, or at Brioni, farther along the coast. -The Duchess and the children enjoyed the stay<span class="pagenum" id="Page_179">179</span> -near the sea. He ran to and fro in a swift yacht, -visited Pola and Fiume, and assisted at the -experiments which were being carried on there. -Kaiser Wilhelm frequently came to visit Corfu, -and stayed at Miramare <i lang="fr">en route</i>. The two men -who were plotting for world-empire spent many -hours together. The Kaiser was frequently -accompanied by experts, who travelled <i lang="la">incognito</i> -at the command of the Emperor.</p> - -<p>Archduke Francis Ferdinand, brought up, like -all the Austro-Hungarian Imperial family, in an -atmosphere of unreality, suspected nothing of -the Kaiser’s ulterior motives in coming to -Trieste. He even followed his suggestions for -the gradual removal of all Italians employed in -Government service.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_180">180</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_180">CHAPTER XXI<br> - -<span class="subhead">ARCHDUKE CARL FRANCIS JOSEPH</span></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="firstword">Archduke Carl Francis Joseph</span> resembles -the present Emperor of Austria and King of -Hungary very closely, though the resemblance -is apparent rather in a certain peculiar charm -of manner than in a similarity of features. -Their colouring is identical, and when on the -outbreak of war the aged Emperor made a -triumphal entry into Vienna amid enthusiastic -crowds such as the capital had never seen, with -the heir to the throne by his side in an open -carriage, everyone remarked on a resemblance -that had escaped them before. “He might be -the Emperor’s grandson,” was heard on every -side, as the two men who held the destinies of -the land in their hands went by. They sat -stiffly upright, for both have the carriage that -marks a thorough military training; both -acknowledged the frenzied acclamations of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_181">181</span> -crowd with a truly royal reserve, in contrast -with the eagerness of Ferdinand of Bulgaria -or Wilhelm of Prussia, who could not conceal -their extreme delight at the shouts of the populace. -Both Emperor and Archduke have -always been popular.</p> - -<figure id="i_184" class="figcenter" style="max-width: 24em;"> - <img src="images/i_184.jpg" width="980" height="1333" alt=" "> - <figcaption class="caption"><span class="smcap">Archduke Carl Francis Joseph.</span></figcaption></figure> - -<figure id="i_184b" class="figcenter" style="max-width: 24em;"> - <img src="images/i_184b.jpg" width="1000" height="1353" alt=" "> - <figcaption class="caption"><span class="smcap">Princess Zita of Parma.</span></figcaption></figure> - -<p>The Archduke had received the careful training -that is given to one who is expected to fill -a high place in life. He learned English at -the same time as he learned German from an -English governess, who succeeded in implanting -a love for her native land in the heart of -the young Archduke. The Austrians considered -that he was too British in his tastes in -many ways, and much too inclined to go in for -games of every kind instead of attending to the -more serious studies that took up so large a -part of his time already. While the young -Archduke showed great enthusiasm for tennis, -for dancing and skating, he cared but little for -abstruse studies. None of the Habsburgs ever -gave evidence of great mental powers, and -the Archduke was true to the family traditions -in this respect. Educated in Vienna, where -dancing and music are regarded as the chief -end of life, it was natural that he should enjoy -both. It is also a debatable point whether -accomplishments of this kind are not more<span class="pagenum" id="Page_182">182</span> -desirable for the young man who wishes to get -into touch with his subjects and with foreign -diplomatists than a taste for discussion. Unfortunately, -the Archduke was encouraged to -pursue a very frivolous life. The wicked uncle -of the fairy tale is frequently seen in real life. -In this case he enjoyed unusual powers. When -Archduke Otto died he left his brother, Archduke -Francis Ferdinand, guardian to his two -boys. The heir to the throne and his ambitious -morganatic wife thus had the care of educating -the boy who was to succeed to the throne instead -of their own boys. It is doubtful whether they -could have felt kindly towards him in any case. -Being what they were, both ambitious and unscrupulous, -they did everything they could to -ruin the boy. He was surrounded by persons -who turned his thoughts towards subjects unfit -for him, and who led him astray at an age when -he should have been attending to his schoolbooks. -The sudden change from a life of convent-like -severity to one of the greatest dissipation -and licence was sufficient to turn the head -of any young man, and much more so that of -the heir-presumptive to a brilliant throne. -When he appeared in a ballroom the women -flattered him, not for position perhaps so much -as for his youthful grace and manners. The<span class="pagenum" id="Page_183">183</span> -Archduke and his wife threw in the way of the -Archduke people of vicious life, who did their -best to ruin him in every way. The frivolity -of his disposition, mingled with a certain lightheartedness -that led him to take nothing -seriously, saved him from these snares. The -Archduke had him removed from the Vienna -Court, where he was far too popular, on the -pretext that he was “going the pace” too fast. -The Emperor made inquiries, and discovered -that the Archduke was leading a comparatively -simple life compared with that of many of his -elders. He was banished to his regiment garrisoned -on the Elbe; however, he got frequent -leave to come to Vienna <i lang="la">incognito</i>, when he -could not interfere with his uncle, who was so -unpopular that he never ventured to walk about -the streets like the rest of the Imperial family. -It is probable that, instead of lessening his -popularity, these long periods of enforced -absence endeared the young Archduke to the -hearts of his future subjects. He, too, knew -how to speak a number of languages and dialects. -Italian he spoke like his native tongue, -and he knew French, the diplomatic language -of the Balkans, thoroughly. He knew Czech -really well, and also spoke Hungarian, having -learnt both languages as a child. The heir to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_184">184</span> -the throne knew neither, not having learnt them -when young, as there were several lives between -him and the throne. All these facts made him -less inclined to love his nephew, who seemed -to possess all the graces that he lacked. All -the machinations against him, although actuated -by the deepest hate, had no result because of -his simplicity of character. When he returned -to Vienna after a long, enforced absence, he -went at once to the Belvedere and thanked his -uncle and aunt for the kind care that held him -far from the capital. He did not say that he -had all the amusement that he needed. He -had been present at every <i lang="fr">première</i> of importance, -assisted at many balls that did not figure -in the columns of the papers devoted to Court -news, and generally had an amusing time without -being trammelled by the strict etiquette that -would have regulated his movements had he -been in the capital on an official visit. Always -smiling and good-humoured, he never even -noticed the machinations that were directed -against him. He was high in favour with the -Emperor, who often expressed the wish that the -younger man were coming to the throne instead -of the next heir, for Archduke Carl had never -caused him a moment’s uneasiness. This was -saying much at a Court where most of the youthful<span class="pagenum" id="Page_185">185</span> -members had committed some breach of -etiquette at least, many of them having caused -the Emperor much trouble by their love affairs. -Archduke Carl, instead of a variety of <i lang="fr">affaires</i>, -had offered all the warmth of his youthful devotion -on the shrine of one of the most amusing -and accomplished Vienna actresses. He carried -flowers and flung them on the stage at her feet -very often, and showed his preference in many -ways. As the lady was already a woman far on -in years, she accepted his boyish devotion without -allowing him to do anything compromising -for his future. She acted the <i lang="fr">rôle</i> of the good -fairy who saved the prince from all the snares -spread for his undoing. When the Archduke -fell in love with an old playmate at a Court -ball, he made his actress friend his first <i lang="fr">confidante</i>. -The Archduke, like most of his relations, -married solely for love, and was able to -accomplish his desire, although there was much -opposition in some quarters. Princess Zita, of -Parma, the daughter of an old and decaying -race, was a child of the Vienna Court. She had -been convent-bred, and, like her husband, she -was educated partly on English lines. She had -spent some years at the convent at the Isle of -Wight, where several of her near relatives -occupy important positions among the Sisters.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_186">186</span> -She lives part of the year in Italy, and is -essentially Italian in type and character. Her -great charm of manner fitted her to become an -Empress; the only objection that could be made -to the match was that she came of a family of -worn-out stock already related to the Habsburgs, -and not likely to improve that degenerate -line. This objection would have been -considered fatal at some Courts. At Vienna -the fact that Princess Zita was distinguished -for her piety and was completely in the hands -of the Church over-rode all other considerations, -and the match was allowed to proceed. -It has turned out most happily. The Viennese -were pleased to have a Princess that they knew. -They made no secret of the fact that it was a -grave mistake to import princesses. They said -that such young women did not know enough -to hold their own against the intrigues of the -family, who were invariably jealous of the -“first lady at the Court.” The women did their -best to poison the young lives of imported -princesses with tales of scandal and by other -less reputable means. Princess Zita had a -crowd of powerful relations to stand by her -and protect her from the harm that befell the -late Empress Elizabeth. She was well -acquainted with the atmosphere of the Court,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_187">187</span> -and, like a child at home, knew how to avoid -all the pitfalls spread for her undoing. -Princess Zita accompanied her husband everywhere -when it was possible. Before the war she -travelled over the whole of the Galician frontier -in his company. With deep understanding -of the character of the peasants, she purchased -their livestock at the exorbitant prices they -demanded for her poultry farm. Unlike -Duchess Hohenberg, who complained that she -was overcharged when the peasants asked too -much, she threw away sums of money, small -intrinsically, but large in the eyes of the poor -inhabitants of the land. The progress made -by the newly-married pair was a great success. -The birth of a son, while putting a seal upon -the popularity of both, undid the hopes and -plans nourished at the Belvedere. Duchess -Hohenberg despaired of seeing either of her -fine boys upon the throne. The remainder of -the Court held a brief for Archduke Carl and -Princess Zita, and protected them against -Duchess Hohenberg. Little Zita had grown -up among them, and no one grudged her the -high place she occupied. She did not even -displace the “first lady of the Court.” Archduchess -Annunziata, the niece of the Emperor, -immediately resigned her place to the younger<span class="pagenum" id="Page_188">188</span> -woman who was to be the future Empress, but -the little Princess was too much taken up by -her duties as mother to learn the whole of the -strict etiquette that the “first lady” is called -upon to observe. Her aunt arranged, therefore, -to preside at the more formal functions, -where the Princess, who was nothing but a -child, might make some dreadful mistake, and -to instruct her gradually. This simplified -matters greatly for the Princess, who thus made -no enemies. Archduchess Annunziata had presided -at the Court ever since the tragic death -of Empress Elizabeth. She was tired of the -burden, and wished to retire to her convent -at Prague for the remainder of her life. She -took no pleasure in standing erect and gracious -on a platform at the top of the ballroom and -saying the appropriate thing to each of the -dignitaries presented to her notice. The <i lang="fr">rôle</i> -that would have rejoiced Duchess Hohenberg -beyond everything annoyed her.</p> - -<p>Archduke Francis Ferdinand and Duchess -Hohenberg, sitting sullen and gloomy at -Konopischt, still tried to keep the heir-presumptive -far from the capital. He and Princess -Zita were only allowed to show themselves -publicly in Vienna on rare occasions. This led -to their being cheered frantically whenever<span class="pagenum" id="Page_189">189</span> -they did show themselves. Exaggerated stories -of the jealousy shown by the Archduke went -all round the city. The Emperor frequently -called the younger man to his side, and was -struck by his modesty and mild demeanour. -Archduke Carl was naturally most unassuming. -His personal attendants were much attached to -him because of his great generosity, but always -said that he was impulsive to a degree that -made him difficult to arrange for; he made -plans absolutely upon the spur of the moment -without stopping to consider.</p> - -<p>Such was the young Archduke as he was -known in Vienna when the murder of Sarajevo -altered the entire course of his life. The -weight of responsibility suddenly thrown upon -his shoulders made him show character—strength -of character that must have been there -all the time, carefully concealed beneath the -pleasant manners of a young courtier. This -was seen at the funeral of the victims of Sarajevo. -He insisted upon walking behind the -funeral coach that bore his uncle and aunt to -their last rest. The Master of the Ceremonies -at the Vienna Court had arranged that no -member of the House of Habsburg should demean -himself by paying this respect to the -dead, and he represented this to the Archduke<span class="pagenum" id="Page_190">190</span> -on the steps of the railway station. The Archduke -became quite red in the face with excitement -as he pointed out to the amazed official -that he was now heir to the throne, and that he -would decide upon what was the correct thing -at Court. All Vienna saw and applauded. He -walked alone behind the coffins as first mourner -with the air of sadness and solemnity which -the occasion demanded. At the same time he -freed himself from the domination of the much-dreaded -Master of the Ceremonies once and -for all.</p> - -<p>The Archduke and his wife were naturally -pro-Italian. Even before his marriage the -Archduke had always shown more sympathy -for the Italians than was felt by other Habsburgs. -The happiest days of his life had been -spent on Italian ground at Viareggio, where he -was able to live on the water far away from the -Court and its exigencies. He was inclined to -trust the Italians, and, unlike his uncle, disliked -the Slavs. He was, too, decidedly pro-British -before the war. When he was selected to go -to England to represent the Emperor, he made -his preparations with the greatest alacrity, -pleased to think that he had been chosen for -the mission.</p> - -<p>Kaiser Wilhelm regarded the heir-presumptive<span class="pagenum" id="Page_191">191</span> -to the throne as a young man of no importance -in his schemes. He believed that a youth -who was so thoroughly under the influence of -his mother had neither the character nor the -intelligence to oppose his plans. Kaiser Wilhelm, -perhaps, neglected that obstinacy which -is a leading characteristic of the Habsburgs, -and which has enabled them to resist many an -attack upon their prerogative in the past, and -may have an important and unexpected influence -on the future. While the late heir to -the throne of Austria-Hungary was entirely in -the hands of the Jesuits, neither Emperor -Francis Joseph nor his present heir ever -allowed them to dictate in affairs of State. -They held that religion and statecraft were -different matters that must be kept scrupulously -apart.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_192">192</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_192">CHAPTER XXII<br> - -<span class="subhead">AUSTRIA-HUNGARY FACED BY REVOLUTION OR WAR—THE -FINANCIAL FACTOR</span></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="firstword">Austria</span> and Hungary strike the casual -visitor as very like any other European country, -and so long as he remains on the beaten path -he finds no reason to revise his judgment. -Vienna, Budapesth, Prague, are very like Milan -or Berlin. There is plenty of ready money, and -every indication of a somewhat too advanced -civilisation. In fact, decadence is suggested -rather than under-cultivation. The ease with -which the city people have adopted every new -invention, and the facility with which they adapt -themselves to modern appliances and conveniences, -quite deceives the stranger. He naturally -supposes that people who made constant -and excellent use of the telephone at a time -when it was just being introduced into the -western countries of Europe are necessarily advanced -in other matters. Everything looks very -up to date. The fashionable watering-places,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_193">193</span> -like Karlsbad and Marienbad, are the essence of -modernity. Everything is carefully arranged -for the comfort of the traveller, and for the -man who can afford the utmost refinement of -comfort it is perfection. If he takes a long -walk out from his splendidly appointed hotel, -and spends a day or two up country in Bohemia, -he will soon discover a different state of things.</p> - -<p>The first shock is the knowledge that the -forest is not safe for anyone who rashly wanders -away from carefully tended paths and marked -trees that show the direction. These immense -woods are not merely unsafe, but any stranger -to the district who strays among the denser parts -will probably not return, for the peasants are -inclined to be savage. If a German falls into -the hands of Czechs in a small Bohemian town -he usually gets badly mauled before the police, -who are really in sympathy with the towns-people -and do not hurry unduly, can interfere. -This kind of outrage, which may be found -chronicled without any excuse or explanation in -the small local papers, goes on within a few -miles of the ultra-civilised Marienbad, where -urbane and polished politicians conferred with -King Edward, and spoke of their land as one -of the civilised countries of Europe. No one -ever thought of pushing inquiries as to what the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_194">194</span> -native peasant was like. Horrible crimes are -frequently reported from Bohemia, but they -attract little attention. The foreigners do not -read the kind of paper that delights in horrible -detail, while the Viennese know too well how -very backward much of the country population -is, and naturally wish to keep the knowledge -from the world. The various races that live -within the confines of Austria proper are of mild -and somewhat timid disposition, but the Hungarians -are fierce and cruel.</p> - -<p>Many peasants, who own considerable wealth -in the shape of land, that has come down to -them from their fathers, have never seen a gold -coin, nor even possessed a 15s. banknote in their -lives. Very little gold circulates in Austria or -Hungary at any time, the people preferring -notes. Apart from this, however, many -peasants never handle money. Their whole -business is carried on by barter. A peculiar -method of trading is known as “pauschal.” It -is extremely simple in its operation. A dairy-farmer -undertakes to supply one of his neighbours -with butter, milk and eggs all the year -round. The neighbour supplies him with pork, -vegetables, or some other commodity that he -has at his disposal. The same method of barter -is applied to the shoemaker and to the weaver of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_195">195</span> -linen. If one party suffers a slight disadvantage -through the arrangement it is considered that it -will be made up another season, when his requirements -will be larger. This system obviates -any keeping of accounts, and is of great convenience, -as it enables the parties concerned to -forecast their expenses for the coming year with -certainty. In some districts, where there is less -mutual dependence, and therefore less mutual -trust and confidence, the accounts are chalked -up behind the door, and one supply of goods -rendered against another. But no money passes -from hand to hand. The peasant has a lively -distrust of banks, born of experience; and he -considers that the natural end of a bank is -failure. He therefore invests his money in -stock, in enriching the land, if he is the absolute -proprietor, and always locks up a certain -sum for emergencies, turning it into jewellery, -which is worn by the women. In times of terror -the peasant girl conceals her necklace—usually -made of coins which are out of circulation—and -always has the wherewithal to procure herself -temporary shelter. The peasant women, too, -wear belts of solid silver, which can be converted -into cash at a moment’s notice, should -necessity arise. The peasant never interferes -with his wife’s jewellery, whatever may be his<span class="pagenum" id="Page_196">196</span> -need; it is her dowry for herself and her -children in times of dire distress.</p> - -<p>These circumstances and habits account for -the curious phenomenon of a population rich in -property, but having no ready money. This -explains, too, the remarkable fact that only -about 4 per cent. of the population of Austria -pay income-tax. The tax is imposed upon -everyone earning over £50 per annum. Moving -about among the peasant proprietors, among the -large population engaged in cottage industries, -it is impossible to believe that these people are -living on incomes below £50 per annum. It is -true that they have no money, or only rare coins, -but they are living at a high standard of comfort, -and many who earn £20 per annum in -actual coins, consume products got upon the -exchange and barter system worth several hundreds -of pounds.</p> - -<p>The small fraction of the population which is -taxed for income for carrying on a trade or profession, -and in a dozen other vexatious ways, -is heavily hampered. A man must even pay -a heavy tax for the upkeep of his religion if -he is a non-Catholic. Indeed, it is difficult to -see how any business can be made to pay with -the heavy taxation that hampers trade on every -hand, and practically prevents Austrian traders<span class="pagenum" id="Page_197">197</span> -from being able to compete with German firms, -which instead of being hampered are assisted -by their Government.</p> - -<p>In the days of quiet and calm before Austria-Hungary -was led to think of world-empire by -her ambitious ally, the Minister of Finance -actually turned out budgets without a deficit; -some years there was even a surplus. It was, of -course, impossible to ascertain how far these -figures corresponded with actual facts, for -“double book-keeping” was not peculiar to -private persons in Austria-Hungary. It was a -matter of common knowledge that Government -statistics were manipulated to suit the requirements -of the political situation.</p> - -<p>When the country embarked upon her new -military and naval policy, large sums of money -were needed. There were meetings between -leading financiers to consider how best it could -be collected from a country that possessed no -liquid wealth. Taxes were clapped on imports. -This brought but little revenue, as the country -people fed on the products of their own growing. -The various State monopolies, such as -tobacco, brought in large revenues. The -attempt to get money from the agricultural -population, however, failed. This meant that -the capitals and large manufacturing districts<span class="pagenum" id="Page_198">198</span> -must find the necessary funds for reckless expenditure -on armaments. Great hardships -resulted. The working-classes were forced to -pay heavy taxes upon all goods entering the -city. They already bore heavy import duties, -and the cost of many articles of necessity was -almost prohibitive. Sugar, which was made -from beetroot in the country, and sold to -England at less than cost price, in order to gain -a foreign market, cost 5d. a pound in Austria-Hungary. -The taxation became heavier every -year, and the authorities failed to see that the -burden was falling exclusively upon the -middle-classes and the working-classes dwelling -in the large cities. Austria-Hungary tried to -float loans in France. The political situation -was so strained that, although France was -willing to lend money to Russia, she refused, -point-blank, to lend to Austria or to Hungary on -any terms. The loans had to be taken up in -Germany. Germany needed money herself; -she had been spending all her available capital -upon raw material for the forging of cannon. At -every meeting of the Austrian Parliament members -protested against the laying down of -Dreadnoughts when the financial situation of -the country was so precarious. There were constant -riots in the towns, the Austro-Hungarian<span class="pagenum" id="Page_199">199</span> -system of reckless suppression of disorders -applied to quell the disorders only increased the -mass of discontent and disaffection. There came -a time when politicians began to see that only -a successful war could save the position. The -Hungarians were threatening to break loose -from Austria. They considered that the finances -were mismanaged. Too much of the money -voted for the Dual Monarchy, and administered -by the Common Minister of Finance, was -devoted to Austrian needs, to the disadvantage -and detriment of her less powerful neighbour, -Hungary. Such suspicions were very well -founded, especially as regards the sums secretly -devoted to war material. If education were -defective in Austria, it was still more neglected -in Hungary.</p> - -<p>Vienna had become the real capital, Budapesth -being neglected through the ill-health and -advancing age of the Emperor. It was clear -that the Emperor could not travel to Budapesth -without risk to his health, since the climate did -not suit him.</p> - -<p>Hungary said that she would prefer to -administer her own finances. She could very -well provide for her own military and naval -requirements. She wished to take a part of the -executive power into her own hands. This<span class="pagenum" id="Page_200">200</span> -would have weakened Austria considerably. -Instead of ranking as a first-class Power she -would fall to the rank of a secondary one. -Bohemia, too, wished for separation. She felt -that her prosperous factories, her ironworks, -were contributing a very large share of wealth to -the country, and that while the Bohemians were -heavily taxed, they got no compensation for the -extra money that they poured into the State -chest.</p> - -<p>The leading statesmen realised towards the -year 1912 that they were faced by the choice of -war or revolution in Austria-Hungary. The -huge sums needed to pay off the debts already -incurred by the costs connected with two mobilisations, -and the ever-increasing military and -naval needs were landing the country in an -<em>impasse</em> from which there were only two roads -of escape. If the House of Habsburg wished -to maintain its proud position some action must -be taken. The politicians round the throne -thought that a successful war with Italy would -be the most desirable event. They dared not -moot this question in the presence of the aged -Emperor. He was firm for peace. This conviction, -that was deeply rooted in his mind, was -strengthened by his growing parsimoniousness. -Very generous as a young man, he had grown<span class="pagenum" id="Page_201">201</span> -almost miserly as old age crept upon him. -When he was ill he regretted that there should -be speculation upon the Stock Exchange, and -that the “poor people should lose their money,” -to use his own words. This economy, which -he wished to see exercised, not only in his own -private affairs, but throughout the State, would -alone have made him abhor the thought of war, -which he knew meant expenditure. The military -party hoped that he might either die, or be -brought to see that his remaining at the head of -affairs any longer was a mistake from every -point of view. They realised that something -must be done. If the Emperor would only -abdicate, they could act.</p> - -<p>Prices of ordinary necessities rose 30 per -cent. during the three years preceding the war. -The small clerk, the officer, and everyone with a -limited income and a certain position to keep -up, was reduced to going without many articles -of prime necessity, or to getting into debt. Many -chose this last alternative; especially was this -the case with the officers, who were thus the more -anxious for war, as they had nothing to lose and -much to gain by being on active service.</p> - -<p>If the middle classes in Austria-Hungary had -possessed large sums invested in stocks and -shares, like the French or the Swiss, the large<span class="pagenum" id="Page_202">202</span> -class representing this interest would have -objected to war. This was not the case, as all -speculation and almost all liquid capital was in -the hands of the Jews. They were firm for -peace. They completely failed to see where -the policy of the country was leading. Their -lack of influence, and the barrier that kept -them from being able to exchange views and -opinions freely and as man to man with the aristocrats, -prevented them from seeing what was -about to happen. They believed that the -country might go on in its peaceful way, even -after the death of the Emperor, which was the -date commonly fixed in the country for the disruption -of the Empire. Perhaps the Jews and -the financial section would have been right in -their estimate had it not been for the ambitions -of the German Kaiser. They did not appreciate -the mentality of the Austrian Imperial -family, in whom the power of decision was -really vested, and could not understand that it -would prefer to allow itself to become the cats-paw -of Germany, rather than see its power -diminished by the loss of part of its lands.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_203">203</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_203">CHAPTER XXIII<br> - -<span class="subhead">THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN CONSTITUTION</span></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="firstword">The</span> Austro-Hungarian Constitution exists -on paper, but that is all. The Austrian Parliament -met at Vienna, the Hungarian Parliament -still meets at Budapesth, but the National Assemblies -never exercised any actual power. -This was partly due to the clever management -of those in authority, but chiefly to the policy -of the Emperor, an old autocrat, who considered -that all means were justifiable if all -real power could be kept in his hands. Much -of the blame, however, was due to the people -themselves, who held aloof from politics. Some -of the most highly educated men in the country -said that the Constitution was a farce, and that -they refused to have anything to do with it. -Others refused to vote to mark their disapprobation. -The Government thereupon made -voting obligatory. Anyone who refused to -record his vote without due cause was liable to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_204">204</span> -fine and imprisonment. Thus the Government -kept up the farce of a constitutional system.</p> - -<p>Reflecting people of all nationalities within -the Dual Monarchy realised that the people -had no power. All decisions in the realm of -the foreign policy of the country were made by -the reigning monarch. No Minister was held -responsible. The power of voting money for -the army and navy and all objects common to -Austria and Hungary was not invested in the -Parliaments, but held by the Delegations. The -Delegates were elected by the Parliaments, but -the nominations were made by Government, -and men noted for their pliability were selected. -Delegates sometimes protested against expenditure. -An instance of this kind occurred when -Austria-Hungary embarked upon her big fleet -policy. Money was asked for to build Dreadnoughts. -The Delegations refused.</p> - -<p>The Government did not give up its project. -It gave orders to the Stablimento Tecnico in -Trieste to lay down the first ship “on spec.,” -with a very broad hint as to who would purchase -the vessel when complete. This dishonesty, -first towards the taxpayers, then towards -Europe, is a particularly striking sample of the -policy carried on by the country.</p> - -<p>Members of Parliament in both Austria and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_205">205</span> -Hungary received payment for each day’s -attendance. When Parliament was dissolved -this payment ceased. The members were, for -the most part, men who required the money to -live. They had given up their profession to -come to Vienna to represent their constituencies, -and the closing of Parliament meant the cutting -off of their incomes. It was therefore to their -interest to do nothing to anger the Government. -The laws of the Constitution provided for the -election of another Parliament, but in actual -practice it remained shut until it pleased the -Emperor to permit another election to take -place. Persons of importance did not seek -election to the “Punch and Judy” show or -madhouse on the Ringstrasse, as the Austrian -Parliament was usually called.</p> - -<p>A stormy sitting at the Vienna Parliament -was an interesting sight. A cordon of police -usually guarded the stately block of buildings -when a row was going on within. From time to -time a side door would open and angry attendants -would throw out a dozen men, panting -from the struggle. They would fall on the soft -carpet of snow, and then be sent about their -business by the police beyond. They were the -public who had been sitting in the gallery and -who had joined too loudly in the demonstrations<span class="pagenum" id="Page_206">206</span> -going on below. Inside the atmosphere -was thick. The Parliament had been sitting -for two days and nights unceasingly. The -Czechs, who wished to obstruct the passing of -a Bill, had been behaving like buffoons. They -rattled their desks and banged the lids to -drown the speaker’s voice. They brought all -kinds of noisy instruments to disturb the deliberations. -Rain-machines, used in theatres to -imitate the sound of rain on the roofs, were -rattled; other members blew upon trumpets and -penny whistles. Czechs of huge build spoke -for ten hours at a time. Friends supplied them -with water and chocolate while they carried on -their obstruction. At night the Opposition slept -in the passages upon mattresses. Rolled in -top-coats, they were ready to swarm in whenever -their services were required at a moment’s -notice. The attendants smiled at the heaps of -bodies lying prone, but ready to fight. The -floor of the Parliament was untidy. Balls of -paper soaked in ink that had been flung at an -opponent or at the President were seen on the -floor. All kinds of missiles lay thick, for the -attendants, careful of their personal safety, had -not ventured to pick them up. It was difficult -to realise that the Austrian Parliament was not -a third-rate tavern.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_207">207</span></p> - -<p>Year after year the Parliament spent the -precious hours that should have been given to -making its voice heard in the country to this -kind of foolishness. The Opposition, instead -of securing a majority, always hoped to delay -business and thus secure concessions that the -majority was unwilling to grant. They did not -see that they were playing the game of the -Central Administration, which rejoiced to see -them making themselves ridiculous and losing -such influence as they possessed by virtue of -their office.</p> - -<p>In Hungary things were worse than in Austria. -The elections were nothing more than a -farce. There was no secret ballot. Votes were -openly bought and sold. When the Government -could not secure a majority for its candidate, -soldiers were used to keep the Opposition -voters from the booths. The Hungarians -clamoured for general suffrage and the removal -of the property qualification, which kept the -election in the hands of a few men, but they -asked in vain. Their country districts were -represented by Government candidates, and -even in the towns it was seldom that an independent -candidate of any standing got in.</p> - -<p>The disorders were even worse than in the -Vienna Parliament. The President, Count<span class="pagenum" id="Page_208">208</span> -Tisza, thought nothing of clearing the House -with soldiers, and had the members chased into -the street at the point of the bayonet. The -members were constantly sending challenges -and fighting duels among themselves instead of -attending to business.</p> - -<p>The Government delegated large powers to -the local Diets, which decided questions of expenditure, -and, upon the whole, acquitted themselves -of their tasks in a very satisfactory -manner. Unfortunately, much of the money -that was granted for local purposes remained -unspent, as the permission required for liquidating -the sums did not come from the Central -Government. If a road were required for military -purposes or a railway needed for the transport -of troops, the Central Government made a -handsome contribution to the cost; if it were -simply required for the development of the -country generally, the project was not encouraged. -When the Diets ventured into -the realms of politics they were promptly -informed that they must keep within the limits -of their own jurisdiction.</p> - -<p>The central authorities in Vienna and Budapesth -had for years followed a policy of blinding -the people; they had encouraged frivolity -in every form. Everything was done to turn<span class="pagenum" id="Page_209">209</span> -people’s minds from serious subjects to pleasure -and enjoyment. The reputation enjoyed by -both Vienna and Budapesth as the gayest -capitals in Europe was fully deserved. The -intellectual Classes were completely hoodwinked, -and had no idea of what was really -going on, either at home or abroad. The same -results were accomplished in the country by -keeping the people in ignorance and withholding -education from them. While much -money was spent on the education of Germans -and Magyars, the ruling races, great economy -was practised towards the Slavs. The powerful -Bohemians managed to secure education for -their children, and the Government statistics -show that 100 per cent. of the children of school -age in Bohemia actually were in attendance at -school in 1906. In Galicia only 85 per cent. are -reported as in attendance; while in Croatia -68 per cent. went to school, and in Bosnia and -Herzegowina only 14 per cent. In every case -the local authorities were forced to provide -education for the children, unless they lived on -isolated farms where it was really impossible. -The Government, however, refused its grants -wherever it could, as the money was needed for -purposes which did not appear in the Budget. -The Slavs and Croats protested bitterly against<span class="pagenum" id="Page_210">210</span> -a system which inflicted upon them heavy taxes, -mostly indirect, and kept the benefits for the -ruling races. This maladministration was one -of the chief causes of the continual unrest -among the subject-peoples.</p> - -<p>The Emperor, and indeed all the members -of the Imperial family, lived in an atmosphere -apart. They never considered whither their -policy was leading, nor that the system of suppression -could not be carried on indefinitely at -this period of history. Most of the men in -power would have shone in the Middle Ages; -they were useless and impracticable now that -commercial travellers have taken the places of -knights-errant and trade is more important than -armaments. They did not realise that in suppressing -progress they were handicapping the -country in its race for commercial supremacy -and preventing its being able to compete with -Germany at home and abroad. In their fear -of the “people” getting to the fore, they neglected -the foe beyond the frontier.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_211">211</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_211">CHAPTER XXIV<br> - -<span class="subhead">WHO MURDERED THE ARCHDUKE?</span></h2> -</div> - -<p><span class="firstword">The</span> constant friction between Emperor -Francis Joseph and his heir was always increased -when the autumn manœuvres came -round. The Emperor, who was over eighty, -wished to attend them, and on two occasions -they had to be put off, as the doctors said that -the monarch could not spend his nights sleeping -in a tent. Archduke Francis Ferdinand was -always too ready to take up the duties which -would have been performed by the Emperor -had he been younger. Thus the hatred between -the reigning monarch and his heir increased -every year. The Emperor was prepared -to allow his heir a large sum of money -if he would consent to resign his right to the -throne. This was not because of his personal -antipathy. The doctors who attended the Archduke<span class="pagenum" id="Page_212">212</span> -said that he was not entirely responsible -for his actions. They suspected that he had -an abscess on the brain. He had committed -hasty, ill-considered actions that could be pardoned -in an Archduke, but that were not possible -for an Emperor, who must always keep -his temper. The Imperial family dreaded the -time of his coming to the throne. They had -notified the Emperor that they would withdraw -from the Court if Duchess Hohenberg were -made Empress. At that epoch no one doubted -that the Archduke would create her Empress -of Austria and Queen of Hungary on his accession.</p> - -<p>The manœuvres in Bosnia—arranged to take -place there because the peoples of the newly-annexed -provinces had been somewhat restless—were -about to take place. Archduke -Francis Ferdinand decided to assist. His wife -said that she would accompany him. The Emperor -was very angry. He did not wish the -Archduke to go to Bosnia. He was much too -unpopular to take such a risk. When Emperor -Francis Joseph heard that Duchess Hohenberg -was to accompany her husband, his wrath knew -no bounds. The ladies of the Imperial family -never accompanied their husbands on such -occasions. If the Archduke and his wife went<span class="pagenum" id="Page_213">213</span> -to Bosnia she would be received as the future -Empress of Austria. The Emperor forbade -him to take her. The Archduke insisted. If -there was any danger, his wife, who was really -courageous, would wish to be at his side. The -Emperor, who was very jealous about his -authority, was extremely angry. It is very -probable that he did not hide his feelings from -his near relations.</p> - -<p>The next news that reached Vienna was that -the Archduke and his wife had been assassinated -at Sarajevo. The crime was committed -on a Sunday. It was midsummer in Vienna, -and, strange to say, every important personage -was on the spot. As a rule, the official personages -left Vienna on the Saturday, when -there were two consecutive holidays, as in this -case, the Monday being a <i lang="fr">fête</i>-day, and spent -the week-end at the Semmering. On this particular -occasion everyone was in Vienna. The -Emperor was at Ischl. The telegram with the -news was sent there first. He exclaimed, “What -impertinence of those Bosnians!” but was not -otherwise moved.</p> - -<p>The official account of the assassination, -which was full of discrepancies, was then sent -to Vienna. According to this account, a bomb -had been thrown at the Archduke and his wife<span class="pagenum" id="Page_214">214</span> -on their way to the Sarajevo town-hall. It had -failed to kill them. The Archduke, little -moved by the occurrence, merely taunted the -Mayor of Sarajevo with the lack of courtesy -that the people had shown. “Instead of presenting -us with bouquets, you receive us with -bombs.” The Archduke could afford to make -merry over his escape. He naturally expected -that the streets had been cleared of people -during his long visit to the town-hall. It was a -matter of elementary precaution. The Bosnian -police, however, had received instructions from -Vienna that the Archduke’s safety was to be -left in the hands of the military. The Archduke -and his wife entered the car. The driver -started off. He was in the plot. He drove -them right across the road to where the murderer -was waiting. This meant running the -car on the wrong side of the road. Everyone -noticed this, but no one protested. -No one seized the assassin after he had fired -at the Archduke’s head. He had ample time -to kill the wife too. The boy, too, knew a -secret that was carefully kept in the Imperial -family. Archduke Francis Ferdinand was -wearing armour. For this reason the assassins -tried to kill him with a bomb. This attempt -having failed, the assassin fired at his head<span class="pagenum" id="Page_215">215</span> -instead of at his breast. Both Kaiser Wilhelm -and Archduke Francis Ferdinand spent much -time and thought in trying to find bullet-proof -armour. At the time of the assassination the -Archduke was wearing a silken vest an inch -thick. It was woven obliquely—made on the -same principle as the jackets used for automobile -tyres. It was warranted to turn the -point of a knife or bullet. The vest was cumbersome -and somewhat warm. It gave the -Archduke an appearance of extreme stoutness. -He, however, knowing how intensely he was -hated in Austria and Hungary, never cared to -appear in public without some protective -armour. Steel corselets were excellent in bygone -days, but are no use against a modern -rifle. The Archduke feared he might be shot -from a window. The secret that the Archduke -was wearing armour was known to half-a-dozen -people at most. The assassin must -have learnt it from a member of the Imperial -family.</p> - -<p>A number of reporters started for Sarajevo -that night to find out what had really happened -there on that dark Sunday. They were -turned back by the police. All letters from -individuals in Sarajevo were censored. The -telegraphic service was suspended. The police<span class="pagenum" id="Page_216">216</span> -were never even reprimanded for allowing the -heir to the throne to be assassinated. On the -contrary, the heads of the force were promoted -shortly afterwards.</p> - -<p>In Vienna the news was received with ill-concealed -satisfaction. Everyone, from Archduke -to crossing-sweeper, feared the day of his -coming to power. The story went out to the -world that the Archduke Francis Ferdinand -had been killed by Serbs. This was not true. -The young men concerned in the conspiracy -were Bosnians, and Austrian subjects. The -Government, however, saw that there was a -chance of forcing a war upon Servia. If -Austria could only prove that Servia had been -responsible for the crime, she could undertake -her long-planned “vengeance promenade” -to Belgrade with the assurance that -Europe would not interfere. Statesmen anticipated -no difficulty in fastening the guilt on -Servia, as the murders of King Alexander and -Queen Draga were not forgotten. Austria, -however, forgot her own black record. Emperor -Maximilian of Mexico had been shot. It -was always felt that more might have been done -by his own family for his safety. Empress -Elizabeth had been assassinated at Geneva. -Her decease was most convenient. The<span class="pagenum" id="Page_217">217</span> -country was wearied of hearing of the pilgrimage -of the heartbroken woman through Europe. -Crown Prince Rudolf, who was much too -popular, had also been murdered mysteriously. -The persons concerned in his death had all been -exiled. They had been sent to South America, -but pensions sufficient to keep them in luxury -for the rest of their lives had been bestowed -upon them. These riches were only held on -condition that the fearful night at the lonely -hunting-box near Vienna was never mentioned. -Emperor Francis Joseph had thus lost his three -nearest relatives by assassination.</p> - -<p>The news of the Archduke’s assassination -was only discussed in whispers in Vienna. -Everyone was afraid of arrest. Nevertheless, -no one thought of accusing Servia. Archduke -Francis Ferdinand was the one man in all the -country who favoured the Slavs. His wife’s -influence would secure advancement at Court -for every man with Slavonic blood in his veins. -The Germans feared that they would be overrun -with them. While Austrians and Hungarians -generally detested the Archduke, the -Slavs loved him devotedly. It was clear that -neither the Austrian Slavs nor Servia had any -interest in the Archduke’s death. They had -everything to lose.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_218">218</span></p> - -<p>The Imperial family was most anxious for -his death. Archduke Frederick had never forgotten -the slight put upon his daughter.</p> - -<p>The assassin had definite instructions to -murder the Duchess Hohenberg. Such orders -could only come from persons actuated by -motives of personal hatred. No one else in the -world desired her death. Women, especially -aristocrats and the mothers of families, are held -in great veneration in Slav countries. It is -certain that had the Bosnians arranged the plot, -the Archduke would have been shot, but the -morganatic wife spared. She was not even a -member of the Imperial family. Why should -she be sacrificed?</p> - -<p>The remains of the Archduke and his wife -were brought to Vienna. The Austrians, a -Catholic people, and accustomed to exaggerated -respect being paid to the dead, were -deeply shocked at the funeral arrangements. -The Imperial family wished that every possible -insult should be shown to the remains of the -defunct lady-in-waiting.</p> - -<p>Italians living in Trieste describe with horror -the landing of the coffins, which were brought -from Bosnia by sea. They had no cause to -love the Archduke, but were outraged by the -disrespect to the dead. The sailors who carried<span class="pagenum" id="Page_219">219</span> -them from the ship let one coffin drop upon the -quay through carelessness. It lay there until -they had taken breath and felt inclined to -resume their burden. The funeral arrangements -in Vienna were of a very third-class -order. The Austrians said: “The Imperial -family has no respect—not even for death. -Their hate pursues its victims beyond the -tomb.” The city was filled with reports of unseemly -disputes about the funeral arrangements. -The Imperial family wished to separate -the pair of lovers, who had been so loyal to -each other in life, and bury them separately. It -was an outrage, they said, that any Habsburg -should walk behind the coffin of a morganatic -wife. Finally, it was arranged that the coffins -should lie in state side by side in the Hofburg -Chapel. The Chapelle Ardente was poorly -fitted; trappings for a third-class funeral were -used. The military party in Austria-Hungary -was indignant that such an insult should be put -on a soldier. Old men, dressed in their uniforms -ablaze with Orders and military decorations, -entered the sombre chapel, which was not -even properly supplied with candles. Bursting -with indignation and rage, they knelt and said -a short prayer for the dead. The deep-toned -mutterings sounded more like cries for vengeance<span class="pagenum" id="Page_220">220</span> -than prayers for the souls of the departed. -Bohemian nobles came into the chapel. They -glared at the unseemly sight. Everything was -poverty-stricken.</p> - -<p>Early in the morning a huge crowd had -gathered to take part in the procession in front -of the coffins. Every Austro-Hungarian subject -has the right to see the face of the deceased -monarch or of the heir to the throne after death. -The Archduke’s coffin was sealed down. His -face could not be exposed; his head had been -so disfigured. But, nevertheless, the Ringstrasse -was filled with people. They were permitted to -enter the chapel in single file. The police on -the great Ringstrasse sent many home, assuring -them that their turn to enter the Hofburg would -never be reached. This show of popular sympathy -had enraged the Court. When the -funeral procession was on its way to the station -in Vienna after the lying-in-state, an unrehearsed -incident took place. A large number -of Bohemian aristocrats, with Prince Max Egon -Fürstenburg at their head, assembled in one of -the squares. They were either in costume or -uniform, and were wearing the arms that belonged -to their rank—short daggers, for the -most part. They walked bareheaded behind -the funeral as chief mourners to show their<span class="pagenum" id="Page_221">221</span> -respect to Duchess Hohenberg, a member of -the Bohemian aristocracy, and their resentment -at the insults that had been heaped upon her -head. Who were the proud Habsburgs to treat -a Bohemian and a woman in such a way? Their -whole attitude was not one of mourning, but of -protest.</p> - -<p>The final scenes took place at Arstatten, -beyond the Danube. They were disgraceful -beyond anything that had happened before. A -violent storm forced the funeral <i lang="fr">cortège</i> to take -refuge in an inn. The mutes became offensively -drunk. Ghastly stories of the coffins -being knocked off the chairs that were supporting -them were circulated in Vienna. These -may have been exaggerated. There was, however, -some truth in the tales of impiety.</p> - -<p>There was no one responsible in charge of -the funeral. This was extraordinary, as the -most unimportant Court ceremonies are always -managed by experts long trained to do the right -thing. Nothing is left to chance or accident. -But the Archduke, the heir to the throne, was -buried with less respect than would have been -shown to an employé in the Court service had -he died that week.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_222">222</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_222">CHAPTER XXV<br> - -<span class="subhead">WHY GERMANY DECIDED UPON WAR</span></h2> -</div> - -<p>Austria-Hungary had long been anxious to -go to war. She had been straining at the leash -for years. The peaceful issue to the Annexation -crisis had not pleased Austrian statesmen. -They were still less satisfied at the check put -upon their aggressive plans at the time of the -signing of the Treaty of Bucharest. In the -first instance, the credit of preserving peace was -entirely due to Germany. She was not ready. -On the second occasion, Italy’s refusal to fight -against the Serbs or to stand by Austria in an -aggressive war was probably the decisive factor, -for then Germany was ready, and only waiting -for a good pretext to break the peace of Europe.</p> - -<p>When Kaiser Wilhelm heard of the assassination -at Sarajevo he immediately saw that -the chance so long sought had come. Such an -opportunity would never occur again. But he -knew that he must play his cards with skill.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_223">223</span> -The Emperor of Austria would be delighted at -a chance of punishing Servia, for her statesmen, -who felt secure under the protection of -Russia, had used expressions in parleying with -Austria that irritated the aged Emperor. He -could not brook that small Balkan States of -very recent growth should place themselves on -a level with the Austro-Hungarian Empire. -His councillors succeeded in making him believe -that the Serbs were responsible for the -crime of Sarajevo. The aged Emperor, perhaps, -had some suspicion of the truth. He -did not want to know it, however. Providence -had intervened and removed an obnoxious personage, -and had at the same time given Austria -a chance of thrashing Servia. The Emperor -considered that the thrashing was long overdue. -Why should he, the faithful son of the -Church, inquire too closely into events that had -fallen out so propitiously? The Emperor, -however, only wished to send a punitive expedition -to Belgrade. Gunboats could bombard -the capital from the Danube, and Austria’s -honour would be satisfied. The Emperor in -no wise wished for a war with Russia. Apart -from other considerations, he was bound in -honour not to seek a quarrel with the “peace” -Czar. When the Annexation crisis was at its<span class="pagenum" id="Page_224">224</span> -height, Emperor Francis Joseph sent Prince -Hohenlohe to St. Petersburg with an autograph -letter, begging the Czar to allow him to end his -days in peace. The terms in which this document -was couched made it almost impossible -for Austria to seek war with Russia so long as -Emperor Francis Joseph was at the head of -affairs. It was a breach of the honour that reigns -among monarchs, for the appeal had been made -as from a brother-sovereign. Kaiser Wilhelm -was aware of this. But he was ready to stoop to -any crime to accomplish his object. He and his -councillors decided that the aged man at -Schönbrunn could be deceived. He must think -that the war would be merely a local affair. -The Austrians, too, were longing to show their -prowess against Servia, but a war with Russia -would not be popular either in Austria or Hungary. -It is doubtful whether any Austro-Hungarian -statesman who understood the situation -would have consented to acts that must inevitably -lead to a European war. The idea of -a series of small wars, first against Italy and -then against the mutinous Balkan States, was -favoured in Vienna. Kaiser Wilhelm had a -singular talent for discovering unscrupulous -men. The German Ambassador in Vienna, -Count Tchirsky, was a complete tool in the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_225">225</span> -hands of the Kaiser. He did not hesitate to lie -to Count Tisza when occasion occurred. Count -Tisza is a man of peculiar loyalty, and he could -not understand utter unscrupulousness in another. -Moreover, like all aristocrats, he was at -a disadvantage in dealing with Germans, as he -was a gentleman and his opponents were not. -He was always at Budapesth, and therefore -had no chance of watching the machinations -employed by the Germans in Vienna. With -Count Berchtold the German Ambassador had -an easy task. The Count did not take things -seriously, and fell into the toils spread for him -by German statesmen. He really believed that -the Emperor was an old man in his dotage, and -neglected the other side of his character. In -spite of his age and weakness, the Emperor -Francis Joseph had enjoyed a unique experience -as the oldest reigning monarch in Europe, -and was able through this to judge of any -question with an acumen exhibited by few -politicians.</p> - -<p>Germany decided that the moment for letting -a European war break loose had come, and her -reasons for this decision were weighty. The -most important of all was the “Slav danger,” -as it was generally called in Germany and Austria-Hungary. -Twenty years ago the German<span class="pagenum" id="Page_226">226</span> -family averaged sixteen to eighteen children. -In Austria, too, large families had been the rule. -The Magyars in Hungary still boasted big -families, but the cancer that had bitten into -German social life was beginning to be seen -there, too. The one-child family had become -the fashion in Germany. The mode was -adopted by the Germans in Austria. Statesmen -scolded, and proposed to tax bachelors and -childless couples. But they were unable to -stop the terrifying decrease in the population. -Meanwhile, the Slavonic races in both Germany -and Austria and Hungary multiplied very -rapidly. Military men complained that regiments, -officers and men, were composed entirely -of Slavs, because there were not sufficient -Austro-Germans or Magyars. It was impossible -to enter a room where men of purely German -extraction had assembled without hearing -of this “Slav danger,” which hung like a nightmare -over the ruling races in Germany. Austria -and Hungary saw their preponderance -threatened. They doctored statistics to hide -the truth. This was of little use. The Slav type -was unmistakable. Slavs did not care to intermarry -with Germans, and the race remained -purely Slavonic, although Serbs and Czechs -often intermarried. A war would afford an opportunity<span class="pagenum" id="Page_227">227</span> -of reducing the Slav population. The -military authorities had arranged to place the -regiments composed of subject-races in the -front of the battle so that they might be killed -off. In 1914 leading men in both Germany and -Austria-Hungary considered that war was inevitable -within the next five years if they were -to retain their supremacy.</p> - -<p>The financial factor, too, was largely responsible -for hastening the date of the war. -Large sums had been spent on armaments in -both Germany and Austria-Hungary far beyond -the capacity of either country. Taxation had -risen imperceptibly, and with it the cost of -living. This had affected the middle classes. -It is doubtful whether the families of officials -in State employ and army officers ever got a -really satisfactory meal in the last years of preparation. -Men dressed in gorgeous uniforms, -and with Orders and decorations that showed -their rank, walked about the streets gaunt and -hungry-looking.</p> - -<p>People said, “This cannot go on.” Statesmen -saw that it would be revolution or war. -Austria was faced with bankruptcy unless she -could fight a successful war which would open -fresh regions for exploitation and relieve her -of her surplus Slavs.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_228">228</span></p> - -<p>Undue importance was attached to news of -unrest in Great Britain, both in Germany and -Austria-Hungary. Spies, men who were only -too ready to believe that Britain was at her last -gasp, brought back reports that a revolution -was about to break out. The Irish question -was misunderstood. The greed and hate that -had been nurtured in every German heart prevented -the spy from exercising any judgment, -while the statesmen who should have controlled -their reports had also lost their usual faculty of -calm judgment in the bitterness of their hate. -The woman question, which was seen in its -ugliest aspects abroad, made the Germans -realise that there was something wrong. Why -were they so discontented? What had been -done to render them so bitter? The question -was asked in the Press and in public, and no -explanation was forthcoming.</p> - -<p>Jews who travelled throughout Europe on -business brought back evil reports of conditions -in England. They said that they had searched -the length and breadth of the land for a capable -business man to push their interests. They had -returned from their quest unsatisfied. Germans -and Austrians who had resided in England explained -this by saying that all the better elements -in the country had emigrated long ago.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_229">229</span> -Men could find no work unless they had -influence. These facts were confirmed by -observation, and undue importance was attached -to them, single examples being too -hastily accepted as indicative of the general -state of things.</p> - -<p>The preference shown by English business -men for German clerks was regarded as another -proof that the English were “a back -number.”</p> - -<p>If Britain were degenerating, Russia was on -the up-grade. She was arming. She was reforming -her public offices. Large loans had -been contracted, and she was about to build -railways to the frontier. The Austro-Russian -front in Galicia bristled with fortresses. Every -week brought news of some new fortifications, -made either on the Austrian or the Russian side. -The Slav peoples in the Balkans were also on -the up-grade. Everywhere the Germans saw -themselves surrounded by Slavs, who were -educating and improving themselves.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, not only the German people, but -the German army, was deteriorating. Nasty -stories, like <i>The Small Garrison</i>, were being -written, describing life in small garrison towns. -The Austrian and Hungarian officers were also -suffering from the corrupt life which they led.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_230">230</span> -It was very uncertain whether they would have -the necessary nerve to take the initiative at a -crisis. Kaiser Wilhelm saw that the time was -not far distant when his officers would be as -bad as the Austrians. It was bad policy to -wait until the growing evil that had corrupted -the Austro-Hungarian army had infected his -own.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_231">231</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_231">CHAPTER XXVI<br> - -<span class="subhead">DIPLOMATIC METHODS: A COMPARISON</span></h2> -</div> - -<p>Diplomacy had succeeded in keeping the -peace on two former occasions. In Western -Europe it was believed that it would be successful -again. Austria’s intention of going to -war was not regarded as serious. The European -financier especially could not bring himself -to believe in war. Some of the ablest men -in Europe sat in the open-air café on the Ringstrasse, -unable to close an eye in sleep for fear -that they should miss news of supreme importance -and not be there to “cover” at the critical -moment. At two in the morning the great -houses on either side of the street shook as the -motors carrying the big guns rumbled past the -café. They were taken off at dead of night -and deposited on the low-lying ground near -the Danube. Next morning the great gun was -taken to pieces. One half of the immense<span class="pagenum" id="Page_232">232</span> -engine of destruction was slung on big hooks on -a frame made for the purpose. It looked like -a great hollow cradle that would have provided -sleeping accommodation for a couple of men -as it swirled and rocked when the train took a -steep gradient. “Why have they brought out -their big guns, which are so difficult to transport -on the steep gradients in this mountainous -country, if they do not mean business?” -“Merely to frighten Servia and cow her into -submission.” “Then why is everything being -done so secretly?” “Merely to heighten the -effect,” was the reply. Foreign diplomacy was -not so blind, but it sat tight, and refused to give -any opinion.</p> - -<p>The State controls the railways in Austro-Hungary, -excepting for one or two lines. The -great termini in Vienna lie at different ends of -the city. Ordinary passengers had to cross the -town in cabs. The Orient express, however, -was allowed to make use of the military communication -railway to save time. This circular -railway joined up all the big junctions. It had -been constructed for purely military purposes -to pass troops and munitions from one station -to the other quickly and secretly. In solitary -places, sidings, with an iron pontoon for heavy -guns, and perhaps an immense crane, stood<span class="pagenum" id="Page_233">233</span> -moss-grown and idle. They were ready against -the great day when Austria would go to war. -The chief preparations were made in the Prater, -an Imperial park that had been thrown open to -the public many years before. In the waste -swamp-land behind the park, which stretched -down to the main stream of the Danube, there -were cranes used for unloading barges that -came up the river from the Balkans, and that -also served for the mobilisation. Just beyond -this ground there was a café much frequented -by the diplomatists of Vienna. Close by was -the British Golf Club. The café had, no doubt, -come into fashion because the chiefs of the -Diplomatic Service in Austria congregated there -to meet military men, who took their morning -ride, where they could supervise the training of -recruits, in the waste land beyond. But the -position of the golf ground needed explanation. -Who had chosen to plump the course right in -the midst of the probable scene of any military -preparation?</p> - -<p>No answer will ever be made to this question. -The British diplomatist, when he has a streak -of Celtic blood in his make-up, is undoubtedly -the finest in the world. He has the great gift -of silence. Other men of great repute and long -training always envy the Englishman his imperturbable<span class="pagenum" id="Page_234">234</span> -face, which serves him as a complete -mask. Nothing provokes him into a display -of emotion; his habitual calm prevents the -enemy ever surprising him into a betrayal of -his country’s secrets by a smile or a grimace. -This is a unique gift. The secret police in every -city of Europe will tell you that there is no -catching an Englishman off his guard. His -news is always sound. He does not care for -information from doubtful sources; he misdoubts -the foreigner and all his ways. He -takes endless trouble in following up clues, but -will not venture to draw conclusions. He is -careful never to compromise himself by employing -unworthy tools, and is never in -“trouble” with the authorities or under suspicion -like other diplomatists.</p> - -<p>Unfortunately, there are always too few of -him. He is hampered by having no residents -in the British colony that he can consult. The -first years of a diplomatist’s life in a foreign -country are occupied in learning the lie of the -land. Until he is acquainted with the rudiments -of the language and the significance of -the utterances of the different papers, he can -do no useful work.</p> - -<p>The German diplomatist, a man without a -vestige of imagination, ignorant of the very<span class="pagenum" id="Page_235">235</span> -first rules of diplomacy, unaware of the meaning -of delicacy in his conduct as the guest of a -foreign monarch, nevertheless frequently contrives -to defeat his opponents. Why is this? -How is it done? The German would be incapable -of producing the results that he has -been able to show were it not for the powerful -“hand behind the throne.” Diplomatists at a -Court like Vienna must be noblemen, and it -is a matter of general knowledge that German -aristocrats are not astute as a general rule. -They have no conception of anything beyond the -obvious. Hints and allusions are quite thrown -away upon them. Now a diplomatist must be -a man of very delicate perceptions. It may be -safely said that such a thing does not exist in -Germany. The Prussian especially is very -obtuse. The Germans possess one great virtue. -They are aware of their deficiencies. The -diplomatist, who feels he is lacking in all the -essential qualities of a politician, takes a -partner—a very active partner, who is never -seen or heard, but, none the less, is responsible -for much of the work. He is a Jew, -who manages the whole organisation of the -work. He finances the diplomatist. German -diplomatists are not paid much in proportion -to the show that they are expected to make.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_236">236</span> -Everything is “solid,” but nothing more. -The Government, however, authorises an -almost unlimited expenses account. This -money is not squandered. Much is spent in the -form of tips to persons who may be of use. -No other diplomatist could venture to pay -small sums of money to all sorts of doubtful -persons in the first years of his residence at a -foreign Court. Such persons might be, and -probably are, spies of the Government, or -members of the secret police. The German -diplomatist is not troubled with these doubts. -On entering his embassy he finds a record of -all the work, clean and unclean, done by his -predecessors, and the financial man, who has -been in the post for years, in charge. Every -successful means of getting information is suggested -to him. He thus gets the benefit of the -experience of his predecessors, avoids their -mistakes, and improves on their methods, as -every new man can. No German nobleman -could carry on this business unaided. The Jew -is a man of business, <i lang="fr">par excellence</i>. His principle -is, “Never take anything without paying -for it.” He not only pays for any little service -rendered, delicately considering the feelings of -the recipient, and where gold would give -offence he sees that an order, or, perhaps, a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_237">237</span> -much-coveted title is bestowed, but he always -makes sure that the recipient is satisfied. A -Jew, concerned in statecraft, will never allow a -tool, however humble, to go away discontented, -for if he did he would have made him a dangerous -enemy, instead of a grateful servant.</p> - -<p>A young diplomatist starting for the Balkans -will carry a set of instructions which regulate -his every act in everyday life. “Put up at -the —— Hotel.” “Give the waiter at the -—— restaurant a big tip ... not sufficient to -excite suspicion, but enough to render him -communicative.” “Find means of getting to -know the big German manufacturer at —— -without being seen with him too much.” “Cultivate -the men connected with travel bureaux as -much as possible without compromising your -position.” Imagine a young Englishman told -off to cultivate men behind a counter! But the -proud German will make any sacrifice, willingly, -and, indeed, counts it no loss, for he is -never a snob. Snobbism is unknown in either -Germany or Austria-Hungary. Diplomatists -are always born within the magic circle. They -are always men belonging to families admitted -to Court functions. This means an ancient -family. Persons outside this circle are not regarded -as equals. Far from it. They are so<span class="pagenum" id="Page_238">238</span> -far removed from the nobility that they are -looked upon as people of different flesh and -blood. The German aristocrat thinks of the -commoner somewhat as the Spaniard of the -Southern States regards a nigger. But just -because he condescends, he is very polite. The -poor commoner must not guess his feelings. -He can treat him as a friend and a brother -without any risk of suffering loss of caste in -the eyes of his peers. Where comparison is -impossible there is no fear of his losing rank by -associating with men of a different mould.</p> - -<p>The young Englishman might speak in the -street to a prominent fellow-countryman engaged -in trade. Never, however, would he condescend -to sit down at one table with his vulgar -wife, and thus make a willing slave of him for -ever. The Jew, watching the steps of the new -diplomatists, is very careful to ascertain that -any favour conferred will be accepted with -gratitude, otherwise it is never offered.</p> - -<p>The German diplomatist always speaks a -number of languages, sometimes with a slight -accent, sometimes like a native. He learnt them -in the nursery. The British diplomatist usually -speaks the language of the country to which he -is accredited more or less fluently, but he -seldom knows a second language. French is<span class="pagenum" id="Page_239">239</span> -the language of the Balkans. But the variety -spoken is very unlike pure Parisian. It is only -possible to converse with Albanian princes, -Turkish pashas, Rumanians, and other people -from the south if one’s knowledge of French is -very exact. Fluency in French makes intercourse -with Italians and Russians easy, as they -all speak it. A man who has business in the -South or in the Tyrol should also speak Italian. -The people there know German as well as -Italian, but dislike speaking it. They feel mistrust -towards anyone who uses the tongue of -the oppressor. Besides they do not care to -discuss politics or give information of any kind -in a language that every spy or would-be spy -within hearing can understand. No commercial -traveller would start off without a thorough -knowledge of the languages prevalent in the -country in which he was to do business, but -there is a great laxity of views in regard to the -standard of linguistic talent required in the -diplomatist.</p> - -<p>The members of Embassies and Legations of -the British Empire are, for the most part, purely -British. Any strain of foreign blood impairs -their usefulness to such an extent that this is -well. The foreign politicians who deal with -members of the Diplomatic Corps naturally<span class="pagenum" id="Page_240">240</span> -mistrust any half-breeds, as they call them. -They prefer to have to deal with a prospective -enemy who declares his feelings openly, rather -than to be obliged to negotiate with the son of -a German mother, who may be secretly inclined -to favour his mother’s race and make concessions -that will not be ratified by the home -Government.</p> - -<p>If the British Diplomatic Service is unique -in its special line because it is homogeneous, -the men being all of the same type as their -<i lang="fr">confrères</i> in the Home Office or War Office at -home, the same cannot be said for the Consular -Service, which, especially in remote parts of -Europe, is of but small or no benefit to Britain, -while it has been of immense advantage to her -rivals in trade. In cases where there is a -genuine Briton at the head of affairs, he -naturally takes a British view of all disputes -that come along and form his daily work. But -he is a startling exception. Most of the men -in the Consular Service were Germans or -natives; they gave their services for nothing, -saying that the title lent them importance. It -did. It enabled them to interfere in the thousand -and one difficulties that are always arising -between shippers and the Government—their -own Government—and to place the British case<span class="pagenum" id="Page_241">241</span> -in a bad light. The shipper, not knowing the -language, was quite helpless, and went back -home the poorer in cash and disheartened. His -owners were annoyed, and decided that they -would cease to carry on dealings with the -country in question. A German firm was quite -ready to rush in to benefit by the facts which -the consul had carefully ascertained during the -negotiations, and snap up the trade. The German -consul usually gave away large sums of -money among the indigent in the British colony, -and thus placed himself in a position that was -very difficult to assail. If any powerful resident -felt that the consul was not acting altogether -in British interests, the latest subscription, -probably a princely donation to some -British charity, caused him to revise his hasty -judgment. A man so truly charitable could not -be guilty of meannesses such as he had suspected. -He did not realise that the consul put -the thumping big subscription down in his -expenses account, entered as “Money to blind -British residents.” The British merchant -prince, perhaps, did not care to assist some -poor countryman; he left it to the consul, who -took the money ostensibly from his own pocket, -and the Englishman, ashamed at his niggardliness, -felt that his mouth was effectually shut,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_242">242</span> -even when he was more than doubtful about -some action taken with regard to his country’s -interests. These things happened in many -places, and led British subjects living abroad -to regard justice and law as non-existent so far as -they were concerned. They were forced to have -resort to all kinds of subterfuges to obtain the -most elementary rights. They avoided litigation -at any cost, for they knew that with a German -consul it could only go against them. Old -residents who knew the language and customs -of the country were able to carry on business -even in the German strongholds, for, after all, -the Englishman is the best business man in the -world. But they had to work at a disadvantage. -Germans stood ready to take up the trade should -the creator of the connection be ill or die. And -the resident consul was always ready to replace -the Englishman by his own man.</p> - -<p>In places where there was a British consul -all this was different. The authorities, feeling -that a strong hand would protect British -subjects, hesitated to attack any one of them -without due cause. In these cities the British -subject enjoyed the same immunity from unwarranted -interference as the Italian. The -Italian consul, at the cost of much inconvenience -and annoyance to himself, would stand by<span class="pagenum" id="Page_243">243</span> -a fellow-citizen until he obtained his rights. The -authorities, knowing this, were frightened to -interfere with any man who was carrying on a -legitimate business. The Italian consul knew -that he had his Government behind him in -protecting Italian trade, and that his mission -was to carry on warfare with the German; -nor did he scruple to use the same -weapons as his adversary. He was even -capable of going one better. Perhaps of all -the peoples of Europe the Italian alone understands -the peculiar character of the German—an -experience that has been bought at the price -of much suffering. He knows that it is fatal -to wait until the German takes the offensive. -The blow must come from the other side. -Then the German’s indolence will make him -careful of provoking an adversary of this calibre -a second time. The Prussian is essentially a -bully; he can only be brought to reason by a -frontal attack, and those who know him will -not hesitate to make it with or without excuse, -provided they get in the first blow, for the -struggle must come sooner or later.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_244">244</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_244">CHAPTER XXVII<br> - -<span class="subhead">PUNITIVE EXPEDITION OR WORLD-WAR?</span></h2> -</div> - -<p>Germany and Austria-Hungary hastened on -their preparations. Transports of munitions -were hurried to the front. The building of the -new War Ministry in Vienna, which had long -been proceeding, was hurried on. The Government -did not care to go to war with all the -mobilisation plans lying in the old building. It -was situated in a crowded part of the city close -to the flower market. It would have been very -easy to blow up the entire structure. Many of -the Slavs within the Empire would not have -hesitated to use their opportunity of throwing -everything into confusion. The new War -Office on the Ringstrasse, built in the newest -and worst style of architecture, was easily -guarded.</p> - -<p>The German preparations were on a much -vaster scale than those made in Austria-Hungary.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_245">245</span> -Germany was preparing for a world-war, -Austria-Hungary for a punitive expedition -against Servia. Austria has always been -solicitous of the good opinion of other countries. -She now sent out batches of official -despatches intended to incriminate Servia in -the eyes of Europe. Germany, who cared little -upon what pretext she began the Great War, -and knew that she must earn hatred for herself -throughout the civilised world, did nothing to -prepare the world. She knew that it was a -general war. Why waste time and efforts in -justifying Germany’s right to be “über alles”? -Conquerors of the world do not stop to explain -their methods.</p> - -<p>As the weeks went by Austria-Hungary -began to weaken in her resolve. German -diplomatists noticed the hesitation. They suggested -that a stiff Note should be sent to -Servia. When the text of the famous Note -appeared, it was noticed that the phraseology -was not Austrian. It was not couched in the -soft language—a sort of modified German—spoken -on the banks of the Danube, but in the -rude terms heard farther north. Everyone said -that the text of the Note had been written in -Berlin. It is just possible that Count Tisza -had been a party to it. He kept up constant<span class="pagenum" id="Page_246">246</span> -intercourse with Berlin, and may have visited -the Emperor or been consulted over the telephone. -The intention of the Note was clear. -No State with any claim to sovereign rights -could accept it. Austria-Hungary demanded -the right to send her own police to Servia to -investigate the crime of Sarajevo, although it -had been committed on Austrian ground by -Austrian subjects. No Serb was implicated. -The Austrian Government was unable to bring -any proofs of Servian complicity beyond vague -assertions that the assassin had received instruction -in military exercises in the ranks of a -volunteer corps in Belgrade. Austria relied -upon the strength of unproven assertions to -establish an absolutely untenable case. The -Note was not only couched in the most insulting -terms; it demanded an answer within forty-eight -hours. During those forty-eight hours -strong diplomatic pressure was brought to bear -upon Servia. She finally consented to eat -humble pie. She was willing to do this in -spite of her recent conquests. She had vanquished -Bulgaria and had added considerably -to the extent of her territory. Russia fully -appreciated her position. It was difficult for -any Government to accept the terms of such a -Note, for the people could not be expected to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_247">247</span> -understand the political necessity. Nevertheless, -at four o’clock on the fatal Saturday, news -was received from Belgrade that Servia had -resolved to submit. Her diplomatists said that -she had no choice. Her army was exhausted. -Her stock of munitions was low. She needed -all her available funds to carry on the work of -reconstruction of the devastated country. The -Albanians, in the newly acquired regions, were -giving continual trouble. They descended -from their mountains and stole cattle from the -Serbs. Expeditions had been sent against -them, but, as the Serbs said, the Albanians had -been accustomed from time immemorial to -make an annual descent into the plains for the -purpose of re-victualling, and the fact that the -land where their depredations were made belonged -to Servia instead of being a part of the -decrepit Turkish Empire made no difference. -Many of the Albanians hardly knew of the -change of government. They needed cattle -and corn, and naturally made raids to get it. -Servia, however, was forced to keep an army on -the frontier because of them.</p> - -<p>These considerations, and the pressure -brought to bear by the Russian Ambassador, -rendered Servia willing to consent to any terms.</p> - -<p>Russia stood by her small ally, and sent out<span class="pagenum" id="Page_248">248</span> -an official warning that she could “not remain -indifferent to Servia’s fate.” This softened the -natural chagrin felt by the small State in yielding -to Austria. Servia’s answer was a soft reply -to a rough question. She accepted most of the -cruel conditions imposed upon her, but desired -to refer one point to a Hague Convention. -Everyone in Austria considered the answer -sufficient. The news circulated in Vienna that -the crisis was over. An emissary from the -Vatican, who had been working hard for peace, -spread the joyful news through the city. His -face shone with satisfaction as he passed from -group to group in the waiting crowd. “It was a -near thing,” he said, “but the Serbs are well -advised to give in.”</p> - -<p>Big financiers breathed again, and some of -the newspapers began printing extra editions. -The editions were mere sheets of paper, distributed -gratis, as newspapers may not be -hawked in the streets in Austria. They quoted -an article in the Servian official paper, saying -that Servia was willing to give in to the -demands.</p> - -<p>Time went on; such information as could be -obtained from persons connected with foreign -diplomatic circles confirmed the news of peace.</p> - -<p>As evening set in the news was received that<span class="pagenum" id="Page_249">249</span> -the official answer from Servia had come. It -was quite satisfactory. The Austrian Government -had never thought of Servia’s making -such complete surrender. Many people started -off for week-ends in the country, sure that the -<i lang="fr">communiqué</i> that would be issued by the -Vienna Foreign Office that night would be -merely an elaboration of the news already -spread throughout the city.</p> - -<p>The Vienna Bourse, which had been falling -slowly and steadily ever since the assassination -of the Archduke, had reached its lowest -point that morning. Servia’s answer had -reached Vienna in time to effect a lightning -improvement, and prices were better than they -had been since the beginning of the crisis. -Thus there resulted the remarkable phenomenon -that prices were steady and firm on the -very day that a world-war was decided. The -Bourse was closed for many months after -the fatal Saturday, the official closing prices -remaining a remarkable testimony to the narrowness -of the margin between war and peace. -While the great financiers played on a peace -basis, others waited. Why was the <i lang="fr">communiqué</i> -not issued? Was there a hitch? It was known -that Count Berchtold, the Austro-Hungarian -Minister, had telephoned to Berlin. He wished<span class="pagenum" id="Page_250">250</span> -to consult with the Kaiser before accepting the -reply as sufficient. The German Government -said it was too late to retreat; Servia’s answer -must not be accepted, and counselled Berchtold -to recall the Austro-Hungarian Minister at Belgrade. -Count Berchtold followed Germany’s -advice; the news became known in Vienna very -quickly. Extra editions were distributed, saying -that the Minister had left Belgrade and -that diplomatic relations with Servia were -broken off. Austrian officials let it be known -that no declaration of war would be made, and -that a Great Power would not parley with -Servia. Gunboats had already started down -the Danube to bombard Belgrade. Austria -considered that a small force would be sufficient -to subjugate Servia, and in the city people -spoke of the promenade into Belgrade. This -news was circulated to make any subsequent -retreat or withdrawal impossible.</p> - -<p>No one thought of a great war that night, for -the news that Russia intended to stand by -Servia had been carefully kept back.</p> - -<p>Count Berchtold, having committed the -Government to war, had a difficult task before -him. It was very doubtful whether Emperor -Francis Joseph could be prevailed upon to sign -the order for a general mobilisation. Large<span class="pagenum" id="Page_251">251</span> -bodies of troops had already left for both the -Servian and Russian fronts, but no general -mobilisation could take place without an order -signed by the Emperor. The aged monarch -was anxious that Servia should be chastised. -But he did not wish to risk a world-war. He -was afraid of Russia, with her immense resources -both in men and material. It was now -that the long years of work accomplished by -German diplomacy in Vienna bore fruit.</p> - -<p>Tchirsky, the German Ambassador, visited -Count Berchtold. He showed him that Austria -must go to war or lose her position as a Great -Power in Europe. There would be a world-war, -but it must come. Germany intended to go -to Paris and St. Petersburg. This was an opportunity -such as might never come again. It -was only the question of dealing with the old -Emperor. If he knew the truth, he would never -sign the mobilisation order. Why should he -be consulted? He did not know of the Russian -Note. Why not keep it back until the irrevocable -decision had been taken?</p> - -<p>Berchtold listened to the voice of the tempter -and fell. He informed the Emperor that -Europe would look on with folded hands while -Servia was chastised for the assassination of the -Archduke. This seemed very natural to the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_252">252</span> -old autocrat. He was in residence at Ischl, as -usual in summer-time, and had no opportunity -of conversing with anyone who could have told -him the truth about Russia.</p> - -<p>It is doubtful whether Berchtold was fully -aware of the magnitude of the decision he had -taken upon himself. He was fully aware that -he was deceiving the Emperor, and excused his -conduct by his conviction that the ruler was no -longer capable of judging what was best for -the country. He had been attacked by the -Vienna Press for years. He was accused of -feebleness and weakness by Count Tchirsky’s -organs; now he would show strength and resolution. -As often happens with weak men, he -showed it at the wrong time.</p> - -<p>When the news of war was announced in -Vienna, the crowd immediately started for the -Servian Legation. The Serbs, with great -astuteness, had always chosen a legation that -could not be looted or even damaged without -the rest of the house being pulled down. They -always took the quiet apartments at the back -of one of the immense barrack-like houses that -line the great streets in Vienna. Demonstrations -had been made frequently in front of the -Legation during the last few weeks, and the -crowd reached the street to find it blocked by -troops. It then turned towards the Embassy<span class="pagenum" id="Page_253">253</span> -quarter. The Vienna police were well prepared. -Several regiments of soldiers had been -called out to assist them, and the Embassies -being for the most part close together, it was -easy to guard them. None the less, it was a -stirring night. The procession divided into two -streams. One went to the French Embassy, -the other turned its steps towards the Russian -and British Embassies. Neither Germany nor -Austria-Hungary imagined for an instant that -England would take part in the fight. They -were convinced that she would consider it to -her interest to remain neutral. The crowd, -however, with a correct instinct, regarded England -as an enemy. Three times the roughs -broke through the cordon of guards and rushed -upon the Embassy buildings, but were turned -back by the military. Those in command had -received very definite orders. The Embassies -were to be protected at all costs. Later on the -crowd wreaked its fury upon shops owned by -Serbs. They were gutted in a few minutes, and -no one interfered. The police even stood by -and admired the good work. Serbs and Russians -were maltreated in the streets. Terrible -incidents occurred. The police were to blame, -for it would have been easy to interfere. Just -as they had allowed the Mohammedans to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_254">254</span> -plunder the Serbs and appropriate their belongings -at Sarajevo after the assassination, so they -permitted the same thing to be done in Vienna. -A spirit was roused that will not be easy to -quell. The bloodthirstiness of the mob is easily -excited, but calming it is another matter, as the -old despots in France learned to their cost. -The latent quality of cruelty, which is hidden -beneath the more obvious characteristics of the -Viennese, was seen at its worst. Good-tempered -toleration gave way to bestiality. That spirit -of fair-play which habitually animates an Austrian -crowd was replaced by a desire for other -people’s belongings. The truce between the -members of the various races, kept for half a -century, was over. German and Slav were at -war. Racial hate flamed up. Passions that will -take long to cool were excited. The great and -tremendous struggle between the two great predominating -races in Eastern Europe, the Germans -and the Slavs, had begun.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_255">255</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_255">CHAPTER XXVIII<br> - -<span class="subhead">WHAT WOULD ENGLAND SAY?</span></h2> -</div> - -<p>Next morning the jubilant feeling that had -pervaded Vienna the night before was totally -gone. A reaction had set in. Everyone realised -that the war was not to be a punitive expedition. -It was a world-war. The telegram sent -by Russia was published to the world, and Austria -waited with ill-concealed anxiety to know -what England intended to do. Germany was -convinced of England’s neutrality; she was -certain that Italy meant to go in with the two -mighty Powers that were to sweep the European -chessboard with their mighty armies. -Austria-Hungary was not so confident as Germany. -She knew that Italy was a most uncertain -factor. With diplomatic cunning she had -concealed what she knew of Italy’s intentions -from her ally. She had feared that Germany -might not back her if she knew that the two<span class="pagenum" id="Page_256">256</span> -Central Empires would be forced to stand -alone. The Kaiser had always said that he -must have a fleet in the Mediterranean at call -before he began a world-war. If Italy stood -by him, everything was easy. Italy now declared -her neutrality. The Austrians expected -this, and worse; they said quite freely, “Now -that Italy has the chance, she will turn upon -us.” Guilty consciences helped them to realise -the truth. They had oppressed Italy for so -long that they never even expected her to do -anything but take advantage of the chance. -Her statesmen were pessimists. They could -never share Kaiser Wilhelm’s optimism. They -were aware that Austria had played the part of -tyrant, and did not expect gratitude. Unaccustomed -to keep treaties themselves, they did not -expect other people to consider them as binding -when a chance of doing better presented itself. -Austria, with her cynicism, came much nearer -the truth than Germany, who oppressed her -Slav subjects and then expected them to join -in the song of “Deutschland über Alles” and -to love the Fatherland.</p> - -<p>The Austrian politician, with a fineness of -perception to which his German <i lang="fr">confrère</i> is a -stranger, understood that England would go -in with her allies. Germany argued, “It is<span class="pagenum" id="Page_257">257</span> -Britain’s interest to remain neutral, to capture -the whole carrying-trade of Europe.” The -Austrian people hoped and believed that they -might be right, but her politicians had a conviction -that Britain would not fall into Germany’s -carefully-spread toils. The Austrians -also suspected that Britain knew more of Germany’s -aims than she acknowledged. They -always complained that Britain was an unknown -factor. No statesman laid his cards on the -table as the Germans or as they themselves did.</p> - -<p>Yet, having no cause to detest Britain, they -naturally understood her better than the Germans, -who were blinded by the bitterest hate.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile, European diplomacy was loth to -believe that the last chance of peace was gone. -Efforts were made to come to some agreement. -These attempts to keep a peace that was already -so seriously compromised were only forlorn -hopes. It is just possible that, in spite of everything, -they might have succeeded had it not -been for various pieces of trickery. Germany, -whose reputation for honesty still stood high, -did not hesitate to stop important telegrams -which were on their way to Austria. She had -made such costly preparations for war that she -considered that it would be inadvisable to withdraw -now. Austria was allowed no chance of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_258">258</span> -reconsidering her decision, although Germany -knew that it had been made upon false premises.</p> - -<p>The Viennese, now thoroughly frightened at -the future, wished ardently for peace. The war -for which they had clamoured turned out something -very different from what they had expected. -They would have to meet enemies on -all sides; only the frontier towards Germany -was safe. The city of Vienna was hastily -fortified. It was no use taking chances. Huge -mounds were thrown up on the immense March -plain beyond the Danube, where many battles -had been fought in the past. Meanwhile, the -public took enormous interest in the negotiations -which were still being carried on. Sir -Edward Grey was the most popular man in -the capital for several days. He had always -succeeded in keeping peace before. Would he -be able to do so again? The reply soon came. -Under similar circumstances he had been successful -twice before because Germany was not -ready. Now she had finished the last of her -preparations, and did not wish for compromise.</p> - -<p>When the news came that Britain was to -stand by Russia and France, there was a burst -of rage throughout the country. So much had -been hoped from her neutrality. “The English<span class="pagenum" id="Page_259">259</span> -were shopkeepers. Why had they not taken -the opportunity that fate afforded them and -become rich by supplying the belligerents with -arms and provisions?” asked the Austrians, who -now said that Germany had deceived them with -promises of Italian help and British indifference.</p> - -<p>The British living in populous centres felt -the sudden change of temperature. Instead of -being the most popular among the foreigners, -they were suddenly classed with the Italians, -who were the most detested. This change -affected people in various ways. Some stood -firm and were merely amused at the sudden -change; other Englishmen, middle-class gentlemen -of pure race who had lived for half a lifetime -in Austria and Hungary, were hastily -naturalised. This was hardly a matter for surprise. -They knew that the goods of British -subjects might be confiscated and their money -forfeited. Having worked all their lives for a -competency which they wished to enjoy in their -old age, they were naturally loth to see it disappear -before their eyes. In their newly-acquired -zeal for Austria, however, they could -not let the matter rest here. They wrote to the -local papers saying that they renounced their -country. They had always regretted their<span class="pagenum" id="Page_260">260</span> -nationality and had never been happy under -the rule of their rightful King. The Austrians -read these ebullitions with surprise. They said -that they were sorry that these men had chosen -to join their nation instead of another; they did -not want such skunks. The Government then -decided to ask all renegades of means to contribute -handsomely to the Red Cross funds. -Those who wished to remain in the country of -their adoption must give a third of their capital -to this object. The newly-made Austrians -hurried off to the British consul, only to discover -that, by becoming naturalised, they had -forfeited all right to the assistance usually -given to British subjects.</p> - -<p>In seaports in Austria and Hungary other -Englishmen denounced their friends and acted -as spies in the service of the Austrian Government. -They were men of means. Conduct -that might be condoned, if not excused, in -members of the poverty-stricken international -colony, which knows no country and floats from -capital to capital in search of a bare subsistence, -was regarded as detestable in men of pure -Anglo-Saxon nationality without the slightest -admixture of foreign blood.</p> - -<p>The women, curiously enough, trusted to the -Austrians and Hungarians to do them no ill.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_261">261</span> -British diplomatists, fearing for the younger -women, gave their last ready money to get them -out before the declaration of war; but the English -girls were not impressed with the necessity -of leaving. They were convinced that Austria -did not intend to imperil her chance of future -negotiation by ill-treating women and children.</p> - -<p>At the same time there was no show of love -for the enemy. They preferred to lose all they -possessed rather than to attempt to become -naturalised. In the same way the British sportsmen -went almost to a man to concentration -camps rather than toady to the enemy. These -men were born in Austria-Hungary for the most -part. Many came of families that were virtually -Austrian, as they had lived generation after -generation in the country. Some sporting instinct -had prevented their grandfathers from -taking out naturalisation papers. The same -feeling stopped the grandsons from any truckling -to the enemy.</p> - -<p>The most remarkable result of the war was -perhaps the stripping off of all pretences. -People who had always posed as being excessively -rich suddenly confessed themselves to -be paupers or to have lived beyond their means. -Brave men became cowards; and people whose -courage had often been doubted were revealed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_262">262</span> -as creatures of the old bulldog type. The -diplomatist had a difficult time. The consuls -dealt out passports by the hundred. Sometimes, -with a dozen girls all clamouring for -their papers at once and literally hanging on -to their coat-tails, they looked more like stage-managers -surrounded by chorus girls than anything -else. “My dear ladies, we are at war,” -a plaintive voice was heard. “You really must -put down the age you look.”... “No, I -don’t doubt your word; I know you are only -twenty-four, but at the frontier they will say the -passport is stolen.... Forty-five now ... -yes, that is more like it.” “No, it really can’t -be done.... As I told the lady over there, -you will have trouble when you want to cross.... -We know you have had a wearing life, and -are really much younger than you look ... six -children does take it out of one ... yes, yes -... fifty-five will do.”</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop"> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_263">263</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="toclink_263">CHAPTER XXIX<br> - -<span class="subhead">AUSTRIA’S AWAKENING</span></h2> -</div> - -<p>“Entrance to these barracks is forbidden.” -Sentries stood there to enforce the new -regulation. What did it mean? The steady -tramping of troops had been heard all night. -It was not the irregular tread of Austrians or -Hungarians, who walk rather than march. The -new troops kept step; they moved with the -precision of machinery. In a wineshop round -the corner from the barracks old Viennese -burghers were sitting, and although it was only -9 a.m. they were taking their mid-morning -lunch. They ate their rye bread and salami, -washed down by white wine from the vineyards -on the mountains round the city, which rivalled -champagne in taste. Slowly and deliberately -they discussed recent events. Prussian troops -had come on in the night. Vienna was under -German rule.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_264">264</span></p> - -<p>The Austrian troops were being hurried to -the front. Some were going to Galicia, others -towards Servia, and a third lot towards the -Italian front. “No one knows what the Italians -may do.... If only we had kept on good -terms with them, we could face the Germans to-day.” -“We must not grumble. It was a -choice—either fall into the hands of the Germans -or be overwhelmed with Slavs.” “I -prefer the Germans,” said a fair-haired burgher. -“They are kinsmen at least.” “Not the Prussians. -You don’t know the Prussians. They -are the last word in unscrupulousness.” “Clever -they are, but without any of the finer feelings. -Save us from the Prussians,” said another. -“The Slavs will prosper in spite of the war.” -“They are to be put into the front of the -battle.” “What will be the use of that? It is -only one generation, and there are large families -of children at home.” “The Slav mothers -will bring up their children to hate us for this. -We shall have more enemies within our borders.” -“The German children will die from -want and neglect. Their mothers are accustomed -to comfort, even to luxury; they cannot -till the fields and bring in the crops. But the -Slavs, who are used to poverty and hardship, will -weather the storm.” “Yes, you are right; that<span class="pagenum" id="Page_265">265</span> -is all we shall gain from this war—a Slavonic -Austria-Hungary overrun by Serbs and Croats, -who will trade with our Czechs.” “God save -us from the Prussians!” That was heard time -and time again as the Austrians realised that -the days of happy-go-lucky drifting were over -for ever, and that all their affairs were handed -over to the care of Prussians. The Austrian -always shows great delicacy of feeling. He -is not far behind the Frenchman in this. The -German does not know the significance of the -word. His dealings with Austrian officials, who -were suddenly superseded by Germans, were -on the mailed-fist principle. “The Prussian -could not behave decently, even if he tried!” -“Trample upon the weak; fling the incapable -into the street!” These were the bitter remarks -heard on all sides.</p> - -<p>The most imposing but saddest sight of all -during the mobilisation was the arrival of the -aged Emperor and his heir in Vienna. The -old man, seated in an open carriage, although -the heat was intense, stared at the vacancy in -front of him. His lips were tightly closed. -His heir, a stripling who looks much younger -than his years, looked right and left. The -crowd cheered and outdid itself in its expressions -of loyalty. There was no joy in the voices<span class="pagenum" id="Page_266">266</span> -of the people, but a lingering tone of regret. -“Was this the last time that the Emperor would -ride by in state?” “Was his place to be taken -by another?”</p> - -<p>The Vienna crowd, which had always been -sullen and refused to cheer when Kaiser Wilhelm -passed through the streets, had gauged -events with perfect justice. The old man and -the stripling—as they called the Archduke Carl -Francis Joseph—were totally unfit to cope with -the Kaiser. The Habsburgs would sink into -a subordinate position and be nothing more -than other German princes, once independent, -who had sunk into subserviency to the Prussians. -The people, with dim eyes, cheered -again. The Emperor had always been popular. -His general audiences, where he received all -and sundry who had a good case to lay before -him, his personal courage, which needed no -proof, and other kingly qualities, always endeared -him to the crowd. After ordering the -execution of large numbers of political criminals -in the days of his youth and middle age, he -sought to compensate for this in his old age by -pardoning many criminals. He could not be -induced to sign a death sentence. This mercy -shown towards men who richly deserved death -for their many crimes made him popular. The<span class="pagenum" id="Page_267">267</span> -crowd saw no discrepancy in the acts of a sovereign -who would slay a hundred men who attempted -to gain freedom for the country without -scruple in his youth, and in fear of punishment -after death, refused to permit wrongdoers -to be executed as the time of his passing away -grew nearer. They failed to understand the -Emperor’s motive. He hoped that Heaven -would overlook his former crimes towards the -subject-peoples if he could show a contra-account -of deeds of mercy.</p> - -<p>Archduke Carl Francis Joseph wore an imperturbable -expression. No one could fathom -the state of his mind. Was he merely thinking -of his own private affairs, or was he concerned -for the fate which hung over Austria-Hungary? -Who shall say? Did he prefer to live as a -ruler without responsibilities, like the King of -Saxony, to the toil of the life of a reigning -monarch? So many of the Habsburgs have -abdicated when the responsibilities of a throne -have descended upon them, so many members -of the Imperial family have left the pomp and -splendour of the Court for a quiet life in retirement, -that it is difficult to surmise what feelings -filled the heart of the young man as he looked -forwards to Armageddon.</p> - -<p>The Emperor’s feelings were plain. He had<span class="pagenum" id="Page_268">268</span> -always said, “Après moi le déluge,” but he -realised that the deluge would not wait for his -death. His reign, which had begun to the -sound of battle and dire defeat, was to end to -the death-song of the Empire. The sceptre -that his ancestors had confided to him was -slipping from his grasp. His adversaries had -been too much for him. Kaiser Wilhelm had -used methods which were not permitted even -to politicians. He had broken faith with his -ally. The Emperor, the keener man of the -two, was too old, and had not suspected the -depths of falsity under the mask of frank -bonhomie. Kaiser Wilhelm had even deceived -the Church, always the adviser and comforter -of the old Emperor.</p> - -<p class="p2 center bt"><span class="smaller">PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY R. CLAY AND SONS, LTD., -BRUNSWICK STREET, STAMFORD STREET, S.E., AND BUNGAY, SUFFOLK.</span></p> - -<section> -<div class="chapter"><div class="transnote"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="transnote">Transcriber’s Notes</h2> - -<p>Punctuation, hyphenation, and spelling were made -consistent when a predominant preference was found -in the original book; otherwise they were not changed.</p> - -<p>Simple typographical errors were corrected; unbalanced -quotation marks were remedied when the change was -obvious, and otherwise left unbalanced.</p> - -<p>Illustrations in this eBook have been positioned -between paragraphs and outside quotations. 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