FRANZ FERDINAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2490, 1 May 1909, Page 6

FRANZ FERDINAND.

THE POWER BEHIND THE ATJS-

TRiAN THRONE

A “diplomatic correspondent” ' with twenty years’ experience of Vienna 'contributes to the “Daily Mail” an analysis of the personality of Franz 'Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria, whose restless activity is working "always in the background of Austrian policy, but of whom little is known outside his own country. He-it is,, says the writer, who is the ruling spirit of the Vienna Foreign Office. He remains in obscurity, and is surrounded 'by that mystery which is his chief desire and the source of his power.-

Franz Ferdinand rarely appears,in public; he detests publicity. - He has no more regard for the usual l standing rules of international relations than he has for the aspirations of his countrymen. He has no interest whatever in. popular movements or ambitions. The people are altogether beneath him. Neither is> there any love between him and the aged Emperor Franz Josef. But, owing to the family laws of the Hapsburg "dynasty, the. Emperor is ■forced, not only to listen to what the Archduke Franz Ferdinand says, but is also compelled to take his ■ wishes into consideration, whatever they may be. The Emperor Franz Josef, .who has over been the personification of right and honor, allows his personal feelings to be put into the background, and , yields to what he considers Ins obligations as. chief of .the; Hapsburg family, toward the man who will one day succeed him as chief. . ~ ' A tall, good-looking man, now m the forties, the Archduke has the long, oval Hapsburg face, and deep-set blueorev eves. He is. £in excul! , en'fc 1101 somail and likes to enioy from time to. time the. life of a country gentleman on 'liis large estates in Bohemia. He also "tikes an interest in. archaeology; and, with a liberal .hand, gives money to restore castles and historic buildings, chiefly in Bohemia. He is gifted musically. ' '' „ , , „ After a courtship of several years, lie married the Countess Cliotek, a gover'ness in the family of Archduke Frederic, compelling, by ■ the force of ms indomitable will, the consent of the Emperor to this morganatic marriage. When the time comes, that same indomitable will will try to forcc-tho Austrian Government to consent to the marriage being accepted as real, conferral" the rank of Austrian Empress upon the- Countess and granting to Her eldest son the right of succession. So far *s Hungary concerned he will probably find little difficulty. Hun-, "arian lawyers hold that Huugai ran h».w knows nothing of morganatic marriages, and that the son of the Arch--duke born in such wedlock is entitled to. Hungarian crown. '"The Archduke is a stauncli Roman Catholic and a great friend to the. A tican. He and the German Empeioi are also’ friends. Both regard them-, selves as men of destiny. Jho IGisei loses no opportunity of endearing him--self to Franz Ferdinand, and no doubt looks upon him as a trump card in the "reat international game ""Inch vuk begin in earnest when the aged Em. per or Franz Josef passes from tlie ; S> Tife Archduke represents in tempera- - ment the old traditional reactionary spirit of Austria, , and is. deeply hostile; to the spirit and conditions of the dm\nthe men .now at the head of Austrian affairs and of the common aftaiis in deference to the desires of the Aich duke. But in Hungary the people cue too strong for such compulsion, and poK&ta. St nil ready in tha personality of the d - ike an approaching menace to then liberties and" constitutional .lagiits. In Austria the Prime Minister, Baron Bec-k, lias been selected by Franz.; Ferdinand himself, and Baron von Aehrcntlial is the Archdukes own mouthpiece. The Archduke, particularly named him to the Emperor as Count Goiuchowski’s successor, and lie was called away from the -Austrian Embassy in bt. Petersburg to become the head or Austro-Hungarian foreign politics. Ever since Baron von Aelirentlial has been at the.head of affairs, Austua has changed her policy of tact and peacefulness .to a course of marked aggressiveness.." - , Whenever Baron von Aelirentlial bias hot been strong enough alone to get hie way, tlie Archduke has come an the scene himself. It will be remembered, for example, that the Archduke went personally to Budapest the other day to clinch matters concerning tlio annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Franz Ferdinand, as a matter or tact, has been for a long time profoundly dissatisfied with what he considers, the sleepy wavs of Austrian foreign policy. The article concludes by prophesying that when the Emperor Franz Josef dies, Franz Ferdinand will beooriie a greater power still, and, one may_ say, ,a greater danger —a danger to the general peace of Europe, and especially or Eli "land —a danger greater than Kaisci Wilhelm IT:, because the German Emperor never forgets/his English, connection while Franz Ferdinand has no link whatever with the English Royal Family. *