EMPEROR FRANZ JOSEF.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 7 April 1926, Page 6

EMPEROR FRANZ JOSEF.

WILL MAibK PUBLIC IN VJLFINN A

CAREFUL PLANS WENT AWRY

Franz Jasßf’s last will, drawn up in 1901, was published at Vienna for the first time last month. The-document shows that the old emperor even then proivided against the possible breakdown in the Haipsiburg empire and the loss of the throne. In endeavqpring to settle part of his tremendous fortune permanently in .the Hiapsburg family as a trust fund his prudent foresight indeed caused* him to provide meticulously against everything—-from the possibility of some of his heirs divorcing, t,o others dying childless —everything which might happen to the Empire or the family except the situation which has actually come to pass, the wiping out by confiscation and inflation of so muoh of his fortune that his servants are suing hi© heirs in order to have their pensions valorized. In a document attached to the will and dated simultaneously, February 6,. 1901, the emperor, setting aside 60,000,000 crowns, then 12,000,000 dollars, of his fortune, as the Haipsiburg latifundfa, or family trust, says: “If in the course of time and historical development the monarchy form of Government should ibe changed l and> —God forbid—the crown should not remain with our house, then the .succession ' in tins latifundia should be governed only by private legal principles and the general civil code of 1811.”

Other parts of the ‘will, however, indicate the emperor did not consider this among the immediate) possibilities, but rather a remote danger which, because of the permanent character of this trust, had none the less to be considered. That he expected it to endure a few centuries instead of a few years after his death, is shown by the flourish with which the document begins: “We, loanees Joseph, first by the grace of God emperor of Austria (the full long list of his titles, following), are resolved to create out of our private inherited fortune a farniy latifundia of 60,000,000 crowns, consisting of our Bohemian and other estates, stocks, bond's and other assets which shall bear our name.” Has Bohemian and practically all other estates within their borders were confiscated by Gzedho-Slovakia, Austria and other succession estates, except Hungary, where the Hapsburgs retain their rights. No oompflete estimate of the emperor’s fortune is given out, but it is said to include 28 castles and estates, and 146,000,000 crowns in money assets, j more .than two-thirds of which were in j war loans. Most of the stocks and bonds he held are now considered 1 valueless as a result of the depreciation of the crown, though the Socialists prosecuting the case against the heirs to have the servants’ pensions paid in gold instead of paper crowns, assert that they have managed to save much of the emperor’s fortune. arranged FORI BURIAL, The emperor begins his will by asking that the usual masses be said for This soul, and ordains that his remains shall be buried in the C'apucine Church, as*'Was done in the case of some emperors. He then explains the latifundia, saying: “In order to enable my successors to diminish poverty and misery by distibuting aharitable gifts, which has always 'been my chief aim, I am resolved to establish latifundia profits which my successors shall enjoy.” No direct benevolent however, are made except the 'servants’ pensions. He names as direct heirs his daughters, Gusela and Valerie, and his granddaughter, ' the Archduchess Elizabeth Marie, wife of Priuce Otto WindischGtfjaetz, whose brother, Ludwig, has been arrested in the counterfeiting plot. All his fortune except the part making up the latifundia. is divided equally among the above three, four of his most important estates going 'to. Valerie, who is instructed to give others one-third of their value. As a matter of fact she retains only one oi them at Ischl, the Czechs not confiscating it when her husband, Archduke Francis Salvator, renounced bis Ha.psbuig rights. 'The emperor expresses thanks to his “'beloved peoples” for their love in good and bad tunes, the knowledge of which, he says, upheld him in carrying out his heavy burden as ruler, and he hopes his subjects will hold the same patriotic feelings towards his successor. He a;lso thanks the army and navy for their “heroic loyalty.” * “Their victories filled me with pride and 'their undeserved defeats worth .sorrow,” he says. “The prevailing spin: of the army and navy proves that my Successor can continue to count on it as in the past.” The reference to defeat is toe the Prussian War in 1866. The emperor did not see fit to make any changes ■to his will during the world war. A first codiciL dated November 16, 1913, attached to the will, settles a minimum income of 400,000 crowns yearly (now about 6 dollars) on the family of Archduke Ferdinand, who was assassinated six months .later at Sarajevo. Provision is also made for his morganatic* wife, who was killed with her husband.

A second codicil bearing date of June 29, 1916, proivdes for Prince Ottto Wiii-disch-Crraetz in view of his reconciliation with the emperor’s granddaughter, ail annual income of 50,000 crowns (now 75 cents) which the careful emperor says’can be paid in half-yearly installments. Otto is out oft' if he obtains a divorce. . He has long been separated from the archduchess, who is now a socialist city councillor of Vienna. Their unhappy marriage was only held together during the emperor’s life by his personal influence.