EX-EMPRESS’S ACTIVITIES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 246, 16 September 1932, Page 7

EX-EMPRESS’S ACTIVITIES.

AGAINST THE HOHENZOLLERNS

STANDS FOR A GREATER GERMANY.

The bitter hostility of one exiled royal house toward another, despite the protverbial comradeship in adversity, is revealed ill the interesting statement in the Sonn-und-Montags Zeitung of an anonymous Austrian legitimist monarchist who lias just returned to Vienna from Steenockcrzeel, says a Vienna message of recent date. The statement declares that recent overtures of the House of Holienzollern —believed to be connected with the hopes of a restoration in which both Hohenzollerns and Hapsburgs are indulging—toward tho House of Hapsburg met with a sharp rebuff. The exEmpress Zita declined to receive an emissary of tho German ex-Crown Prince, who had the mortification while waiting in the village of Steenockerzeel of learning that an emissary of ex-Prince Ruprccht of Bavaria was received. This marked display of favour for the house of Wittelsbach as against the house of Holienzollern was emphasised by Zita’s alleged pronouncement that sbo stood “for a greater Germany but against a greater Prussia.”

To the courier from Prince Rupprecht, says the Austrian legitimist leader, the ex-Empress said:— “In Berlin, Prussia and Germany are designedly confused. It is tho task of Bavaria to clear up this ancient error.”

Although during June Bavarian and Hungarian emissaries were received together when no Austrian monarchists were present, the ex-Emprcss, it is emphasised, pays close attention to Austrian developments, and has at tho moment a prominent Vienna industrial leader as her guest. Zita plays a very active part in supervising and coordinating those legitimist activities which are directed toward preparing the way for a restoration.

In a letter to tho Hungarian legitimists she urged close co-operation between Austria and Hungary and between all the Danube States in the interests of a possible restoration. She is strongly opposed to the whole Hitler movement, to which she attributes a Bolshevist character. The Austrian legitimist declares that it is quite untrue that Otto is playing an active part in politics. He confines himself to planting a black and yellow flag in tho name of each village on his map which confers honorary citizenship on him.