EX-KING’S ESCAPADE.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 June 1921, Page 11

EX-KING’S ESCAPADE.

KARL'S TRIP TO HUNGARY HOW’ THE WIRES WERE PULLED. (By Mrs. Julian Grande in Auckland Herald.) Geneva, April 7. A ‘great many people were doubtless astonished to learn that ex-King Karl had slipped out of Switzerland, through Austria, and back to Hungary, which he reached at Easter, iu the hope of again wearing not only the crown of St. Stephen, but also tlhat iaf Austria. Those, however, who watched the plottings at Prangins, where the ex-Sov-ereign of Austria-Hungary has been living for the last two years, were not astonished. The ex-King left Switzerland disguised with black beard and provided with a false passport, and he reached Buda Pest on Easter Sunday. The story of this escapade may read like a farce, or like an episode from a mediaeval romance, but in reality it is somewhat of a tragic comedy—an episode which, if prolonged, might have led to another war in Central Europe. Hungary’s neighbors—of this there can be no doubt—were actually mobilising such armies as they possessed, to march upon Buda Pest, had Karl continued to remain on Hungarian territory, even with, out a crown upon his head. Moreover, “Karlchen,” or Charlie, as he is called on the Continent, also wanted the Austrian crown, and evidently did not consider that half a sceptre is better than none, on the principle of half a loaf being better than no bread. Or rather, the monarchial plotters who pulled the wires and made this puppet of a figure dance to their pulling, considered it too great a -falling off for one who had once wielded the sceptre of Austria-Hungary to condescend to the crown of St. Stephen alone. MONARCHIST. FINANCE. A skilful novelist, such as Anatole France, for instance, could make an excellent satirical romance dealing with the way in which the monarchist propaganda in Switzerland and on the Continent generally has been financed and carried on since the deposition of .Karl Hapsburg. On the one hand, there was a host of pious ecclesiastics, and on the other an astute conclave of financiers, both male and female, all speculating on the chances of a Hapsburg restoration. Should this event come to pass, the former were to receive such ecclesiastical preferment as would enable them to devote their abilities still more whole-heartedly to the glorification of

the Church; while the latter were to be enabled to adorn themselves with highsounding titles to match their dazzling diamonds, by which alone and by their loud voices they have hitherto attracted attention in the palatial hotels which they inhabit in Switzerland. That the clerical party in Hungary should > desire the restoration o-f the monarchy is conceivable. No king, no bishop. But that they should enter into an unholy and doubtless highly uncongenial alliance with financiers whose one god is Mammon, can only be explained by dire necessity. Strange as it may seem, these Austrian and Hungarian monarchists have never lacked funds for propagandist purposes, despite the fact that their own money has long hardly been worth picking up in Switzerland. One hundred Hungarian kronen are even now only worth about 2 frs. instead of 163 frs., while a hundred Austrian kronen are worth.about 1.50 frs.

To my personal knowledge the Hungarian Government itself owes a leading Swiss newspaper agency about 27,000 Swiss francs for newspapers and cuttings supplied for the last three years, and actually had to plead inability to pay this debt, which amounts in kronen to about 1,800,000 kr. Yet at Prangins the Press propagandist office was receiving newspapers and cuttings from almost all over the world, employing a staff of press propagandist agents, and paying all bills promptly in Swiss francs. A MONARCHIST OFFICE. It was not at Prangins alone, however, that plotting was going on. An international monarchist office was also continually at work at Fribourg, in Switzerland. Here a certain Count Esterhazy, the ex-King’s right hand man, took charge. In the Swiss capital Price Max of Bourbon looked after matters. Prince Sixtus of Bourbon, the ex-Empress Zita’s brother, was also perpetually about, malting himself useful, travelling frequently between Italy, France, and even England. A regular service of couriers, mostly young priesits, went about wherever they were wanted, carrying verbal or other messages. In one way, therefore “Karlchen.” had really very small say in all these machinations, o-f which we have just witnessed the culmination. His wife, indeed, calmly claims that she was responsible for everything, which is very brave of her, because in so doing she not only saves her husband’s face but screens all the Bourbons and other monarchists, who would probably be expelled r rom Switzerland if she did not take upon herself the responsibility for their actions. It would be difficult to expel her, especially now, with her three week’s old Archduchess and her 18months’ old Archduke, and all the other youthful Archdukes and Archduchesses; such an action would immediately cause the Swiss Government to be execrated as inhuman and what not besides. The Va«tican officially denies all knowledge of Karl's Easter escapade having been planned. But then so did Prince Max l of Bourbon, who simulated astonishment in such a way as to do credit to his skill as an actor; and so did all the other Prangins people, Including the ex-king’s private secretary who alleged that for some days before his master’s departure he did not see him, as Karl was keeping his room, “suffering from dysentery.” But if the Vatican knew nothing of Kai’l’s intentions, how was it that ofte of the very few people who knew of his presence in Vienna during the night spent there on his way to Buda Pes-t should have been Cardinal Pfiffi, Archbishop of Vienna, who sent a cipher telegram to -the Papal Nuncio at the Vatican informing him of Karl’s having stayed the night at a friend’s house and left in that friend’s motor-car next morning for Buda Pest? AN UNPOPULAR RESIDENT. Prangins, the castle where Karl has been living, is within the territory of the Canton de Vaud, whose authorities now say that they will not have the ex-king back again; therefore the Swiss Government had -to find another Canton ready to receive him, and Lucerne having consented to do this, he has been sent thither. Frau Zita and her family will probably soon join him. Whether Karl is ultimately to go to Spain remains to be seen. For the peace and quiet of Europe, he had better, be in Switzerland, although I know that the Swiss Government would prefer him to be elsewhere. In fact, I was told in high official quarters that there is a feeling that England might allow Karl and his family to live somewhere there, where he has plenty of friends.

Ex-king Karl’s second entry into Switzerland was very different from his first. Instead of a guard of honor, a strictly watched frontier station, and one Swiss military police officer to receive him, and hand him a typewritten document stating the conditions on which the Swiss Government consents to receive him back, and how he is expected to behave. He never was bound to give the Swiss Government 48 hours’ notice of his intention to leave the country, as was the then ex-king Constantine, but he was expected to refrain from all political or monarchist agitation. The first official intimation which the Swiss Government received o-f his escape was a visit from Count Esterhazy, informing them that Karl had reached Buda Pest, and recommended his wife and family to the care and protection of the' Swiss Government. As if that Government had not enough families of unemployed. to look after, without that of an ex-king ti'ying to regain a lost crown.