SOUND OF BODY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10584, 5 October 1912, Page 1

SOUND OF BODY.

Trailing ox Europe's Coming Sailors

(New York " Sun.")

Royal families are far less picturesque and entertaining than they used to be. Except for the Hapsburgs and Saxe-Coburgs, who make it a point to supply one sensation a year, rulers are behaving themselves correctly. There was a time, not so very long ago, when a monarch was apt to be either an invalid or a man of gaiety. Alfonso XII., King of Spain, was chronically dying, ajid go was Frederick 111., Emperor of Germany ; Louis, King of Bavaria, was insane; the Grand Duko of Luxemburg was bed ridden; Leopold of Belgium, Edward of England and Milosn of Servia outdid by night as well as by day the most confirmed boulevardier. Europe now has a

TAME, DOMESTICATED LOT OF HULEUS. They lack brilliancy, barring Emperor William 11., but at "least they no longer act like schoolboys. One of them. Manuel of Portugal, tried it and soon received his due. Even poor little Phuyi, the microscopic Manchu Emperor, was credited with fathering documents of which a mature statesman would not be ashamed.

If the rising flood of democracy does not take away their opportunities the rulers of the coming generation should bo rather remarkable men, nt least physically, all statements'to'the contrary notwithstanding. It may be that the mental and physical condition of their forebears is responsible tor rumours which are being continually circulated concerning heirs to the throne's in Europe. It has been reported that the' Jittle Czarewitch was suffering from tuberculosis of the knee and would never be able to walk; that the heir to the Spanish crown was deaf if not a deaf mute; that the Crown Prince of Germany showed traces of mental derangement and that his father was thinking of removing hiin as his successor; that Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was being snubbed by the Emperor. Whatever their origin, these rumours have small basis as a rule. To begin with FRANZ FERDINAND, who: is likely to become Emperor of Austria-Hungary in the very near future, is now forty-nine years old and is a tall, handsome fellow "With splendid health, a fine horseman and a wonderful shot. Do Blowitz, who had some old grudge against him, ony found one damaging story to tell concerning his character. One summer,' while hunting in Ischl the Grand Duke almost collided with a funeral party. Instead of rein-: ing in his horse, he whipped ■ him up and jumped over the. coffin .which '.was: being carried by six peasants. If the truth of Blowitz's narrative is admitted , before..condemning- the Grand: Duke on ther grounds of sacrilege the question may _ be asked whether this was not the simplest. way to avoid an actual collision with, the mourners. , ' '.Twelve years ago, when the health of Emperor Francis Joseph 'gave the Austrian Court cause tor worry, efforts xv&re madoto secure a consort for tho heir presumptive.- Negotiations were commenced with several royal families whose marriagable daughters would have proved suitable mates. .. None of the young princesses under consideration seemed to attract the future Emperor. Finally he became a frequent visitor at the house of Archduchess.Frederick, who had several daughters. The Archduchess instructed one of her ladies in waiting, Countess Cliotek, to watch the situation and to do her best to help one of h«r daughters to capture Franz Ferdinand.

After a rather long visit at the Archduchess's house in the spring of 1900 Franz Ferdinand returned to Vienna, leaving evevy one convinced that .his choice was made.

Only it happened that a careless valet had left "behind a few personal trinkets belonging to tho Archduke. Among them were a watch chain and locket. The Archduchess did what any woman eager to become ■ an Emperors mother-in-law would have done. She opened the locket. It contained

SOPHIE CHOTCk's PICTCBE,

Ou July 1 of the same year the Archduke took the lady in waiting as his morganatic wife. The Emperor, fearing trouble, obliged Ins nephew to renounce, not publicly, but beforo a sort of family council the right of his future children to suoceed to the throne of Austria and Hungary. From the fact that the Emperor had thon some misgivings as to his subjects' attitude toward, his successor, European gossips have periodically endeavoured to frighten the public by announcing a crisis to take place at the death of the old Emperor. Far from snubbing his nephew and his wife, Francis" Joseph has done his best to show them attention. Countess Chotek, elevated to the rank of Princess is conceded precedence by all the women of the mediatised houses, and all the Archduchesses have called on her. At a dinner given by the Emperor of Germany Princess Hohenberg sat at the right of William 11., thus being practically recognised as the FCTCBE EHMIKSS OF AtJSTRIA-HCXGART. The Hungarians and Bohemians have manifested through the medium of their representatives in Parliament their desire to see the Princess crowned Queen iu Budapest and in Prague. It is very probable that Sophie Chotek will become Empress of Austria, r.nd the Vatican, with which Franz Ferdinand is on very cordial terms, is in favour of releasing the heir apparent from the oath he took at the time of his marriage, when he renounced in behalf of his children all succession rights.

Tin; c/.AREWiTcn alexis is a strong little fellow of eight—ho was horn on August 12, 1904—whose favourite diversion iu summer is to roam tho woods in company with an enormous rmijik called Stepan. He picked out Stepan as his personal toy and bodyguard about four years ago, and can outdo any infant pest in expressions of peevishness when he is not allowed to take Stepan along. The bringing up of this mischievous little boy has been conducted in accordance with the latest scientific theories. His physical strength and his ruddy appearaneo are the result of life in the open and daily gymnastic exercise. The child hasn't been compelled, as too many royal children were in the past, to lead a secluded life, stifling phvshally and morally. Rumours relative to the Czarewitch's health generally emanate from the Grand Duke's coterie and the conservative, and reactionary parties The birth, oi Alexis was a blow to the

Grand Dukes, and they have done their host over since to create tho impression abroad that the Czar's heir would bo handicapped physically. A year ago Grand Duchess Anastasia, who is eleven years old, fell and hurt her knee. The injury \\'a,s slight, but after it long walk the girl is likely to complain of v, pain in her •kneeHence probably the story of tuberculosis of the knee. In a like manner tho diseases of littlo Dou Jaime, Alfonso XIII.'s second son, are, after being exaggerated,, attributed by interested gossips to little Alfonso, Prince of Asturias and heir to tho throne of Spain. Like Alexis of Russia-, the

BAIiT ALKOXSO AND THE BABY JAIME are-the recipients of an excellent scientific and outdoor training. Whoever lias' watched the two round-faced boys paddling in tho water on the San Sebastian beach is likely to doubt tho tales concerning their wretched health. Their father was a very weak and puny child, but Queen Christina, his mother, exposed herself cheerfully to the reproacli of cruelty by insisting that he should be kept outdoors day and night and spend as much of his time as possible on shipboard. Thanks to her courageous defiance of public opinion in years when the night air was considered deadly, Alfonso is, though a thin man, a wiry and energetic sixfooter. Ho is applying to his two sons the system that counteracted the delicate health bequeathed to him by hJ3 Bourbon and Hapsburg ancestors. The mother of the little Prince, Ena of Battenburg, comes, on her father's side at least, from a family distinguished for superb physique and manly beauty. Little Alfonso has inherited his mother's fair hair, ehubbiness and Bome-what prominent bluo eyes, whereas little Jaime takes after his father' with the latter's dark hair, dark eyes, prominent nose and Hapsburg lip. Those two boys are a great source of discomfort to the Carlist party, for they constitute a hold upon the goodwill of the people for the dynasty. There is.not a home in tho peninsula blessed with children that is not imbued with feelings of human sympathy for the little ones and for then- youthful parents.

Now. as to young Alfonso's infirmities. One year ago little Jaime suffered from enlarged tonsils. Quinsy developed on one side. Such an attack often impairs the hearing ; and speaking is an impossibility until the abscess is lanced. Hence the information which appeared in a Viennese paper inspired by the Carlist pretender to the effect that " the heir apparent is deaf, if not a deaf mute." As for

FREDERICK WILHILH,

Crown Prince of Germany, he seems to bo absolutely free from tho physical ailments which proved fatal to Frederick 111. and have inconvenienced William 11. all his life. It is said in certain quarters that at thirty he is still a little too flippant and lacks' dignity. He once applauded in the Reichstasr'a speoch made by a revolutionary member of that body. Littlo

OIAF OV NORWAT, who was. named Alexander before the split'between the two peninsular nations called his .father to the throne,'is another lusty'little .fellow who will certainlv hold his-own if "ho iasome day ; called to succeed bis father. It is said that he is responsible to a great extent for -the acceptance of- a' monarchy by the. .masses or the population, which were rather disposed to' proclaim a republic. When .with his parents, lie arrived in Christiania he was barely three years old. Al^ wrapped, in white furs, which set off his blue eyes and curly hair to fair, advantage, he clambered down from the arms of his tall father and. while tbo latter was engaged in replying to an address of welcome i'rr-- the authorities, the tiny Prince toddled over to where a number of small school children had been grouped, and, grabbing a Norwegian Sag from the hands of a boy of his own size, who did not relish the proceeding, he returned to his father's side waving it aloft in triumph, to the delight pud enthusiasm of the people present.

From that time forth little Prince Olaf became an object of interest in Norway, his every prank and every cute remark being chronicled. Deputations arrived from all over Norway to see tho little chap, who was overwhelmed with gifts.

At the Coronation of his parents it was he, and not the King or Queen, who was the hero of the national festival : and, if the people are to-day completely reconciled to the rule of "Mr King" and "Mrs Queen" —for that is the way in. which the Norwegians address their rulers, declining to use the word " majesty " —if they have become one and all loyal subjects of the Crown, it is imunly <\\w to the popularity of little Olaf, who has completely won the hearts of the Norwegian people, oven of the most ultra-republi-can. Already two rich Norwegians, in dying without issue, have bequeathed to him their entire landed property. He has not one trace of affectation in hie composition, is on the most democratic terms of intimacy with the more youthful portion of his future subjects, and may be said to have been,_ according to his father's own admission, the principal factor in lirmly establishing Haakon VII and Queen Maud on the ancient throne of Norway. Why -CROWN" PRINCE GEOSGB should have three years ago renounced the succession of the crown of Servia in favour of his brother Alexander ia

matter for much speculation. It was said at that time that ho wished to contract a morganatic marriage with a Roumanian woman. Others held that he was planning to join a monastic order. Neither of these ooujectures has thus far been proved correct. Nothing unpleasant has ever been whispered concerning the physical condition of the little Princes Leopold and Charles, sons oi King Albert of Belgium, respectively eleven and nine years old, nor against Prince Humbert, the heir to the crown of Italy. It was rumoured at a time that

FKINCESS .ItiLtAJJA, tho daughter of Queen Wilhelmina, would not live. Tho Herman princes of Reuss and the Duke of Saxe-Weiuiav, to whom the kingdom of the Netherlands would have reverted had Queen Wilhelmina remained childless, may havo had something to do with spreading that misleading information. Whoever has read the Admiralty report concerning the- Prince of Wales's term of service on the battleship Hindustan will realise the absurdity of the reports circulated about the young man's condition. It i» declared that ho bids fair to excel in stature and intelligence both his father and grandfather.

Thus it would seem that the simpler, freer life led by modern rulers and thoir sons, their athletic training and their indulgence in outdoor sports are improving the royal families of Europe and are offsetting the evils duo to constant inter-marrying. "With the exceptions of the Coburgs and the Hapsburgs, who have frequently taken wives or husbands from tho ranks of tli© nobility, royal families have suffered from a lack of new blood. The princes of Europe are as closely related as the inhabitants? of some mountain communities of Italv or Spain, where constant inter-marriage is producing evil results. It may be said that royal blood runs in the veins of some "000' persons- 1 a small village as it were, whose inhabitants cannot find mates outside of the village limits. Thus,-to cive a few examples, Ferdinand of Bulgaria is half Saxe-Coburg and. half Bourbon Orleans, being- a grandson of Louis Philippe of France. Kinir.'Frederick-, of Denmark wae_ a broth"'' of Queen Alexandra, of, King Gcbrg- of Greece and of the Dowager '■Empress of Russia. ■ . f " Tho Crown Prince of Greece is the son of a Rusrian princess and the husband of a'Prussian princess. 'The Em-press-of Rxissia is a granddaughter of Oueen Victoria--; the Crown Prince of Romnania is the son of a Hohenzollem: father and of an English mother, and therefore a grandson of Quet-n Victoria.