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Show I 1 GREAT WAR POSSIBLE. Notwithstanding tho fact that the I. ? aged emperor of Austria is said to be I recovering from his illness, there is lit-I lit-I , tlo hope that ho will long survive even I if his present attack dors not prove fa-I fa-I tal. After Franz .losof, then what? H There- nro a number of lvossiblo answers to the question. Tho archduke, who H will in all human probability succeed to I tho throne, is a soldier of the first or I der with unbounded ambitions, who is H' lUcoly to deluge Europe with blood in H order to extend his domiuions, the Bnl-H, Bnl-H, kan country boing Uie logical point of H attack and tho portion of Turkey" tho H ultimato result. H Standing in the way of such a war H of conquest aro tho pcoplo of Hungary, H who have always chafed under H Austrian rule nud who are willing to H fight for thoir liberty if opportunity H offers. The Hungarians havo had some H measure of respect for tho head of tho H house of Hapsbqrg, who is now slowly H passing into tho land of shndov.s and H wH stay their hand uutil tho crown H shall have been placed upon tho hoad H of another. It may bo that the new H ruler Trill bo kept busy fighting for the H- iutcgrity of tha empire ?i it now ex- H ists, for the Poles as well as tho Hun- H ! garians have long been restless under H the Austrian yoke. H Tho ambition of Emperor William of H Germany must also bo taken into con- H' sideration when discussing tho possi- H bilities as to what may happen when H Frans Joeef is gathered to his fathers. H The kaiser and soruo of.thi) loading H statesmen of thu German empire have H long waited an opportuuit to extend H their boundaries v;istward, and it has H frequently boon stated that destiny will H ultimately plant them in Constantinople alter Austria has been conquered. Tim H road to tho far cast would then be open 1 through Asia Minor and Persia Leomc lhr prey of Germany Instead rf l-eing divided between Russia and Great Britain. Brit-ain. Franz Josef I was born iti IS30 and camo to tho throne upon tho abdication abdi-cation of nis uncle. Ferdinand I, iu ISIS. Thero wcro revolts in Hungcry and Sardinia early in his reign, but ho succeeded in routing tho followers of Kassuth and marles Albert. His policy pol-icy at this timo was so conservative as to bo almost reactionary, and his treaty with tho pope gainod him much unpopularity. unpop-ularity. Ho succeeded, howovcr, in conquering con-quering religious prejudice. Aftor tho disastrous war with Franco and Sardinia in 1S50 and tho brief but inglorious war with Germany in 18(16, Franz .Tosof becamo moro liberal in his policy, and in 1S07 Hungary w.-is given a constitution of its own, to which fact may ho attributed tho respect tho present day Hungarians entertain for him. His liborality increased with years, and when his cyos close in death ho will be sincerely mourned by his Austrian subjects. During tho last few years tho possibility possi-bility of world-wido penco haa engaged tho attention of all statesmen in all civilir.od countries, but wars and rumors of wars havo been continuous. At the present timo there is fighting in the nortuorn part of Africa Mexico has been in the throes of revolution for three years, and the United States is aiming to stop tho conflict in tho Bister republic by forco if diplomacy fails. In addition there is somo prospect of a civil war in Great Britain over tho ! question of homo rule for Ireland. Men's passions and ambitions have been tho same in all ages and the curtain cur-tain may soon riso upon the most disastrous disas-trous war in the history of tho world, and tho passing of the Austrian emperor may be tho signal for the call to arms. |