True Stories of the Great War, Volume 2 (of 6): Tales of Adventure--Heroic Deeds--Exploits Told by the Soldiers, Officers, Nurses, Diplomats, Eye Witnesses
History
True Stories of the Great War, Volume 2 (of 6): Tales of Adventure--Heroic Deeds--Exploits Told by the Soldiers, Officers, Nurses, Diplomats, Eye Witnesses
World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
At the railway station of the celebrated resort he was met by two
agents of the Austrian secret police, who begged him, on behalf of
Count von G----, to accompany them to the annex of the hotel rented by
the Legation. On the way they explained that Count von G---- had sent
for him "to see his friend, who had had an accident." That was all the
information he could extract from them.
Mounting to the first floor, a door was thrown open before him. In the
middle of the room he saw a bed and on it a body--that of the hapless
Count Seilern, who had been _condemned to death and executed_ (though
his decease was attributed in the newspapers to suicide) for having
loved an Austrian Princess and threatened General von Hoetzendorf!
As in the case of the Archduke Rudolf of Hapsburg, at Mayerling, the
body of the man who dared to "play with fire" was covered up to the
neck with white cloth, with flowers strewn all over his deathbed.
This was in January, 1915.
Thus, the tradition of assassination is perpetuated from one end to the
other of the reign of the sinister Emperor who sold the independence
of his kingdom to William II. of Germany. The victims change, but the
methods remain the same. Whosoever is considered guilty of an offence
against the "dignity" or "honour" of the Hapsburgs must die, unless he
or she consents to be declared insane. Crime follows crime, and the
family which, in the eyes of the aged Emperor Francis Joseph himself,
is "doomed to be tracked by tragedy" knows, as in the Middle Ages, but
one argument against its enemies--the knife and the bullet.
But what of the Archduchess Valeria? The last news I heard of her was
to the effect that, half-demented by the shock she sustained, she lay
for months between life and death. On recovering, she turned her back
for ever on the fashionable life of Vienna, and withdrew to one of her
estates in the country, where she seeks what consolation she can find
in charitable work in her religion.
FOOTNOTE:
[12] Brother of Ferdinand, the treacherous Czar of Bulgaria.
TURNING HEAVENS INTO HELL--EXPLOITS OF CANADIAN FLYING CORPS
_Battle in Air With One Hundred Aeroplanes_
_Told by Officer of Royal Canadian Flying Corps_
The heroism of the Canadians is one of the immortal epics of the War.
The great dominion sent across the seas her strongest sons. Their
valor in trench and field "saved the British army" on many critical
moments. The feats of daring of these Canadians would fill many
volumes, but here is one story typical of their sublime courage--a
tale of the air.
I--WITH THE CANADIANS IN THE CLOUDS
There were one hundred of us--fifty on a side--but we turned the
heavens into a hell, up in the air there, more terrible than ten
thousand devils could have made running rampant in the pit.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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