Stalking Habsburg

The house of Habsburg-Lorraine last fortnight sent a stalking horse back into the Austrian Republic which had banned all Habsburg-Lorraines who had not renounced their claims to the throne. A tall, white-chinned man of 71 with the Habsburg horse face, he stepped off the train from Switzerland at Vienna's West Station and looked into the faces of a notable company: the Minister of War. Prince Alois von Schonburg-Hartenstein (''Our venerated and beloved Field Marshal!"); the son of Archduke Franz Ferdinand whose assassination detonated the War; the heads of the great houses of Mens-dorff-Pouilly and Pallavicini ("Imperial Highness!"); and the new arrival's cousin, the Archduke Anton and his wife Princess Ileana of Rumania. For it was the best beloved of the archdukes, old Eugen Ferdinand Pius Bernard Felix Maria, grand master of the Teutonic Order, chevalier of the Orders of the Golden Fleece, the Black Eagle, the Seraphim, etc. And before his arrival in Vienna he had renounced nothing of his imperial heritage.

Eugen went to St. Stephan's Cathedral and heard mass, then walked to the palace of the Teutonic Order, then to another church to pray. When he saw troops of little girls in starched white dresses with paper flowers in their hair, it seemed a good omen. It was the first Thursday after Whitsunday, Vienna's traditional day for confirmations. Said he: "I have returned as a private person and I am glad to be able to spend the eventide of my life in the Fatherland." The Government announced that his reception in Vienna was thoroughly unofficial.

Last week it became more official to 100,000 Viennese on the pavements for the Corpus Christi parade. There marched Chancellor Dollfuss. Vice Chancellor Prince von Starhemberg. Minister of Public Security Emil Fey. And behind them came old Eugen. tall and deliberate, the ceremonial robes of a Grand Master of the Teutonic Order swinging about his calves. A shout eddied along beside him: "Eugen! Eugen!" The Habsburg knew Vienna liked him.

Pleased with his sop to Vienna's imperial sentimentalism. Chancellor Dollfuss later called on Eugen at the Teutonic Order's palace.

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