n Balkan turmoils threw the Monarchy into a state of
agitation, and the question whether to mobilise or not became the
order of the day. I chanced to be in Vienna, where I had an interview
with Berchtold who spoke of the situation with much concern and
complained that the Archduke was acting in a warlike spirit. I offered
to draw the Archduke's attention to the danger of the proceeding, and
put myself in telegraphic communication with him. I arranged to join
his train that same day when he passed through Wessely on his way to
Konopischt. I only had the short time between the two stations for my
conversation. I therefore at once took the bull by the horns and told
him of the rumours current about him in Vienna and of the danger of
promoting a conflict with Russia by too strong action in the Balkans.
I did not meet with the slightest opposition from the Archduke, and in
his usual expeditious way he wrote, while still in the train, a
telegram to Berchtold in which he expressed his perfect agreement in
maintaining a friendly attitude and repudiated all the reports of his
having been opposed to it. It is a fact that certain of the military
party, who were anxious for war, made use of the Archduke, or rather
misused him, in order to carry on a military propaganda in his name
and thus gave rise to so wrongful an estimate of him. Several of these
men died a hero's death in the war; others have disappeared and are
forgotten. Conrad, Chief of the General Staff, was never among those
who misused the Archduke. He could never have done such a thing. He
carried out himself what he considered necessary and did it openly and
in face of everybody.

In connection with these reports about the Archduke there is one
remarkable detail that is worthy of note. He told me himself how a
fortune-teller once predicted that "he would one day let loose a world
war." Although to a certain extent this prophecy flattered him,
containing as it did the unspoken recognition that the world would
have to reckon on him as a powerful factor, still he emphatically
pointed out how mad such a prophecy was. It was fulfilled, however,
later, though very differently from what was meant originally, and
never was prince more innocent of causing blood to flow than the
unhappy victim of Sarajevo.

The Archduke suffered most terribly under the conditions resulting
from his unequal marriage. The sincere and true love he felt for his
wife kept alive in him the wish to r