Page:The Czechoslovak Review, vol3, 1919.djvu/235
masch, and various priests. Some of these special councillors were invited to intimate family conferences. No attention was paid to cabinet meetings or to the ministers, the parliament or the people, and the only interest considered was the interest of the dynasty and the court circle. Each member of the court circle again worked for himself and just as likely as not, against the others.
The empire was so desperately sick that the most radical counsels could do no good, and all the conferences and activities of the high-born counsellors were like spitting into the sea. Sometimes there were stormy scenes between the Germans and the Magyars, and mediation was necessary. The best laid plans for saving the monarchy were spoiled by Austrian Germans who would make no concessions and who in the end always carried their wishes. Schemes, plans, changes were announced with much blowing of horns, their authors received high decorations, and nothing came of it all. What William and the Austrian Germans wanted was always done in the end.
Zichy, Karolyi and Hohenlohe maintained some sort of relations with Allied statesmen, and through Zitta’s brothers communication was kept up with the pope. The most faithful and highly esteemed adviser both of the emperor and the empress was Count Berchtold, a man of less than average ability, whose influence was boundless and who was a devoted servant of the Hapsburgs. Most of these aristocrats are still with the former emperor and spin plans for bringing back the dynasty and re-establishing their privileged position. they have not yet grasped the fact that there exists such a force as democracy.
Charles was greatly depressed ever since the Russian revolution. He could not get out of his mind the fate of Nicholas and shivered with fear, whenever something reminded him of it. And so the evolution of the revolution in Russia was followed with great anxiety, and serious attention was paid to the growing famine at home, for it
