62 AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN MONARCHY. 



AVELLANEDA, NICOLAS. 



Deputies proposed that the Diet of Roumania 

 issue a protest against the Austrian celebra- 

 tion, declaring that the Roumanian nation did 

 not submit to the affronts offered to it, but that 

 it awaited a Napoleon to avenge and indemnify 

 them. The National Liberal party in Jassy re- 

 solved to make th'e 13th of October, on which a 

 hundred years ago Prince Ghika, of Moldavia, 

 was beheaded by the Turks because he refused 

 his consent to the cession of the Bukowina to 

 Austria, a national day of mourning. 



In June fearful inundations took place in 

 Bohemia, Moravia, Carinthia, the Tyrol, and 

 the Banat, with some loss of life and great 

 destruction of property. Many bridges were 

 carried away, thousands of cattle drowned, 

 and crops in several districts were totally 

 ruined. 



The Danube, in April, took possession of its 

 new bed, which had been prepared for it by the 

 Danube Regulation Commission. It did not do 

 so quite in the way meant by the engineers. 

 The new bed was dug out in three sections, 

 separated from each other by two dikes which 

 were left, and over which the roads led to the 

 old bed. The embankment had been raised 

 all along the line and partially revetted with 

 stone, but there remained still a good deal of 

 the stone revetting to do in the portion be- 

 tween the two dikes. In order to do this 

 more cheaply and expeditiously, it was deter- 

 mined to make an opening in the upper dike, 

 so as to allow the stone-barges to pass through. 

 The news excited some misgivings, and there 

 were warning voices which predicted that the 

 lower dike would scarcely be able to resist the 

 pressure of the water ; but the engineers were 

 confident in their power of regulating the in- 

 flow of the stream, and to stop up the gap if 

 necessary. Events proved that they had been 

 too confident, for scarcely was the channel 

 opened when the stream rushed in, widening 

 the gap soon from 12 feet to 100 feet, and car- 

 rying away the bridge which had been con- 

 structed. The dike being in an oblique direc- 

 tion, the gap was toward the right bank, the 

 consequence of which was that the force of the 

 stream rushed in that direction, carrying away 

 the masonry and stone revetment for a con- 

 siderable distance. In less than twelve hours 

 the basin filled, and the current seemed to have 

 stopped, but the workmen had scarcely retired 

 to rest when the news came that it had set in 

 again, indicating that the water had made its 

 way through the lower dike. In order to 

 obviate further mishap to the embankment, 

 which would have followed had the river 

 broken through, an opening was made in the 

 centre of the dike when the same thing oc- 

 curred as at the upper dike, the water rushing 

 through and carrying away the dike right and 

 left, without doing any further mischief to the 

 embankments. The Danube thus virtually took 

 possession of its new bed, anticipating the cere- 

 mony which had been fixed for the 15th of 

 May. 



The solemn opening of navigation in the 

 new channel of the Danube took place on May 

 29th, in the presence of the Emperor, the 

 archdukes, and all the ministers. Minister 

 Lasser made an address, in which he referred 

 to the great advantages which the commerce 

 and industry of Vienna would receive from 

 the successful completion of the work which 

 was begun on May 14, 1870. 



A profound sensation was produced early in 

 the year by the publication of a pamphlet enti- 

 tled " Considerations on the Organization of the 

 Austrian Artillery," and written by a member 

 of the imperial family, Archduke John Salvator, 

 youngest brother of the former Grand-duke of 

 Tuscany. The author makes the following re- 

 marks on the relations between Austria and 

 Germany : 



When the conclusion was arrived at that the in- 

 terests of Eussia and Austria do not collide, and 

 that friendly advances had removed all misunder- 

 standings, the fortification of Przemysl was stopped, 

 to the joy of all Austrian patriots. It is now hopea 

 that the advance toward Eussia may lead to an alli- 

 ance based on the recognition of the mutual advan- 

 tages, for in that alone can be found a guarantee tor 

 a happy future of the monarchy. In a military view 

 the alliance with Eussia is equivalent to security in 

 our back ; our strategical front has been definitely 

 determined. In spite of all protestations of friend- 

 ship, it must be clear to us that the expansive move- 

 ments of the neighboring Prusso-Geririan Empire 

 threaten the integrity of the monarchy. National 

 union and national annexation have become the 

 principle of the present formation of states, and 

 have unmistakably given the impulse to the great 

 wars of modern times. Who, in face of these facts, 

 could be without well-founded fears with regard 

 to our dear and unfortunate fatherland ? Although 

 everything is done to destroy those agencies which 

 tend to paralyze the attraction of our neighboring 

 country, and to bring about the desired ends in a 

 peaceable, that is, in a not forcible manner, the suc- 

 cess of these efforts cannot be thought of. For, in 

 spite of all demoralization and systematic under- 

 mining, there still lives in the peoples of Austria a 

 sense of their homogeneousness, and the interests 

 which have kept them together for centuries are 

 still too strong to encourage the belief prevailing 

 abroad that the dissolution of Austria is only a 

 question of time, and will be accomplished without 

 a war. A war is necessary, and it must come, as our 

 neighbors have cast their eye on the fine country 

 on the Danube, and Germany's boundaries need an 

 enlargement in the east. As Austria has always 

 stood up for its right, so will she at the time fignt 

 for her existence ; then will come the last and de- 

 ciding battle. May the time left us be used to pro- 

 cure the requisites for a successful defense I 



The Austrian Government took an early oc- 

 casion to disapprove the sentiments expressed 

 by the archduke. 



AVELLANEDA, NICOLAS, lately elevated, 

 by the almost unanimous vote of his country- 

 men, to the office of chief magistrate of the 

 Argentine Republic, though not having yet 

 completed the fortieth year of his age, is alike 

 distinguished for his talents and acquirements, 

 and conspicuous for his rectitude of character 

 and conduct. In his career he has been mark- 

 edly successful, leaving the stamp of his genius 

 in the various positions occupied by him, as a 



