Cattle are skittish at times, and generally the skittishness is
associated with heat. Corn and Cattle do not suggest anything fierce,
unless hunger intervene, and then the cattle may become, not skittish,
but fierce, and even furious. Are the cattle and the corn once again
made to speak a language not their own?
Depicted is an incident of this revealing bloody time. The Austrian
Francis Joseph has been brought into subjection by Wilhelm of Potsdam,
second of that name overlord of Germany. But, you say, Wilhelm is not
overlord of Francis Joseph of Schönbrunn! Facts are as they are. Do
you see that spiked helmet crowning the head of intolerance, moustache
challenging heaven, and outstretched finger dropping ultimata! The
earth is the Kaiser’s, and the cattle thereof. “If you won’t let me
have your corn, I will not let you have my cattle”--though the cattle
came from Denmark they are “my cattle.” True, there is the other
“Kaiser” opposite; but that is another story. We are told it is risky
work going hunting with a tiger; and methinks aged Francis Joseph
will confess that it is even so. His grey hairs have not saved him
personally, his “ramshackle Empire” has been, time and again, over-run,
his territory has been offered as sops by his younger brother and
master of Potsdam. The only wonder in the legend below is “your corn”;
above the artist depicts a raging tyrant whose is all, to dispose as
the laws of Kultur may please.
Honour among thieves! That is only when they are in the retail trade.
The appetite grows as it is fed, and masterly never becomes master-ful.
Austria-Hungary is reputed already as satiated with war’s losses, not
repentant, and her people in dire need. But her partner in iniquity is
a master: and Austria’s need is an opportunity to bargain, and to make
subject; hence the shrinking, cringing Hapsburg before the challenging
moustache, strident voice, accusing finger of young Hohenzollern, lean
and worn! Before the world, here is the fact, these Kaisers, like
foot-pads quarrelling--and there are the two privates, so lean and
abject, while the “swag” is in question.