Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-03

representative body in which both Austria
and Hungary were to have equal repre-
sentation. and whose acts were to be ap-
proved by the parliaments of both coun-
tries. Hungary claims that this COM
pact has not been kept by Austria in the
right spirit. In every way Austria is IA
vored at the expense of Hungary. Buda
Pesth Is Disseminated against and Vienna
Is set over her AT least so say the Mag
vars. This compact uniting Austria and
Hungary will very soon expire. and the
Magyars will see to 1t that new one will
be to their liking. Not only are Austria
and Hungary more or less at outs. but.
what is more there are violent dissensions
in Austria. and that is where the chief
trouble is today. The Romantic 10 per cent
of Austria italians and others) are not
making any trouble, but the Slavs and
Germans are making lots of it. Strange to
say, 1t Is the Germans who seem to have
created the violent disorder in the lower
house of the reichsrath. They number 40
per cent of Austria'S population. and are
the educated and dominant classes in the
government. Self-willed and stubborn.
honest in their convictions, we'll schooled
and well organized. they seem determined
to rule.
The Slavic Element.
The Slavs constitute one-half of the Aus
trian population and forty-six per cent of
the whole Austro-Hungarian empire. But
they are so split up that it is hard for them
tc make their influence felt. They are di-
vided into many branches-Czechs, Poles,
Ruthenians. Moravians and many others.
Vi these the CzechS pronounced .TcheckS'o
are by far the most numerous and add
valced, nearly all the Bohemians being
Czechs. Their literature is older than that
OF any other branch of the Slav race and is
distinguished in many ways; and it is over
this Czech language that all the recent
rows in the reichsrath have occurred.>~ The
HZechS want their language made co-ordi-
nate with the German and law bringing
TINS about was proposed to the Austrian
parliament. The Germans opposed it, and
many petitions were sent to the rechsrath
(or parliamenD protesting against the pro-
posed law
In the lower house of the reichsrath a
motion was made November 24th that only
one of these many petitions be read and
printed. Whereupon the German national
lists opposed the motion so uproariously
that the president of the chamber in trying
to restore quiet only provoked greater dis
order and was finally forced to suspend the
sitting till the next day. The next day the
Germans and social democrats and other
opponents of the ministry, combining for
its downfall, greeted the president when
ever he appeared in the chamber to open
the sitting with L mutitudinouS confusion
of noises and even with personal violence.
For three days this went on, the opponents
of the ministry creating such confusion
and disorder that the president. who is
nominated by the emperor. was unable to
maintain order, and the SittingS were adj
journed from day to day. At last the min
istry resigned, being really driven from Of
flee by the fear of a revolution, and the
emperor has appointed new premier to
form new ministry. The new premier is
hopes to be able to effect satisfactory COM
promises between the warning elements.
But no man living can prophecy what will
happen in the next few days.