New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-30
WapBJyG TONGUES ~ AUSTRIA.

The crisis NJ Vienna presents curious
parallel. or sequel. to one at Prague Few years
ogo the story OF which IL worth retclling. The
Czechs were raging against the Germans. ana
espcciallv trying TO get Czcchsh made the Of
fetal language Count Thun was sent mp there
rs Vicerov. He was a Slav and SO the Czechs
assumed he would take side with them. but
he d,d not. He rose IN Parliament and spoke in
German. The Czechs tried 10 howl him down.
but in vain. He mastered them, and admins
tered the government impartially. Now the
new Prime Minister at Vienna Is German,
and II may be that the Germans expect him to
take their part and suppress the hated Czcchs.
He Will probably do no such thing. but though
Il German. recognize the rights of the Czcchs.
md conduct an impartial administration. In
that case he will probably be more highly cs-
tecmcd by the Slavs than by his fellow-Ger-
mans, Just as Count Thun won III" regard OF
the Germans rather than OF his iellow-CZechs.
Tho trouble In Austria is, at lenst on the face
of II, war Of tongues. FIVE years ago thc
,,zecbs turned Bohemia upside down because
they wanted their own tongue, instead OF Ger
man. made the official language. Iheir demand
seemed npt unreasonable, since bohemia was n
civilized Slav kingdom before II fell under Ger
man rule It's best literature Is Slav. and in It's
population Czcchs outnumbcr Germans TWO 10
one Yet the imperial Government world not
grant tho demand until this year. when 1t had
TO do so to secure Czech votes for the renewal
Of the Hungarian ausgleich. And now the Ter
mans are agitatng still more violently against
that concession, because. having once con
1ucred Bohemia, they want To keep 1t Ger
| manlzcd, arbitrarily, and, II need be- forcibly.
| That they will succeed seems scarcely proba-
| bic They are In II hopeless minority not only
| I'm Bohemia, but In the whole empire or the
%. S95. 900 inhabitants of Austria only S,i6l 900
are Germans, while the various branches OF the
| Slav stock aggregate over 13OOOOO0 II such
n majority cannot absolutely rule, II will as-
suredly secure for itself equal rights with the
minority.
It is pity the Germans will not take n lesson
from their kinsmcn In this country. The Ger
man population OF the city Of New-York Is
large and influential. Yet ii accepts English
as the official language, because 1t Is the native
tongue OF the overwhelming majority OF the
people OF the community and Nation. In some
parts Of the Union their language has, by
courtesy, been recognized AZ a semi-oiIicial one
but there Is of course, no thought Of ever hav
ing it supcrsede English With that state OF
| affairs they are pcrIectl! cohlchi. surely INT
Germans Of Austria should be content with til,
much greater privilege Of having their Ian
guage, the language Of the minority, made ant
kept official in all parts Of the empire. on ful
equality with the language of the majority. IL
a new country the majority settlers, who or
ganize the government, have right to require
all alien immigrants TO conform officially Will
their speech. But in an empire formed by TIT
union Of a number OF ancient and diverse State
it is only just that the people Of each Stat
should retain their own mother tongue. TIL
Hungarians recognize this fact, and permi
the Croats and Savonians to use their owl
languages in the Budapest Parliament, ant