The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-09-09

Trondhjem, Norway, June %, 1906
Reference has already been made to the
attitude of Hungary toward Austria,
and what is true OF Hungary Is to a
less extent true of Bohemia and the
Polish section of the empire. In fact,
Austria Hungary is held together by a
rope of sand, and there is no telling
when that rope may break.
1t required the aid of Russia to hold
Hungary within the empire half a GEN.
fury ago, and now that Russia is no
longer IL position to bolster up the
Hapsburg house, the outlook is not
bright for the family OF Francis Joseph
unless the friendship Of Emperor Will
liam takes the form OF armed assist
ance. l mention this because the anti
Austrian feeling in Hungary, the anti
hungarian feeling I'm Austria. the aver
sion TO the German language in Bohe-
mia, and the demands of the Polish
subjects, not TO speak Of disaffection
elsewhere, all point to trouble ahead,
for the ruler OF Austria Hungary.
I visited Bohemia with a view to
gathering information on the situation
and was surprised to find the hostility
between the German and Bohemian ell
ements. half century ago The Ger
man language was spoken everywhere
in Bohemia, but today the Germans
and Bohemians have separate schools
and except where business interests
compel it, neither learn the language of
the other. So strong is the feeling that
a Bohemian desiring to master the
German language would, If financially
able study IL outside of Bohemia in
preference 10 attending a German
school in his own country.
II is great misfortune 10 the people
of Hungary and Bohemia as we'll as TO
the imperial government that this hos
tility 10 the German language has be-
come so bitter, for the German is one
of the great languages of the earth, be-
ing the spoken tongue OF more than
50000.000, and containing i'm printed
form most OF the literary treasures OF
the world. The German libraries are
rich i'm treaties on science and art, his
tory and philosophy, government and
religion, and these should be within
the reach Of the people of Hungary and
Bohemia. Whatever may be the merits
OF the Magyar and Czech languages,
they are spoken by so few, compare
lively. that they cannot possibly fur
nish so large a store OF learning as the
German language contains.
The Austrian government however,
has itself 20 blame for the estrange-
ment. for, instead Of attempting to win
the affections Of the alien people made
subject to 1t, it attempted to coerce
them-with the usual result. Resent
ment toward the rulers soon turned into
resentment toward the language. and
il became patriotic to abhor a tongue
which 1t would have been advantageous
TO cultivate Human nature is the
same everywhere, but kings seem TO be
as ignorant of 1t as they are of the les
sons OF history.
The Austria Hungary empire cannot
exist long under Its present regime; il
IL is TO continue, the bond of union
must be substantial one and no bond
OF union is substantial that does moi
knit itself about the hearts of both
parties TO the union. There are certain
advantages to be derived from the as
ISOLATION OF several small states to-
gether but these advantages cannot bt
weighed against fundamental rights OF
against q. strong national sentiment
Cold, calculating statesmen sometime.
underestimate the influence of senti.
ment, but they usually discover theil
error. sometimes too late, IL they at
tempt 10 trample upon It. Austria
Hungary as a federation Of states, each
absolutely independent in its interna
affairs, would be strong, but Austria
Hungary, composed OF dissatisfied
groups ali yielding unwillingly to ar
arrogant Austrian influence. is pitiably
weak.
The tie which holds Canada, Austria
liza and New Zealand TO England is in
finitely stronger than that which binds
Hungary and Bohemia to the Austria
Hungarian throne. And why? Not be
cause they use the same language, fol
the American colonies wrote the Dec
laration OF Independence in the same
tongue that George the Third en-
pIoyed. Canada, Australia and New
Zealand are loyal to England because