New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-05
By GORDON GORDON-SMITH.

Milan, July l5.,Ever since the be-
ginning of the war all kinds Of reports
have been current as to the attitude OF
the people Of Bohemia toward the Aus
trian monarchy reports which are, FOL
the greater part. in irreconcilable con
tradiction with one another. On the
enc side the official press agency, the
Kaiseriche und K0nigliche Core
srondenz Bureau, and the government
press organs represent the population
OF Bohemia as model Of fidelity to
the house of Hapsburg and full of en-
thusiasm for the war; on the othei
hand, independent reports declare the
country to be seething with seditior
and almost in open rebellion against
the war.
In the last week or two, however
things have happened in Bohemia and
Moravia which leave no doubt that an
acute conflict has broken out between
the bohemian people and the Austrian
government. The arrest and condemna'
ton of several influential bohemian
IDENTITIES, the executions for high trea-
son in Moravia, the suppression OF a
number of widely read newspapers, the
dstrust of fidelity of bohemian regi.
ments and the deliberate removal OF
Bohemian troops from Bohemia and
Moravia all give proof to- unpreJu-
diced observers that the anti-Austrian
movement is "A serious one.
One will naturally ask: Is the 30.
hemian opposition to Austria powerful
enough to seriously influence the gen
eral situation in the monarchy! On
this point may first quote the opinion
of a German newspaper. when, on May
81. the Berlin "Norwaerts" reported the
arrest of DIR. Kramartz and DR.. Schei-
ner. the leaders Of the Young Czech
party, it remarked that 1t was supJeei
for anxiety that such measures should
place in doubt the fidelity of popuia-
ton of ten million people toward the
monarchy and its readiness 10 40 iIs
duty in the field.
Grounds for Anxiety.
There is, however, not the slightest
doubt that the Bohemian nation does
not approve the war. Nothing can after
this fact, and the German Socialist or
gan was right when IT declared tha'
such an attitude gives grounds Tor anN-
iety for the existence OF the Austrian
monarchy. II is, in the eleventh month
of the war, too late to send good ADVICE
to Vienna, and the people IN Berlin VIII
perhaps have cause to regret that they
did not recognize the internal condl-
tions of the Allied Monarchy IN time
TO point out the dangers OF the policy
of nationalities" carried out for years
past by the Vienna government.
Many people, however. MAINTAIN tnat
Bismarck did not desire a settlement
of Austria'S domestic problems, pc
cause "a strengthening of the monarchy
would have led to "rapprochemehI
with Russia and a greater lndepend-
ence vis-a-vis Germany. Nevertheless
we may suppose that Bismarck wou!u
never have gone to war with RUSSIA III
alliance with an Austria torn by IN
ternal dissensions. The Iron Chancel-
lor. who, in the name OF national unity
had created modern Germany. certainly
saw that it would be dangerous, not
only for Austria. but also for her al
lies, to attempt TO overcome the dts,
content of the Austrian S!avs, and
especially the Bohemians, by central
lied absolutism and measures OF police
1t is comprehensive that Maria
Theresa and Joseph II. in the
eighteenth century. desired. by syS-
tematic Capitalization and Germanlza-
ton, to create a united German-AuS'
trian state, because at that time the
sense of nationality was but slightly
developed among the various peoples
of the Hapsburg monarchy. Since
then. however, there have been the
revolution of lS4S and the wars OF
1864. 1866 and 1870 which gave crea-
tive force to modern nationallsm.
Austrian Methods Same.
But Austrian methods of govern
ment remained unchanged, and thus
not only Italian but also Servian. Ru-
manan, Ruthenian and, to certain
degree, Polish "irredentism" came into
being, and thus it is that the Bohemian
question also became danger for
Austria.
The Bohemian constitution (Which,
from a juristical and historical point
of view, has the same value as the
Hungarian one) has never ceased to
exist When Francis | came to the
throne in 1904 he sblemnly recognized
the Bohemian constitution. In 1859
the Emperor Ferdinand V was crowned
King of Bohemia in Prague. and the
present Emperor has repeatedly recog-
The various royal acts have. however.
remained a dead letter, and up to the
present time the centralized cOnstitu-
ton forced on Bohemia by German
and Hungarian influence in 1867. in
spite .or tie protests of the parliament,
has remained in force. Bohemia, how
ever, has always refused to recog-
nize it.
The sixteen years of passive resist
ance from 1863 TO 1870 under Palacky
and Rieger was, it is true, abandoned,
and was followed By the stormy Young
Czech opposition OF the 9o's. This, in
turn, gave way to positive" and op-
portunist policy. But the Bohemians
have never abandoned their claims
though. bit w bit. the policy of a
peaceful real cation of federal re-
organization of Austria came to the
front. The Young Czech party. led by
H..