New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-05
BOhemianS See Freedom
for Ancient Kingdom
Weakness of Austrian Monarchy Made Plain, and
Young Czechs Are Determined to Throw OF
Hapsburg Absolutsm After Conflict

4,
full task OF federating the monarchy. of
rendering it independent OF Berlin and
bringing about "rapprochement" with
Russia The Young Czechs went So
far, indeed in their concessions to Aus
tria that of late years they lost much
Of their popularity.
Hoped for Progress.
All this was done in the hope that
Vienna would at last recognize that
Just solution of the Bohemian question
was in the interests of the monarchy.
Things, however. developed in quite
different direction. The Balkan policy
of the Ballpatz and the ever increas-
ing dependence on Berlin made the
German minority in Austria all power
full.
When Bohemia refused to give its
consent to the splitting of the king
dom in two and to greater central.
ration of the empire the autonomy OF
the kingdom was suspended on July
26, 1913. and regime Of pure abb
solutism was introduced.
Absolutism in Bohemia, permanent
obstruction in nearly all the diets of
the monarchy, trials for high treason
in north and south, with racial antips-
tnies reused to the highest pitch such
were the internal conditions prevailing
when Austria entered on the present
war Germany had to save Hungary,
Germany had to negotiate with Italy,
and after victorious war Germany is
to restore order in the interior of the
Dual Monarchy.
This the German Austrians, who
have hitherto supported the Vienna
government, know full we'll, and this
Imperial German internal order is
their innermost desire. They make no
secret of what this new "order" will
look like nor what the relations OF
Austria to Germany after the war
will be.
Aim Now No Secret.
They have already found a name for
it, the great solution of the German
problem" the smaller solutions" hav-
ing been those of 1863 and 1870. Ger
many will put rapid end to all the
national disputes from which Austria
could never free herself by taking in
hand the political and economic reor-
ganization of Central Europe.
A we'll known German Radical Aus
titan deputy recently published a PAM
phlet (undcr the pseuronyme OF "Mu-
nin"), in which he stated frankly that
without the help of Germany we
would not have maintained our posi-
ton" In another part of the same
pamphlet he declared: Austria, since
the battle of Sadowa, has had no real
'raison d'etre' beyond perhaps keeping
an aimless and also inscriptions dy-
nasty in existence" Such and similar
declarations by the German Austrians
leave no doubt that they see, as the
aim of the war, not a continuance OF
Austria, but the creation Of greater
Germany.
1t is not difficult to divine the b.
hemian point of view in this situation.
In l848 the Bohemian historian Palacky
sent his famous letter to the Frankfort
Parliament, in which he defended,
against Germany, Austria's right to ex-
stence. At that time the Bohemians
and the Croatians took thei. stand
against the Hungarian revolution. In
1866 also, when the victorious Prus-
slams, after Sadowa, by public procla-
nation promised them their rights as
a state, the Bohemian people remained
true to the Hapsburgs. They were still
under the influence of Palacky's ia
nous phrase in l848, "If Austria did
not exist we would have to create it."
Bohemia Powerful Unit.
But in 1872, after the failure of
Hohenwarts's Bohemian compromise"
(ausgleich), the same Palacky, in his
memoirs, expressed. quite another view.
He regretted his optimism in l848 and
declared he no longer believed in the
existence of an Austrian monarchy. He
prophesied the present catastrophe and
replaced the above quoted historical
phrase by another which has become
equally celebrated I'VE BohemiGns
existed before Austria, and will con-
tinue 10 exist after she has dlSap-
peared."
This second phrase of Palacky con-
tains the whole programme OF the pres
ent day Bohemia. The people Of the
Trentno and of Trieste turn toward
Italy the Serbo- Croatians and the Slo-
venians desire a greater Serbia, the
hungarian Ruman.1ns greater Su-
mania, the Poles a free Poland and the
Germans greater Germany. Can any
one, under these circumstances, believe
that the Bohemians will act as the
saviors of Austria or that they will
greet with enthusiasm the idea of
forming a part of greater Germany?
The large and economically powerful
German Bohemian minority has moth
ing TO fear from free Bohemia. On
the contrary, it would probably soon
become economically independent of
Germany and would find ample COM
pensation in the South Slav and Rus
sian markets. This will not, of course,
take place without 4 struggle, and only
the present war can solve the problem.
The Bohemians have, however, in the
struggle a powerful ally, the historical
necessity Of the change. A people of
ten millions, whose great reformer,
Johann Huss, five hundred years ago
lighted the torch of spiritual freedom,
cannot be annhlated and will, under
all circumstances, know how to defend
its freedom.