The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-03-01
Combatants Face Gigantic
Task When Conflict Ends

state should want to be independent of
the United States and New York city
independent o. New York state and
Manhattan independent of the rest of
the greater CITY, and Murray Hill or the
west side independent of the rest of
Manhattan.
There has been an able and persist
ent agitation for the independence Of
Bohemia. carried On for many years.
Some people think that MIR. BRAND was
probably led to raise this issue by the
fact that La Nation Tcheque is pub
lished in Paris and many Bohemians
have long lived and worked there.
Others think that the motive was prob
ably one oil political safety, the desire,
in other words, to lessen the power of
Germany after the war.
When | say some" and Others" l
refer to small numbers, as only mere
handful of men anywhere might be ex-
pected to know that the change was
made. Among those who give most
special study to what is to be done with
the Austrian empire, there are some
who think it ought to be entirely brok-
en- up, in WHICH case Bohemia would,
of course, get it's independence. If it
should obtain independence there are
some Poles who are decidedly anxious
to haye it combined with Poland, but
the pressure for this outcome comes
from a small Lumber.
What would be absolutely necessary
would be an arrangement between
Poland and Bohemia by which Bohemia
should obtain access to open water. The
waterways could be made of great use
to her only through cooperation with
Poland. Her southern boundries, on
the other hand, would probably have to
be extended so that she would have
proper access to the Danube.
A good many people, on the other
hand, whether their sympathy with the
sense of nationality. are strongly con-
fiuSSi tHaI VIC dloO HSeu tue seESe Oh
federation, and that the breaking up
of the Austrian empire into lot of
violently nationalstic small units would
create new ambitions and new intrigues
and would be encouragement to those
who look forward to steady advance
toward federation of Europe.
These people would seek the solu-
ton in more home rule for the constitu-
, ent parts of the Austrian empire, rather
than in the disruption of it. Well-in-
formed London is DIVIDED more sharply
and Interestingly on no one point than
on this question of the relation of
Bohemia to the settlement.
The same line of reasoning that
makes some people prefer to keep the
Austrian empire alive, while lmprov-
ing conditions in it, makes them op-
pose the attempt to throw the Turk
altogether out of Europe. A few
years ago England obtained possession
of town she needed on the Egyptian
border named Akaba, merely by
enabling the Turks to save their faces.
This process of race saving is about as
important to the Turk as it is to the
| Chinaman.
The solution for the acquisition of
Akaba was to have it an absolute GIFT
with no compensation whatever, so
that the Turkish government could say
to the people that they gave it to the
British because it was something they
didn't want. If the Turk should be
left in Europe the actual power would
all be taken away from him by some
such device as telling him that Con-
stantinople and the adjoining country on
both sides of the straits would be
managed by financial commission
which would take its orders from an
international commission.
The international commission would
carry out treaties entered into by the
| principal powers for the entire govern
ment of the region. The Turk be-
ing without arms or fertilization, the
Russians would have not only free
passage through the straits in times
of peace, but the opportunity to get
there first in time of war.
The Turk would probably give up
Armenia without a wry face, as he
would scarcely be aware of the passage
of those little remote villages from
under his sway, but of course he can be
thrown absolutely out of Constantinople
only after a most severe defeat. In
ternational government did not work
out satisfactorily in Egypt. so that
country passed under the rule of
England alone, but the arrangements
on the Danube, on the other hand, have
! been of great use to Europe.