New-York tribune., 1918-01-28

the bohemian minority Socialists, ant
other labor leaders with whom Trotzk!
was in touch In the other part.
Of Austria Hungary the agrarians are
predominant, but in Bohemia the tex
tile workers, the coal miners. the ma
chlnists and leather goods and brew
cry workers form the bulk Of the labor
ing class"
Backed soldly by this element, &C
other Mcll-informed Russian radical.
tere, Trotzky issued peace call tha
was IN reality war call. Harborinl
no illusions either as to the strength
or purposes of the Prussian militarist
leaders. Trotzky instigatcd his peace
conference for the sole purpose OF
arousing the Austrian and Hungarian
masses 10 the pertidy of their leaders
for the purpose of letting the Ger.
man and Austrian war lords paint their
own pictures in their own colors.
Aim Was TO Arouse the Masses
He chose his time. so it is contend
ed, when his own government was firm
~ established in Russia, and when un-
rest. through sheer privation and war
WEAKNESS, in the Dual Monarchy had
reached point where it could most
probably be bent to his own purposes
Of world revolution
IN springing this coup, he and the
Bohemian labor men said to be in league
Wlth MN have relied, precisely as the
Bo!shevlki relied in Russia, on the CO.
operation of the army.
IT is matter Of record that very few
or the Bohemian regiments have been
sent to the front. They are stationed
at Vienna, at Budapest. at Prague and
IL the rural districts throughout the
country Russians here maintain that
TINS is because, mindful of the national
lst ambitions Of the Bohemians. their
Slavic origin and their general attitude
toward the war, the Austrian military
leaders have been afraid to trust them
III the field against the Russian troops.
Force That Is Being Depended Upon
And this is the military force" Rus
slans here said yesterday. chat is be
the factory hands and civil population
which the revolutionary Socialists OF
Austria Hungary. inspired through
Bohemia by Jrotzky depend upon TO
swing the balance in their favor in the
great cities, thus throwing the wage
OF an industrial proletarian democracy
across Central Europe"
Whether the move will be successful.
the more guarded radicals Will not per-
NIT themselves to predict. What they
are all agreed, however, is that the
crucial hour of the whole Bolshevils
movement has arrived
"ENerythlns is ready for the next
STEP said Alexander Menshey, Trotz-
ky's successor as editor of the Russian
Socialist daily, "Novy Mir last night,
"and the hope and expectation is that
the revolt viii spread to Germany at
once
The months Of determination en-
couraeed by the Bolsheviki with Ger
man troops. he declared; the organiza-
Non OF ar international Socialist
army under Trotzky's agent, Boris
kelnsteln, former leader in the So
clailst Labor party in this country, all
nave been prepared with a view to this
hour The only thing that remains is
the hosting OF the signal.
IT the Austrian movement is success
iul the signal will be hoisted a, once.
II is said. According to Austrians and
hungarans i'll this city, that is very
ut is an attempt" said Martin
Nlaslts, socialist and ardent peace
man, one Of the directors of the Hun
garian paper "Elore," "but the Aus
.ilan mli'tarlst class is much stronger
ehan most people seem to realize
stronger even than it is in Germany.
mere is no fighting on the Russian
front. Austrian regiments can be
brought back to quel the Bohemian
uprising at home, and, once ouel)ed. it
Will not be easily revived. am not
sure that by the armistice the Boil
sheVlki have not defeated their own
ends thus. 1t is chance, but il is
rotElng to rely on