New-York tribune., 1918-02-06
Polish and Bohemian Dep
uties Are United in Sup
port Of National Aims
Germans Lack Leader
Combining of Parties and Fac
tions Is Urged by
Berlin Paper
The Neic York Tribune

German parties in gaining all their
groups and factions for the support Of
their national aims, reports the
"Nossische Zeitung," Of Berlin. While
the German representatives in the
Austrian Parliament form many small
groups that are hostile to one an
other, the representatives of the
Slavic peoples discard all their party
differences and arc firmly united in
placing their national ideals above
everything else. Following is the Ger
man view of the Parliamentary situa-
ton in Austria, as outlined by the
"Vossischc Zeitung," one Of the most
conservative papers of Germany:
"a German-National party has just
been founded in Austria, having among
its members some of the most intell-
gent German citizens of Austria. 1t is
almost becoming difficult in Austria to
remember the names and the charac
teristics of the various German par
ties there. In addition to the newly
formed German-National party there
are represented in the Reichsrat the
German Labor Community, whose pro-
gramme differs little from the first
mentioned party; the German Radical
party, which is led by Sylvester and
Dobernik; the German Labor party
end the German Progressive party
which is the oldest Of all.
Many Other German Parties
"ln addition to these parties, the
names of which show that they arc
German, there are also others that are
German. although they do not proclaim
1t with their name. There is the Chris
tlan-Socialist party, that consists of
Germans living in the Austrian Alps,
and t..e Austrian Social Democrats,
whose ranks are recruited from the
masses in German towns and cities.
ut must be admitted that the Aus
trian bill of fare from which the Ger
man voter in Austria may make his
taken if one thinks that this list of
parties has decreased during the war.
Just the contrary is true. The break
ing up and the differentiation of fac
tions and groups has been especially
In progress during the last few
months, and the outlook to unite all
the German parties into a group was
more promising before the war than
It is at present. Never before did the
Germans in Austria lack a leader as
much as now,
I'm contrast to the German parties,
the non-German parties in Austria
nave been more fortunate in their or
ganization. The Poles are all united
in a great club which embraces the
Parliamentary representatives of all
the various Polish parties and fac
tlons. Among the members of the
CLUB there are representatives of vari-
Gus shades. from Excellency Won Bilin-
ski, one of the most polished Euro
peans, to the radical Socialist Daszvn-
ski.
Powerful Instrument
what powerful instrument thi.
Polish club is in the hands of it's skill
1ul leaders! 1t changes it's color from
blood red (Socialist COLOR to black
and yellow (Austria's national colors)
very rapidly 1t corresponds with the
centre party, in Warsaw and at the
same time keeps the imperial court
in Vienna under observation.
"Ihe Polish club demands the re-.
building of Galicia, Polish Governor
Tor 10 Galicia and Polish Minister of
flnance. In addition, the Polish cluh
asks that the Austrian Poles be unit.d
with their brethren in the new Polish
kingdom. Wis"
ut need not be said that the Czech.
are a. standing firmly united, like wall
MARI hramarz, the Bohemian Parl;a-
,,hentary leader, has been elected after
his death sentence and the nardsn
which followed it, not as king. but n.
the national savior of his people. The
entire city of Prague greeted him in
triumph, and now he is ruling from his
palace in the capital Of Bohemia. "
Thanks to the long years of the
activity of Kramarz, the Czech club IN
the Austrian Reichsrat now comprises
all the Czech parties, agrarians as we'll
as city people, clericals as we'll as So
cialists.
zone of the most remarkable things
about the Czech club is the fact thst
the Socialists play very insignificant
role IN 1t. Before the war, it must be
remembered, Kramarz made in vain
great efforts to gain the support of tha
Socialists.
Socialists Aid Not Needed
"To-day Kramarz no longer needs to
ask them for their support For there
are only few among the Socialists
who do not follow the other Czech par
ties.
"Kramarz came back from the mill
tary prison unreconciled. He has
cleared the 'Narodni Listy,' the leading
Czech newspaper, from all moderate ele-
ments. AS at a command, Czech speeches
in the Reichrat follow one after an
other, with the main object to incite the
Bohemians who are SO numerous in the
Russian prison camps.
Gail the nations in the Austrian
Rcichsrat have formed uniform ma
tional organizations, but the Germans
are still adhering to the old dogma Of
the two class division-those that own
and those that own nothing. While
Daszynski, the Polish Socialist leader,
knows that he is Pole, and while
Nemec, the Bohemian Socialist, knows
that he is Czech, Victor Adler. the chief
Of the German Socialist party in Aus
tria, has remained follower OF Marx
And not a single German Socialist Dep
uty to the Austrian Parliament has
had the courage or the foresight to de-
clare: You, too. German representa-
tives OF workmen, are responsible fer
the helplessness Of the German partiea
and for the lack of unity among taem.
mo one has asked whether the ex-
ample of the Polish and Bohemian So
cialists ought to be followed by the
German Socialists and German par.
iiamcntary club formed. No one asked
whether Adler or Renner could have
similar influence among Germans ~
Daszynski among Poles and Sneral
among Czcchs.
"Whatever the Pole. and Czechs have
accomplished seems to have no effect
0N the German parties in Austria Wa