Evening star., 1947-06-06
On the Record
CzechosIovokio Shows
Seductive Ways Of Hote
Writer Finds Lingual Discrimination
Is Leaf Taken From Hitler's Book
By Dorothy Thompson

Hate has curious way of seducing the iaater.
Take Czechosloyakia. After the last war this
state was created out of the remains of the
dissolved Austro- Hungarian Empire. Tflroueh-
out history the races Of this empire had COM
mingled; there were many languages and MANY
degrees OF national autonomy People moved
around freely within the area, and everywhere
there were minority racial and lingual grolius.
NOT all the experts of the last wars peace
conferences could devise an ethnically and
hngually pure" Czechoslovak state and the
Siovaks. even, resented Czech dominance.
There were German-speaking enclaves, not
only centered In the areas around the Sudetic
mountains but elsewhere, too.
The Sudeten people never wanted TO be at.
Sached to Czechoslovakia and weren't asked.
The statesmanly Thomas Masaryk would have
preferred fewer of this population and less Of
their land, but his humanistic ideas were aboys
those OF his chauyinistic countrymen Yet, un-
der this influence, CzechosIoyakia was liberal
with minorities and the German-speaking peo-
pie lived quite contentedly until Hitler came to
leed them the strong stimulants of Naziism and
racialism.
Learned From the Naxis.
Most German-speaking citizens of Czecho-
slovakia were loyal to that state in the crisis
preceding Hitler DR.. Benes, at least, claimed
so, stating that Hitler-in saying they all want
ed to join Germany-was lying. don't believe
DR.. Benes was just making propaganda to off
set an argument about self determination,
Then the Nazis took over offering the
Gernan-speaking people special privileges at
the expense OF Czechs and jews which most
accepted as, alas, Frenchmen, Belgians, Dutch
men and others accepted cheap confiscated
property even though hating their invaders
But the Czech leaders learned from the
Nazis. Now, since they cannot make racial
state-many of their high officials would not
qualify-they are making lingual state, and
the test of whether you are eligible for the
club is the language OF your mother.
1t has nothing to do with collaboration"
The Slovaks notoriously collaborated; Slovak
regiments fought with the Germans But they
are "Slavs." If, however, your father married
Viennese, which has happened to others than
Czechs, you are-today-in a bad way.
During the Czechoslovak republic there were
German-language schools and 1t was taken for
granted that those of that mother tongue
would send their children to them. Now, retro
actively, that was crime
Goethe Monument Destroyed.
Being Jew and having concentration
camp record won't save you. A professor of my
University in Prague by DR.. Benes prewar
government, is now an outcast for being born
OF German-speaking parents and accepting
that teaching job
When. the Nazis destroyed the monument to
Mendelssohn in Leipzig, the civilized world was
disguised. But the Czechs have destroyed the
monument and memorials to Goethe and
Schiller in Carlsbad. Goethe was antinational,
ist, pan-European, a humanist and one of the
worlds greatest writer's; Schiller one of the
brightest singers against oppression. No matter.
They were German"
My Czech friends, many of whom dearly
cherish, won't all like what I say But that
blood-and-soil myth of Hitlerism seems to have
corrupted many more than the Germans. HAY
Ing been against all the nonsense that Hitler
started, I shan't greet 1t when it turns up In
another national costume-in the name OF
anti-Hitlerism! No person Is responsible for
the language Of his family, and all Languages
can express great or ignoble ideas Language
is no criterion Of anything concerning human
ideas or character.