The Jugoslav deputies were driven out of Prague, and the great Czech daily, the chief mouthpiece of the deputies, “Národní Listy”, has been suppressed. The state of war exists in Bohemia between the Czech nation and the Austrian government.
While the Slavs are attacking Austria’s integrity from one side, the Germans of Austria work for the same end from another direction and with very different motives. We read of meetings in Silesia, Styria and even in that pre-eminently Hapsburg province, the Tyrol, voting resolutions in favor of closer union with Germany. The tendency among the Germans of the Alp provinces, and of the Bohemian lands as well, is ever stronger for the incorporation of Austria into the German empire as one of the federal states, with certain special privileges, such as are reserved to Bavaria. And a long step toward the realization of these ambitions has been taken at the recent meeting of the two emperors. A treaty has been agreed upon providing in effect that for the next twenty five years the Austrian army, shall be under the control of Germany. Can any sensible man still believe in the possibility of separating the Hapsburgs from the Hohenzollerns or setting up a strong Austria as a counterpoise to Germany? Whether the continued postponement of the Austrian offensive against Italy is due principally to the really desperate food situation of the empire, or to the fear of disaffection among the Slav and Latin troops, it is difficult to decide. It seems likely in any event that the Austrian command will not commit itself to a general offensive, until its own divisions are strengthened by reliable German troops. In the meantime not only the Czechoslovak and Italian conscripts, but Roumanians and Jugoslavs as well go over to the Italian side, whenever there is opportunity. The Czechoslovaks especially by their splendid soldierly qualities and by their matchless bravery and patriotism have won much praise from their Italian and other Allied friends.
On May 25 there took place at Rome the dedication of the flag of the Czechoslovak army. The flag has the Bohemian colors, white and red; on one side are the figures 1620 (the year of Bohemian downfall) and 1918 (the year of Bohemian rebirth), on the other side are the shields of Bohemia. Moravia, Silesia and Slovakia. The presentation of the flag to general Graziani, commander of the Czechoslovak army in Italy, was an imposing military ceremony. Speeches praising the Czechs were made by the mayor of Rome and by premier Orlando on behalf of Italy, and by Col. Štefanik on behalf of the Czechoslovak revolutionary government. It is an indication of the attitude of the American government that Ambassador Page took part in the proceedings and ended his speech by saying: “God of freedom and justice grant you victory.” Another great honor was conferred upon the Czechoslovak soldiers at the celebration of the third anniversary of Italy’s entry into the war. A regiment of this army was brought to Rome to serve as the guard of honor to the King of Italy and the Prince of Wales.
When the offensive does come, whether it is started by the Austrians or by the Italians, the Czechoslovaks will give a good account of themselves, and so will other corps of former Austrian soldiers that are now being formed on the Italian front. The oppressed races of Austria-Hungary, fighting against tyranny from within and from without, are destined to give the decrepit old empire its deathblow and thus shatter the Pan-German dreams of Central Europe as the stepping stone to a world empire.
Charles lied. He wrote to his brother-in-law, Sixtus de Bourbon, asking him to tell President Poincaré that for the sake of making peace he was willing to support in the strongest manner possible the just claims of France to Alsace and Lorraine. Later he wrote William the Damned that he had never done any such thing, but had always been heart and hand with Germany in holding fast those provinces.
Why not? The Prussian princes, the Crown-Prince himself foremost, have been looting the plate and jewels and other treasures of French dwelling houses which their troops have sacked. If Hohenzollern princes of the blood royal may be thieves, may not a Hapsburg Emperor be a liar? The German emperor has again and again shown himself a liar. Has not an Austrian equal privileges? Surely a Hapsburg is not to be outdone by a parvenu Hohenzollern. Then there was Bismarck who falsified dispatches in order to provoke war and boasted of the deed; and who connived at an attempted assassination of the Russian Czar in Paris in order to make bad blood bet ween Russia and France and boasted of that. Why, in the name of the infernal Father of Liars, should Charles not lie; and why should we expect anything but treachery from the Huns and their allies? When Prussians sing “Heil dir im Siegeskranz”, surely Austrians must be permitted to respond with their national anthem “Gott erhalte Karl den Lugner.”
The North American Review’s War Weekly.
