Page:The Bohemian Review, vol2, 1918.djvu/135

 Czechs and Jugoslav deputies and some of the Poles and German Socialists. Almost the same line-up took place on the proposal of the Czechs to impeach Seidler and his Minister of the Interior, Toggenburg, for their unconstitutional division of Bohemia into districts. The motion fell through by 215 to 162.

These recent happenings in Vienna clear up the situation within Austria. The Czechs and Jugoslavs cannot be won over by threats or promises. They have stated their aims to be complete independence and their deputies attend the Vienna parliament merely to do as much damage to Austria there as they can. The Ukrainians are afraid to stand alone and look to easy-going Austria as their defense before the German cruelty. The Poles, the Roumanians and the Italians have not yet reached that stage which the Czechs and Jugoslavs adopted long ago, that of uncompromising opposition to the German cause; but the discontent among them ds growing ever stronger and as soon as they lose their belief in the invincibility of Germany, they too will help break up the Austrian empire. Emperor Karl, his ministers, the Germans of Austria and the Germans of Germany all realize that Germany cannot count on the Austro-Hungarian state as its ally, but only on the German race in Austria and the Magyar race in Hungary.

The Czech motion for the impeachment of premier Seidler and his Minister of the Interior, Count Toggenburg, was supported by a speech of deputy Stránský. He exceeded in boldness anything spoken so far by any Czech deputy in the Vienna Parliament. Stránský said:

“We are determined to show to the foreign nations, how unbearable has become the German domination over the peoples of Austria and what violence is being committed in Austria under the guise of decrees, illegal in every respect. We bring a charge against this premier that he is a typical representative of the Prussianized Austria whose very existence means a prolongation of war and constitutes one of the greatest obstacles preventing a conclusion of peace by the liberation of the smaller, hitherto oppressed nations.

“In place of conciliating the various nationalities and races, Seidler adopts German policies and attempts to crown fifty years of German terrorism by forging slave fetters on these nationalities and binding them to the wheels of the revengeful German Moloch. The Germans undoubtedly begin to see that their domination is nearing the end and so they attempt to legalize the robberies they committed by the establishment of a German province in Bohemia; the partition of this country is their first step for this end. Austria will exist only so long as its peoples desire it. We now declare that we will hate Austria with its German backbone forever and with God’s help we hope some day to smash it. Austria embodies century-old crimes against the liberty of mankind. The highest national duty of the Czech people is to harm Austria wherever and whenever it is possible. This we owe to the Czech people and to our loyalty to the Bohemian crown, which loyalty can only be put in practice by opposing and even betraying Seidler’s Austria. So we are determined to be prepared with all means within our power. Austria is not a state, but a nightmare centuries old, an Alp mountain of tyranny and nothing else. Austria is a state without patriots and without patriotism; it is an absurdity, it is such a state that Czech soldiers sent against the enemy to embrace him and join him for the formation of new regiments and divisions against Austria.”

At this point policemen appeared and cleared the galleries, so that outsiders might not hear such treasonable talk and took possession of the records with a view to striking out the objectionable sentences. The impeachment was defeated by a vote of 215 to 162.

The question now before the Allies is, shall we join with our Ally Bohemia in aiding Russia in Siberia, or shall we stand off and see the Bolsheviki arm German and Russian prisoners, sweep the Czechoslovaks out of Siberia and turn Russia over to Germany?—Washington Post.