Page:The Czechoslovak Review, vol3, 1919.djvu/113

 suit the people of Prague and other Bohemian cities get a much larger ration. Passenger traffic also has been improved with the introduction of a through line from Paris to Bucharest; on this train there is one car which is switched in Austria north to the Bohemian railroads. Recently mail communications with the Czechoslovak Republic have been re-established as a result of the recognition of the new state by Switzerland. Coal production is now more satisfactory. In the middle of February, the situation was so bad that street cars in Prague did not run for two days on account of the exhaustion of coal reserves. Suffering was great at that time, because in January very cold weather set in. But in March greater production of the Silesian mines and better feeding of the miners brought about a great improvement. One of the signs of a more normal state of affairs is seen in the announcement of Prague papers that they will accept new subscriptions, as their supply of print paper has been increased. The total volume of export and import business for three months beginning November 20th, is estimated at one billion crowns. That would mean an annual business of four billion; the total Austro-Hungarian foreign trade for 1913, amounted to six and one-half billion crowns.

In this connection one comes to the most serious problem of Czechoslovak business—the depreciated Austrian currency. Before the war the franc was worth less than a crown, today a franc buys four crowns. And while it is nearly half a year since the Dual Empire fell to pieces, the new states are still compelled to use the Austrian currency which the Austro-Hungarian Bank continues to manufacture at the rate of one billion crowns a month. According to the last available reports the Czechoslovak government planned to stamp all currency circulating within its territory so as to create thereby a distinct Czechoslovak currency. By this time probably the plan has been carried out, and it is noteworthy as indicating the credit of the new republic that at the first rumors of this proposed step bills of exchange on Prague were sold in Switzerland at 27 centimes to the crown, while bills on Vienna were sold at 22 centimes. The responsible statesmen in Prague realize that business cannot be put on a sound basis, until there is a sound system of money.

In domestic politics nothing very startling has happened since the proclamation of the republic. The best proof of the stability of the government may be seen in the fact that the first cabinet of 16 ministers established early in November is still in power without a single change of personnel. All the members of the cabinet, six of whom are socialists, so far supported all measures taken by the government; this is also true of all parties in the National Assembly. The principle on which the National Assembly proceeds is that they are only a temporary body and that no fundamental changes are to be enacted by them. All such measures are reserved for the constituent Assembly, and this Assembly by general consent will be elected only when the Czechoslovak soldiers in Siberia return home. In the meantime the Assembly busies itself in reconstructing the old governmental machine, looking after the proper distribution of food, taking emergency steps to ameliorate the living conditions of state employees and voicing the complaints of the people. The only measures that provoked much discussion were the enactment of a new franchise for municipal elections so as to do away immediately with the antiquated Austrian system of giving the big taxpayers a majority of municipal councils, and an act prohibiting political agitation in the pulpits.

Bolshevism has taken no root among the Czechoslovaks. Some half a dozen Czech communists from Russia, led by a man named Alois Muna, penetrated into Bohemia at the end of December and carried on an agitation for their principles in industrial districts, taking care, however, to avoid conflict with the laws. Much controversy was provoked in the newspapers at to the wisdom of the government in permitting them to carry on this agitation. In any case these disciples of Lenine gained few converts, and the Social Democratic party officially repudiated them and called on all Socialists to have nothing to do with them. In a campaign of education under taken in the interest of sound political and economic thinking among the workingmen, very effective service was rendered by a number of Czechoslovak soldiers from Russia and by two representatives of Czechs from the United States. It maybe stated most emphatically that the Czechoslovak people will not in any circumstances succumb to Bolshevik agitation.