Page:The New Europe (The Slav standpoint), 1918.pdf/61

 The question of national minorities is of capital significance not only in Bohemia but in almost all countries, almost all States being nationally mixed. Even if the new Europe cannot be remodelled on a strictly nationalist basis, the national rights of the minorities must be assured. This will be done in Bohemia. The Bohemians have always claimed equal, not superior, rights. Owing to her central position, it will be to Bohemia’s interest to grant full rights to the Germans and the two smaller nationalities. Common-sense will demand it.

So far as the German minority is concerned, the eminent Bohemian leader, Dr. J. Grégr, proposed a rectification of the political frontier; parts of Bohemia where there are only a few Czechs might be ceded to German Austria. In that way the German minority could be reduced considerably; but it must be remembered that there are large Czech minorities in Lower Austria and Vienna (half a million); there are also Czechs in Prussian Silesia, in the territories of Glatz and Ratibor, and a large Serb minority in Lusatia. The Pangermans cannot, therefore, justly complain of the fate of the minority in Bohemia. The just rule for the national redistribution in Europe consists in the fair application of the principle of the majority. “Which is the more just—that 10 million Czechs should be under foreign rule, or that $2 1⁄2$ million non-Czechs should be under Czech rule?”

If the Germans insist on the argument that their culture invests them with the right of ruling the less cultured nations, the fact must be emphasised that the Czechs are not less cultured than the Germans.

There is one means, of a more financial nature, which might help to rearrange national minorities. The German and Austrian politicians, especially the Pangermans, have very often proposed thet the various States should undertake a systematic intermigration of national minorities. I see that in England Mr. Buxton recommends this means for the Balkans. It may be doubted whether this expedient would be very effective, if equal national rights were granted. The Magyars tried some years ago to repatriate the small Magyar minority of the Bukovina; the undertaking was a complete failure, for the repatriated colonists soon left Hungary and went back; but after the war many countries will need men—farmers, artisans and other professional classes, and, therefore, a systematic transplanting of minorities might be attempted.

The Poles are found in Silesia (about 230,000); with good will on both sides—and that is necessary in the presence of a common enemy—it is possible to find a suitable frontier; the Polish minority could be reduced, especially if the Czech district of Ratibor, in Prussian Silesia, were returned to Bohemia.

The Magyar minority in Slovakia is balanced by the Slovak minority that will remain on Magyar territory.

Some Czech and Jugoslav statesmen point to the possibility of uniting Slovakia with Jugoslav territory; that part of Hungary stretching along the Austrian frontier belonged at one time to Slovakia; to-day it is German and partly Magyar, but it contains Slovenian and Croatian minorities; this territory, joined in the north to Slovakland and in the south to Jugoslavia, would connect the Northern and Southern Slavs. This zone would be about 200 km. long. This plan supposes complete victory of the Allies, and there is no doubt that the Germans and Magyars would not agree to such a plan willingly; but if there is a truly democratic reconstruction of Europe, then the Northern and Southern Slavs will be secure even without this connection.

48.—(b) Recently a new plan has been devised by the Ukrainians living in Hungary; their representatives in the United States wish that their nation would join the Czecho-Slovak State as an autonomous federated part. The proposition must, of course, be ratified by the people in 2em