Page:The New Europe - Volume 3.djvu/447

 and the great Polish State to the north, whose resurrection upon the ruins of yesterday’s worn-out diplomatic morality will soon be accomplished. If we should succeed in elevating Austria from the position of an unwilling continental colony of the German race to a federal State, whose natural mission would be to further economic and cultural intercourse between East and West, then we shall all, ruler and peoples, attain a future beautiful beyond the powers of eloquence to describe.”

From a report in the Prague press it appears that Mr. Stransky went the length of saying that the day is near at hand when Austria’s Peter and Paul prison will also open its gates.

Mr. Petruszewycz, the Ukrainian (Ruthene) deputy, complained of the attitude of the authorities towards the Ukraine legions and the obstacles placed in the way of their national movement. “The real Russophils were left untouched, while slanders were spread about the true Ukrainian patriots, and even Archbishop Szeptycki. The part of executioner was taken over by Germans, Poles and Magyars.” After levelling grave charges against those responsible for the Thalerhof refugee camp and the treatment of interned persons, he concluded: “The granting of a separate position to Galicia would simply mean the detachment of a great province from the Austrian State. If Austria does not wish to keep the Ukrainians, let her give them to the new Ukrainia, set free from the chains of Tsardom.”

Mr. Daszynski, the Polish Socialist leader, spoke as follows: “In the history of Austria and its constitution no case can be found of the Polish Club taking up an attitude contrary to the rights of the peoples. The Poles could not be Panslavs, and, though Slavs, voted frequently against the Czechs and Southern Slavs. But they opposed the German language of speech, and cannot be regarded as the tools (Handlanger) of the Germans. The Poles were neither Slavophil nor Germanophil; we felt that we could not be incorporated as an organic part of the policy of the State. But this brought hard words down upon them from all sides. How often the Poles were pilloried as pursuing a policy of small presents and concessions! How often were they reproached by both Slavs and Germans as being neither fish nor flesh, and how often was the attempt made to force them into the maze of Austrian politics! The Poles resisted temptations and abuse alike. They could not yoke themselves to any party car, and so Austria often complained of the Polish policy and called it expensive. If for anyone, it was for our own country that this policy was expensive. For twenty years past the policy of the Polish Club has been struggling for principles. The fight against the Schlachta [the feudal caste of noble landowners] ended in the victory of the people. In Parliament the Poles were always ready to work, but for twenty years since Badeni [Premier in 1897], there was only a Parliament of Paragraph Fourteen. Then came the war, and the Poles declared for war against Tsarist Russia. On 6 August Pilsudski and his volunteers crossed the Russian frontier. A week later the Supreme National Committee was founded, and the Polish legions