550 



The Review of Reviews. 



correspondence between the two Cabinets pub- 

 lished in March, 1910, showed that they were 

 both in complete agreement as to the political 

 principles which should govern Balkan affairs; 

 and in his Duma speech on April 26, M. 

 Sazonoff, referring to the declarations made in 

 this correspondence, added that Austria was 

 determined to adhere to the political principles 

 laid down by the two Empires. Meanwhile, 

 M. Sazonoff has visited Balmoral, Paris, and 

 Berlin, and what he there said about Austrian 

 relations was as correct as his Duma speech. 

 VV^ill matters remain at that? The writer is not 

 sure that they will. 



AUSTRIAN'S POLICY. 



Nothing could be farther from Austria's inten- 

 tions than a policy of conquest, as Count Berch- 

 told has said emphatically and repeatedly. Her 

 policy is a policy of peace, but not a peace at any 

 price. In the Balkans Austria has important 

 interests, which she must protect at all cost. So 

 long as these are not disturbed she will not feel 

 it necessary to intervene in the conflict between 

 Turkey and the Balkans. History and geo- 

 graphy teach what must be the aims of Austria — 

 an open road to Turkey, the maintenance of the 

 present condition of the Adriatic coast, and the 

 security of her frontiers against uneasy neigh- 

 bours. Whatever may happen, Austria, trusting 

 in her own strength and in the support of her 

 faithful allies, will be able to guard her own 

 interests as other Great Powers in a similar 

 position have done. 



IS THE BOHEMIAN CRISIS 

 ENDED ? 



In the first September number of Questions 

 Diploniatiques et Coloniales M. Henri Hantich 

 explains the terms of the Czech-German Entente 

 which is being arranged in Bohemia. 



For over sixty years the national conflict be- 

 tween the Czechs (over 4,000,000) and the 

 Germans (under 2,500,000) has been going on 

 in Bohemia. During the last four years the 

 crisis has become acute, and the quarrel be- 

 tween the two nationalities has been a veritable 

 nightmare in the political life of the country. 

 Since 1908, when the Germans inaugurated their 

 policy of obstruction in the Diet at Prague, 

 the autonomous administration of Bohemia and 

 the legislative work of the country have been 

 completely paralysed. It being impossible to 

 pass the Budget, debts have been growing, and 

 the finances are in the greatest disorder. At 

 last a few men of both nationalities, realising 

 the gravity of the situation, recognised the 

 necessity for a partial revision of the local Con- 

 stitution, with the result that the old irreconcil- 



able spirit has given way to a more reasonable 

 disposition, that, of mutual concessions. 



THE QUARREL BETWEEN CZECHS AND GERMANS. 



As it had become absolutely necessary to put 

 an end to a situation which was proving disas- 

 trous to both nationalities, two Special Com- 

 missions were instituted, one at Vienna and the 

 other at Prague, and they have laboured at the 

 task before them with a zeal worthy of all praise. 

 The demands of the two nationalities which were 

 the causes of the bitterest disputes are sum- 

 marised thus : — 



For the Germans, who represent about one-third of 

 the population of Bohemia, free development guaranteed 

 by a new order of the Diet and by administrative 

 separation in the permanent Committee of the country. 



For the Czechs, a settlement of the question of the 

 Czech and German languages in the different organisa- 

 tions of the state and the autonomous administration of 

 the country, and protection of the Czech minorities to 

 prevent the national absorption of about 200,000 Czechs 

 in the north and north-east of the country, where the 

 Germans are in a majority. 



RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMISSIONS. 



The two Commissions, whose duty it was to 

 elaborate a compromise acceptable to the two 

 parties, decided to begin by getting a certain 

 number of points solved, and advancing the 

 solutions of a few others. But as it became 

 increasingly urgent that the Diet should resume 

 its legislative functions as soon as possible, 

 another move of procedure was adopted. The 

 questions in dispute were divided into two sec- 

 tions, and it is the decisions arrived at with 

 regard to one of these sections which are now 

 ready to be submitted to the Diet. The new 

 proposals contain the following recommenda- 

 tions : — 



The creation of national sections in the permanent 

 Council (Landesausschuss). Hitherto composed of the 

 representatives of large landowners and Czech and 

 German deputies, this Council is henceforth to be 

 composed of a Czech and a German section, with repre- 

 sentation of the nobility of the two nationalities. Each 

 section will have the right of protest in cases affecting 

 important questions of language and nationality. 



The partial division of the Budget according to 

 nationality. Each section of the Council will dispose 

 autonomously of the revenues of the country, which is 

 to be divided according to nationality into districts 

 havmg a Czech majority and those having a German 

 majority. 



The second item of the compromise was most 

 hotly debated, every comma being the subject 

 of the liveliest discussion. It involves a re- 

 organisation of the administrative and judicial 

 districts in such a way that each one, so far as 

 possible, shall contain only people belonging to 

 one of^ the nationalities. The protection of 

 minorities and reform of the system of electing 

 representatives for the Diet are also dealt with. 



