Page:The Czechoslovak Review, vol4, 1920.pdf/172

granting of the constitution by the October diploma of 1860, its modification by the February patent of 1861, and especially after the introduction of dualism in 1867. As was referred to above, Jugoslav deputies from the Austrian half of the empire backed in the Vienna parliament the program of the Czech deputies; this support was mutual. Unfortunately the division of the Hapsburg monarchy into two almost independent countries made a unitary program on the part of all Czechoslovak or Jugoslav branches impossible. But even so it is well known that Czech members of the Austrian delegation used this forum to criticize the Austro-Hungarian administration of the Bosnian affairs and sometimes brought into the discussion even the affairs of the kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia. It was a matter of course that closest relations should be cultivated between the Czechoslovak and Jugoslav nations in the field of literature and art and culture in general, and as far as possible in the economic field as well. Translation of literary novelties from one language to another was constant, attention was paid in the press of one nation to the life of the other nation, there were meetings of journalists, Sokol meets, industrial conferences etc.

Nevertheless there did not exist any systematic co-operation of the two nations in the various fields of cultural effort. The principal obstacle was the lack of political freedom. The Jugoslavs were broken up into many states and provinces, and even the Czechoslovaks could not act as a unit, as they were divided between Austria and Hungary. But in the future all such obstacles will no longer exist.

The two kindred nations have now their fate in their own. keeping; from now on they can make their mutual relations just what they wish them to be. There is no doubt that the relations will be most cordial; not merely because of race relationship, but for practical reasons which after all have so much to do with all friendships. For nations are as egotistic as individuals. They have their own special interests which they pursue by all means. If they are not sufficiently strong, they seek friends and allies; especially when they are smaller nations, as are the Czechoslovaks and Jugoslavs.

We have expelled our oppressors, but at what a cost! We enter upon our new life almost beggared and with empty hands. We are so completely robbed that we are left with our bare lives, and many with even their lives bruised. And still our former lords, our present enemies, begrudge us this bare freedom. They watch our first steps as an independent nation with anger in their hearts and calumny in their mouths, and scheme to take away from us our liberty. Germans and Magyars will continue to be the enemies of Czechoslovaks and Jugoslavs alike, a danger to their free national life. What is more natural that we should keep common watch and make an alliance for life and death.

In addition to Czechoslovaks and Jugoslavs we shall find in the anti-German and anti-Magyar camp two more nations—Poles and Roumanians. All four are interested in the erection of a strong barrier against the German push toward the East. But still there will be special ties between the Czechoslovaks and Jugoslavs, closer even than the many ties which will bind the Czechoslovaks to Roumanians. Between us and the Roumanians there will be no conflict of interests, and our economic relations will be mutually profitable. But the same is true of our relations with the Jugoslavs, and here in addition we have the strong tie of racial relationship. There is also the fact that we are much nearer to the Jugoslavs than to the Roumanians. Social composition of the nation and political views are much more closely related between the two Slav nations, than between either of them and the Latins of the Balkans. Jugoslavs like Czechoslovaks lost long ago their native nobility, whereas the Roumanians have even today their boyars, so that politically the Slav nations are democratic and therefore in closer sympathy.

Economic interests demand our closest agreement with the kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. We are half agricultural and half industrial, whereas the Jugoslav state will for long remain agricultural, and thus we can suplement each other. We shall export to Jugoslavia many industrial products, and bring back agricultural products. The Jugoslav countries are among the most exclusively agricultural states of Europe. In England those employed in tilling the soil compose only 13 per cent of the population, in France 49 per cent, in Italy 59 per cent, in Russia 75 per