The Ruthene question has suddenly assumed importance in Austrian politics.
On Tuesday the Emperor Francis Joseph sent a remarkable message through the Acting Premier to the Ruthene deputies in the Austrian Chamber expressing his especial satisfaction that they had abandoned their ant- agonism towards the Army Bill and his confident expectation that they would continue in their present loyal and patriotic attitude. The publication of this message was so much resented by the Poles that the Polish Minister without port- folio in the Austrian Cabinet immediately tendered his resignation, and their dismay was only partly mitigated by a further message from the Emperor congratulating them on their readiness to lend their support to the preparation of peaceful conditions in Galicia. The Emperor's message is taken to refer to the efforts now being made to settle the long and embittered antagonism between the dominant Poles and the Ruthenes—who are Little Russians—in Galicia by con- cessions to the latter in the matter of secondary schools and the establishment of a Ruthene University at Lemberg. The Times correspondent, at Vienna points out that, though the Little Russian or Ukraine movement is partly literary and religious, its real significance is political, and that the pro- posed solution is one which is by no means likely to commend itself to Russia.
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