Baron von Hussarek succeeded Dr. von Seidler as Premier of
Austria last week, and on Saturday obtained a majority of 19 votes in the Lower House for his Provisional Budget. The new Premier made vague promises, of the Austrian official type, to the oppressed nationalities, and some of the Slav Deputies thereupon abstained from voting against him. It is highly improbable that the new Premier will have more than a temporary respite from the diffi- culties that overwhelmed his predecessor. The Germans and Magyars, though in a minority, are determined to rule Austria- Hungary, and the Slays are equally determined to gain their free- dom. If the Slays were not divided by the racial jealousies between the Poles and the Ruthenes, and by the conflicting interests of the Polish and Czech landowners and their humbler fellow-countrymen, the crisis would have been reached ere now. The Austrian Govern- ment maintain an appearance of national unity by incessant intrigues with one Slav faction after another, but the tido of Slav popular feeling is rising ominously.
Previous page
