2. Essays from "Deutsche Wochenschrift"

The Week, January 5-11, 1888

A significant change in Austria's relations with Russia does not yet appear to have occurred. Things are still at the same old stage. Attempts have been made to capitalize on the premature discharge of the oldest year of the Russian Guard Corps, which is now to take place, but the general armaments in Russia, of which new reports reach the world from time to time, do not really raise hopes of maintaining peace. Austria remains cautious. Even at the last ministerial conferences held in Vienna, in which the Hungarian ministers Tisza and Fejervary took part, no further resolutions were passed. The only thing that resembles a preparation for war is the calling up of reservists in Austria and Hungary for an extraordinary seven-day rifle drill for the purpose of practicing with the repeating rifle. The necessary bill has already been sent to the Hungarian House of Representatives and will soon be submitted to the Imperial Council. However, such a measure would probably have been adopted at the same time under more peaceful conditions.

These are almost only minor political matters that have interrupted the week's silence. The holiday mood still lingers. The opening of a beautiful jubilee exhibition in the Vatican, a quickly suppressed coup in Burgas - that's pretty much all the news abroad. More important may be the negotiations that are to be held again between the German and Czech members of parliament in Bohemia. An understanding is hardly to be expected, the differences are too great. But at least we should find out more about what the Czechs have to offer in relation to the German Fordetungen. In the meantime, the Germans in Prague celebrated the opening of their new theater in the most festive way. On both evenings, the house was filled with a glittering audience, including the governor Baron Kraus and the colonel-land marshal Prince Lobkowitz. On the first evening "Die Meistersinger" was performed, on the second an occasional comedy by Alfred Klaar and "Minna von Barnhelm". The celebration was not disturbed in any way by the Czech population. After the performance on the second day, a banquet was held at which Dr. Schmeykal explained the significance of the celebration in a major speech. He concluded with a toast to the German people in Bohemia. Professor Knoll, Dr. Hermann from Dresden and Dr. Klaar followed the leader of the German Bohemians with uplifting toasts.