21. Essays from "Deutsche Wochenschrift"

The Week of May 17-23, 1888

The general meeting of the German School Association took place in the Moravian capital during the Whitsun holidays. Despite the efforts of Czech agitators, especially the Sokolists, to disrupt the meeting, which had been going on for weeks, it passed off in a splendid and uplifting manner, and not the slightest discord disturbed this beautiful celebration, which is likely to increase the unity and resilience of the Germans. The General Assembly took place in the city's Redoutensaal and was attended by more than 800 delegates from all Austrian states and several hundred guests, some of whom also came from Germany. The report on the business and financial management of the association contains the following interesting data: The local group network comprises 1035 fully operational local groups, including 93 women's and girls' local groups (five more than in the previous year), and more than 6000 members are involved in group administration, including at least 600 women. The total number of association members can again be assumed to be around 120,000,000 of which 30,000 are women and girls. The pure income in the profit and loss account shows a total of 291,814.38 guilders. The total income of the association from its foundation (June 1880) to May 1, 1888 amounted to fl. 1,761,537.91 compared to fl. 1,462,218.35 on the same day the previous year. The total sum spent and dedicated for school purposes amounted to fl. 296 684.51. In the evening a festive performance took place in the theater and after the theater the welcome in the gymnasium. The German speeches were delivered to the enthusiastic applause of the participants. Only the speech by the first deputy mayor of Vienna, Dr. Prix, was polemically tasteless, especially in view of recent court hearings. "That our Emperor is called Franz Josef" is something self-evident in the mouth of an Austrian. The servile pandering and officiousness, which is more likely to offend than please at the highest level, is beginning to fall flat. The general meetings of the school association are also not the place for friction between Dr. Prix and Dr. Lueger, about whose Germanism the files have almost been closed. Mr. von Dumreicher's application for the establishment of a school building fund was highly commendable. In the course of this year, Mr. Dumreicher has already had several opportunities to stand out among the German members of parliament in a remarkable way; all his speeches are carried by a high moral seriousness, his eyes are always directed towards the true and the creative, his words are a refreshment in the drought of phrases, his speeches a source of political education and upbringing for the German youth of Austria. Many people can take an example from the member of the Klagenfurt Chamber of Commerce.

Changes in the dislocation of troops are imminent. The Galician regiments, which until now have had their headquarters outside Galicia, will be transferred to their supplementary districts according to circumstances. As the official communiqué on this subject notes, this measure appears to be urgently required because the military service has grown considerably in size and effort as a result of the many military objects and fortifications that have been erected throughout Galicia in recent years, and is making demands for which the number of troops in this part of the country, which has not yet increased, cannot be considered sufficient. It would be an anomaly - the communique continues - if the transfer of the home regiments to their supplementary districts, which is so advantageous for the rapid development of the military force, were not carried out in precisely that border country, which is the most exposed in terms of its geographical location and nature.

Emperor Frederick III is constantly improving. Now that his attempts at walking have been so successful, the Emperor has already taken a ride in an open and closed carriage, during which he has always received enthusiastic tributes from the public. The communiqué published by the "Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung" on the occasion of the border violations to which German subjects have recently been subjected will not fail to have an effect in France. Germany has often defied French encroachments of this kind, but the provocations have become too frequent not to put the French hotheads in their proper place, as has now happened. The threat of reprisals will therefore probably soon bring the French to their senses.

Whether Boulangism is on the increase or on the wane cannot be determined with certainty today. The respectable French journals claim that the glory of the good general has passed its zenith. This may be the case among the top ten thousand, but it is still far from certain among the masses.

Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria sent a rescript to Prime Minister Stambulov in which he asked him to express his gratitude to the people for the reception he had received. He was delighted with his trip and would soon be going to Kazanlik to spend a few days in the Rose Valley.