Page:The heart of Europe; an address delivered by Charles Pergler in Washington, December 11, 1916, at a conference of oppressed or dependent nationalities (IA heartofeuropeadd00pergrich).pdf/38

to be fairly easy to safeguard the interests of a German and Magyar minority in a Bohemian-Slovak State, certainly easier than it would be to protect the rights of Bohemians and Slovaks in a deformed Austria. It is rather amusing to see the concern some people exhibit over the possible oppression of a small German and Magyar minority by the Czechs and Slovaks, although they never appeared to be very much exercised over the oppression of the majority of Czechs and Slovaks by a small minority of Germans and Magyars. But in any event, the rights of such minorities certainly should be regulated in some fashion, and there can be no objection to this. The federalization of Austria and the safeguarding of the rights of Slavs in Austria can be achieved only at the point of Allied guns. This is no easier and perhaps decidedly more difficult than to dissolve Austria and get rid of the problem forever. Basing the statement on historical records, it is not to be expected that the Bohemians will oppress the Germans. In spheres where the Czechs had any degree of self-government, as for instance in school matters, the Germans were never denied their legitimate needs. The municipality of Prague has always furnished adequate school facilities for the small German minority in Prague, and this is decidedly more than was done by municipalities in the hands of Germans for their Bohemian minorities. The thought cannot be laborated in this paper, but it is worth noting that a policy of denationalization of other peoples is one peculiar almost wholly to the Germans. After all, there is such a thing as psychology of nations, and