Paris Peace Conf. 184.01102/68
Professor A. C. Coolidge to the Commission to Negotiate Peace
[Received February 12.]
Sirs: I have the honor to report that during my recent stay in Prague I gathered certain general impressions from the people whom I talked with, most of them being officials. In the time at my disposal it seemed not worth while to go outside.
The new Czecho-Slovak Government are struggling with difficulties of many sorts and they are much hampered by the fact that they have had, at short notice, to create a new organization from whatever material they had at hand. Many of the people are, therefore, quite without previous experience in the tasks which they now have to perform, and the whole machine is an imperfect one. Nevertheless they are full of determination, courage and believe in the success and prosperity of the Czecho-Slovak state when once they have got over their present crisis. They complain of the lack of food and are quick to protest against the belief that Bohemia has more to eat and is better off than Austria, and even seem to parade their difficulties.
They dwell with bitterness on the way in which Bohemia had been stripped of everything during the war and on the centralization of materials in Vienna. I have no idea how much of this stripping and centralization were due to the inevitable necessities of the struggle and how much to special harsh treatment of Bohemia, which no doubt took place.
Generally I was struck with the bitterness, even hate, with which the people talked of Vienna as being a parasite which had long lived from the toil of foreign nations and well deserved the trouble that had now come to it.
One result of the war which in Bohemia and elsewhere is exciting much apprehension is the unwillingness of many of the returned soldiers and others to do their former amount, indeed even a small amount of work. There are many unemployed and there is work especially in the country for which it is impossible to find labor.
Bolshevism has undoubtedly obtained a certain foothold among the Czech workmen, estimates as to its strength varies and the truth is hard enough to ascertain, especially as the term “Bolshevism” is very loosely used. The government, I believe, are confident that they can keep it down and hold their own if only they can have enough food and can tide over the present critical situation and also if Bolshevism does not sweep away the countries round about.
The Czechs seem to regard the question of the boundaries of Bohemia and Slovakia as being practically settled to their satisfaction even though they have not yet been formally ratified by the conference. [Page 331] They are confident in their ability to control, placate and in due time absorb the foreign elements in their new population. In general in spite of the difficulties that beset them they are still aglow with their triumph and confidence in their future. I have not seen any traces of any particular desire for a Danube confederation although theoretically the Czecho-Slovaks would not be opposed to it on their own terms.
I have taken up certain other questions in separate reports.
I have [etc.]