(With feeling.) Russian hearts will swell if the colonel can pass on the latest news from Russia, which he’s just read in the Morgenblatt. (Adopts a stance.) Standing to attention, they’ll salute obediently, there’s no chance of discipline breaking down when he addresses them. He must set a good example here as elsewhere, and salute standing to attention, insofar as his age and infirmity permit. (He salutes.) A visit of the camp commandant to the camp hospital—
AN OFFICER CADET (enters) Beg to report, Captain, the colonel wants the report on the Russian prisoners of war.
CAPTAIN The propaganda edict? I’m working on it.
OFFICER CADET Not the propaganda one, but the one about those who died of starvation.
CAPTAIN —who died of starvation? What, are they still dying of starvation? Gimme the dossier!
OFFICER CADET It’s the case of a Russian who was asleep with two others on a plank bed and died of starvation. He was already in a state of decomposition when the inspector came into the dormitory, and the two others were too weak to get up or even to call for help.
CAPTAIN Just a mo! — you can tell the colonel I’ll look in the pending tray right away, but I’m dealing with the propaganda at the moment, y’know, trying to reduce the unfavourable impressions among the prisoners of war so we can reestablish trade relations and they can send us foodstuffs, the Russians, once they’re safely home, or whatever.
(Change of scene.)
Scene 22
Provincial government in Brno.
GOVERNOR I’ve an idea! (To clerk) Take this down: Among the most important lessons we can draw from the murderous World War and the sacrifices it demands from the whole population is undoubtedly that of how important it is to inculcate the patriotic spirit in our children starting from their schooldays, to indoctrinate them with knowledge and love of their Fatherland in both the narrower and the broader sense. We must implant in their childish hearts all those seeds from which grow the glorious virile qualities that enable the young man, as an ardent patriot inspired by love and a sense of duty towards the Imperial House and the Fatherland, to fulfil his civic duties gladly and conscientiously, and moreover, if called upon, to sacrifice even life and health for those ideals.
Unfortunately, in Habsburg Austria there has been little preparation in this regard, and it seems to me to be incumbent on all the leading personalities in the Empire to make good this omission, and to take responsibility for the further development of the patriotic and dynastic sentiments of the coming generation, which — praise be! — are already omnipresent in embryo.
A little Czech monthly entitled Mladé Rakousko, or Young Austria, written in a popular style and adapted to the spirit of our schoolchildren, should be distributed to our primary and secondary schools, as also to our vocational colleges. I consider it the sacred duty of all persons of like station and mind, and a noble obligation for the landowning classes, to promote the circulation of this journal in those schools from which it can radiate economic influence, by subscribing a number of copies for each school, thereby enabling the journal to be distributed free to pupils without means, and beyond the pupils themselves, in justified expectation of exerting influence on the older members of every family.
The journal, costing 2 crowns 40 for an annual subscription, can be ordered from No. 18, Kaiser Franz Joseph-Platz, Brno.
May this appeal—
(Change of scene.)
Scene 23
In a primary school.
Some benches are empty. The surviving children are undernourished. All are wearing cheap suits made of wood pulp yarn.
TEACHER ZEHETBAUER —Beware of the rumours circulating and resist them wherever feasible. The enemy’s insidious plan is to confuse you, but they shall not succeed. Close your ears to allegations that we cannot hold out until victory is assured, and that we are at the point of starvation. Whose fault is that, after all, if not the enemy’s? Now they are even beginning to poison the very wellsprings of our — (a boy raises his hand.) What is it, Gasselseder?
GASSELSEDER Please, sir, can’t we drink water anymore either?
TEACHER Sit down, stupid boy. I didn’t mean it figuratively, of course, but literally. The enemy can’t defeat us in the field, so he’s trying to wear us down on the home front. That’s why you must beware of rumours! And suppress them with all the energy you can muster. They’re part of the enemy’s arsenal — (a boy raises his hand.) What is it, Anderle?
ANDERLE Please, sir, have the enemy got an arsenal, too?
TEACHER They do indeed, but it only contains rumours, and they don’t shrink from using every means to undermine the foundations of the Monarchy, and even loosen our ties of love and veneration towards our hereditary rulers. Kotzlik, you’re interrupting, repeat what I said.
KOTZLIK The enemy — the enemy have — undermined the arsenal — and — and we don’t shrink from loosening our ties — and — spreading rumours about — about — our hereditary rulers—
TEACHER You little wretch! You’ll stay in after school and write out the sentence I’ll give you 10 times. Sit down, you good-for-nothing! As for the rest of you, remain steadfast! Let the Iron Warrior be an example to you all. There he stands, a symbolic landmark built for eternity, for as long as the Habsburg double-headed eagle soars above our heads. See for yourselves — with your parents’ or guardians’ permission, of course — go and hammer in a nail, if there’s any room left for another nail. Close your ears to any rumours you hear on the way, for they’re even saying the days of the Iron Warrior are numbered and a hot-dog stand will take his place. We haven’t sunk to that yet, thank God, and we gladly accept the privations imposed upon us by the Fatherland for as long as the battle has not yet been decided once and for all, but still fluctuates, now one way, now the other. Nevertheless! If we — (a boy raises his hand.) What do you want, Zitterer?
ZITTERER Please, sir, I want peace!
TEACHER You little wretch! Sit down, you good-for-nothing! I can see it now, you’ll end up on the gallows before you’re done! Shame on you! And you, there, in the third row, what’s going on? Merores! What are you whispering?
MERORES Papa says he doesn’t understand all this agitation for peace — he doesn’t mind waiting, he says, on the contrary I think he’d rather peace didn’t break out since he’s been making good money and the peace would put an end to that.
TEACHER It’s good to hear your father is holding out so manfully and setting such a good example, Merores, but you were talking out of turn, and that’s a sign that discipline’s breaking down, thanks to the enemy stirring things up. I’m not saying you’re in the service of enemy propaganda exactly, though it has its tentacles everywhere, but I must say I take a serious view of such behaviour, now our hour of destiny is at hand. I can only repeat, over and over: remain steadfast, to the end! Can you imagine what would happen if you began to waver, too? The enemy would come among us, then woe unto you, woe unto your sisters and your brides-to-be, woe unto your parents or guardians! (A boy raises his hand.) What do you want, Sukfüll?
SUKFÜLL Please, sir, the foreigners! Father said he can’t wait any longer, he can’t stand it, it’s high time for the foreigners to come among us, he says.
CLASS Yes, Promote our tourist trade!