At that time Karl Marx met in Vienna*” the Prague bookseller

Borrosch, the leader of the German-Bohemian group in the
Austrian National Assembly.

Borrosch complained a great deal about the national strife in
Bohemia, and the alleged fanatical enmity of the Czechs towards
the Bohemian Germans. Marx asked him how things were with
the Bohemian workers. “Yes,” replied Borrosch, “that is quite a
different matter; as soon as the workers join the movement, that
comes to an end; there is no more talk of Czechs or Germans,
they all stand together.”

What the Bohemian workers of both nationalities only sensed [at
that time] they now know: that all national strife is only possible
under the rule of the big landed feudal lords and capitalists; that
it serves solely to perpetuate this rule; that Czech and German
workers have the same common interests and that as soon as the
working class attains political power all causes for national strife
will be removed. For the working class is international by its very
nature, and it will demonstrate this once again on the coming First
of May.

London, April 8, 1893

FE,