the whole
male population up to the age of forty-two in case of emergency, and in
1889 a small increase was made in the annual number of recruits. A further
increase was made in 1892-1893. In contrast, however, with the military
history of other continental powers, that of Austria-Hungary shows a small
increase in the army establishment. Of recent years there have been signs
of an attempt to tamper with the use of German as the common language for
the whole army. This, which is now the principal remnant of the old
ascendancy of German, and the one point of unity for the whole monarchy, is
a matter on which the government and the monarch allow no concession, but
in the Hungarian parliament protests against it have been raised, and in
1899 and 1900 it was necessary to punish recruits from Bohemia, who
answered the roll call in the Czechish _zde_ instead of the German _hier_.

[Sidenote: The Customs Union.]

In those matters which belong to the periodical and terminable agreement,
the most important is the Customs Union, which was established in 1867, and
it is convenient to treat separately the commercial policy of the dual
state.[10] At first the customs tariff in Austria-Hungary, as in most other
countries, was based on a number of commercial treaties with Germany,
France, Italy, Great Britain, &c., each of which specified the maximum
duties that could be levied on certain articles, and all of which contained
a "most favoured nation" clause. The practical result was a system very
nearly approaching to the absence of any customs duties, and for the period
for which these treaties lasted a revision of the tariff could not be
carried out by means of legislation. After the year 1873, a strong movement
in favour of protective duties made itself felt among the Austrian
manufacturers who were affected by the competition of German, English and
Belgian goods, and Austria was influenced by the general movement in
economic thought which about this time caused the reaction [v.03 p.0021]
against the doctrines of free trade. Hungary, on the other hand, was still
in favour of free trade, for there were no important manufacturing
industries in that country, and it required a secure market for
agricultural produce. After 1875 the commercial treaties expired; Hungary
thereupon also gave notice to terminate the commercial union with Austria,
and negotiations began as to the principle on which it was to be renewed.
This was done during the