Page:Albert Beaumont - Heroic Story of the Czecho-Slovak Legions - 1919.djvu/45

 in our factory numbered about 4,500, and the 1,700 Czechs joined them, parading through the town. The workmen in the other factories did the same thing, and their wives and children came out, and all paraded through the town. There was an excitement and a movement among that working population which I shall never forget.

All the pent-up feelings, all the long-suppressed emotions, exploded. Men got on boxes, on doorsteps, on balconies, on carts and wagons, and made speeches. Everybody applauded, waved hands, handkerchiefs, and hats, and cheered the revolution. Profesor Maxa, one of our leaders, who was the delegate of our Provisional Government at Rostov, made a speech, first in Russian, then in Czech. He exalted and glorified the Russians for what they had done. He exhorted us Czechs to be ready and do the same. But first we should have to work and fight, and fight and work, till Austria and Germany, the last autocracies in the world, were crushed. All the nations on earth would be democracies. He foresaw a glorious future for Russia, and woe and speedy destruction for the German and Austrian autocracies. Alas! He little anticipated, little did any of us anticipate, that the new Russian Republic would soon fall to pieces, and that the crushing of Germany and Austria would have to be the work of others. But we were frantic enthusiasts. The “Republic“ made us delirious.

Our factory consisted of six buildings. No work was done for several days in any of them. But in all the excitement there were some signs of moderation. The better-minded among the workmen tried to calm their comrades. They made speeches full of common sense. They said: “We must show ourselves worthy of revolution. We must work more diligently than ever. Before, we worked for the Tsar, now we work for ourselves, for our wives and families. We must be a credit to the Republic. We must see that our soldiers at the front don’t lack ammunition to fight the Germans. Get to work, men, and do your duty. That is the best way to help the Republic.“ When they said this we Czechs applauded unanimously. Our men got up and made similar speeches. I also stood on a box and spoke. But all this time work slackened at the factory. The men were loth to return. Speech-making and listening was a tempting form of idlenes. The foremen tried to establish order and threatened. They were threatened in turn with expulsion by the workmen.

The Governor of the Province was removed. A new Mayor was appointed. A Commitee of Public Safety was constituted. A militia