Page:President of the Czecho-Slovak Republic, Thomas G. Masaryk.pdf/20

 diplomacy, particularly the embassy in Belgrade, had offered false evidence,—Masaryk got possession of the document: and exposed them to the whole of Europe,—and that the Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Aehrenthal was systematically falsifying the records of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Of Masaryk's works of this period,—there is a goodly number of them,—the greatest is "Russia and Europe", which was published first in the German language: the problem of the Russian revolution, which became a key even to the recent Russian revolution. When in 1914 Masaryk found himself in London and in 1915 was appointed professor in London, we can form an opinion of the attention paid to him in Europe from his reception in London. The British Prime Minister Asquith, being prevented by illness from coming to the inauguration of Masaryk's lectures, sent this telegram:

"I am obliged to send this telegram of sincere apology and regret that on account of illness I am not able to fulfill my promise to act as chairman at the inaugural lecture of Prof. Masaryk. I congratulate the college upon its choice and assure him that we welcome his coming to London, on the one hand as of a teacher the influence of whose power and erudition is felt throughout the whole Slavic world, on the other hand as of a man before whose personal characteristics of honor, determination and strength we gladly bow down. We believe that his presence here will be a tie which will strengthen the sympathy that binds Russia and Great Britain. Before all and above all the Allies are fighting for the freedom of small nations, so that in the future they would be rid of the tyranny of their more powerful neighbours and so that they could develop their national life and institutions. Today above all our thoughts and sympathies turn to Serbia whose undaunted courage day by day is gaining unlimited sympathy and admiration."

Masaryk did not become embittered and did not retire into private life in spite of his nation's injustice. When in the year 1910 we were celebrating his sixtieth birthday and he mentioned an attack made on him, he said with a smile: "After all it was not so bad in Bohemia. They used to tell me that I am a frightful optimist. Perhaps,—I do not know,—but the fact is that in Bohemia the thoughts of anyone and everyone which are sincere penetrate more rapidly and sharply than perhaps we are ready to admit. I for my own part am contented." This man perceived in September, 1914, that in the course of the world's catastrophe the Czech nation must not remain with folded hands, 12