Page:The Bohemian Review, vol1, 1917.djvu/114

 cablegram. As far as we could ascertain, following daily papers commented editorially on Bohemia: New York Globe, St. Paul Pioneer Press, Minneapolis Journal, Detroit News, St. Paul Dispatch, Indianapolis News, Omaha Bee, Dubuque Telegraph-Herald, Grand Rapids News, Cedar Rapids Republican, Portland (Ore.) Journal, Omaha World Herald, Chicago Journal.

The Literary Digest of June 23 had a one page article, entitled “Our Bohemian Fighters”, giving credit to the Bohemians for the zeal with which they come forward to fight against Germany. The article is illustrated by the picture of Czech volunteers in Canada.

The same group of Bohemian boys, photographed in London, appear in the Chicago Journal, June 22, under the title “Czech Volunteers from U. S. A.”

Officers and sailors of the Russian warship “Variag” which recently called at the harbor of New York were guests of the Bohemian and Slovak organizations of New York City on June 26.

Between the Russians and the Bohemians there has been close touch and warm sympathy for the last hundred years. Both nations are branches of the great Slavic race, their languages are nearly related and the consciousness of blood relationship is very strong. The Russian people, being by far the most numerous of the Slav nations, is looked upon as the big brother of the Slav family, the champion of the oppressed Slavs of Turkey and Austria-Hungary.

As such, and as representatives of the great Russian democracy, the sailors of the “Variag” found a cordial welcome in the Bohemian Sokol Hall on 71st St. Officers and delegates of the crew were seated on the platform alongside of the representatives of the Bohemian National Alliance and the Slovak League. Gustav Košík who recently returned from Russia where he had spent a year on behalf of the Slovak League welcomed the guests in the Russian language. Response was made by Captain Kolzevnikov who pledged the assistance of Russia toward the liberation df Austrian Slavs. In a similar tone spoke the Russian naval attache Capt. Piotrowsky and the military attache Capt. Buckoy who talked warmly of his visit to Prague and of his Bohemian teachers in Russian schools. Very remarkable was the address of the spokesman of the crew Kalinsky who brought out excellently the character of the Russian revolution and its significance for the democratization of the world.

July 6 means to the Bohemians almost as much as July 4 to the Americans. On that day in the year 1415 John Hus, national hero of Bohemia, was burned at the stake in the City of Constance on the Rhine after he had been condemned as heretic by the Council of Constance. To the world at large Hus is known as a religious reformer, but by Bohemians of every belief he is admired and honored principally as the champion of the Czech people against the onslaughts of German Kultur. Not that Hus was a chauvinist. But when he was accused at the Council among other charges of having instigated the Czechs to hatred against the Germans he answered: “I have affirmed and yet affirm that Bohemians should by right have the chief place in the offices of the Kingdom of Bohemia, even as they that are Frenchborn in the Kingdom of France and the Germans in their own countries, so that Bohemians should rule their people, and Germans rule over Germans.”

After five hundred years that is still the political program of the nation of John Hus. Let Germans rule in Germany, but let Bohemians rule in Bohemia.

In Chicago the memory of John Hus at a meeting to be held on his anniversary day in the Carter H. Harrison High School. The speaker will be Dr. Harry Pratt Judson, President of the University of Chicago.

In, the May issue of the Bohemian Review was shown of Bohemian volunteers in the Canadian army; majority of them were from the United States. They landed in England in the latter part of May and took part in an enormous manifestation in honor of the United States held at the Hyde Park in London, May 27. Our boys carried a sign inscribed “Czech Colunteers [sic] from U. S. A.” and received a boisterous welcome. When the procession passed the French Embassy, in front of which were grouped ministers of the Allied Powers, the Bohemian soldiers were ordered to step out of the ranks and two of them were introduced to Ambassador Page, who expressed his pleasure at their arrival in Europe.

The Bohemian National Alliance| has just received from England a number of copies of the following pamphlets:

Lewis B. Namier: The Czecho-Slovaks, An Oppressed Nationality.

Douglas W. Johnson: Plain Words From America. A Letter to a German Professor.

T. W. Rolleston: Ireland and Poland. A comparison.

Sir Julian Corbett: The League of Peace and a Free Sea.

The New German Empire. A Study of German War Aims from German Sources.

You can obtain copies of any of the above pamphlets by writing to the Bohemian National Alliance, 3639 W. 26th St., Chicago, 111. Please send two cents postage for each pamphlet.