Page:The Bohemian Review, vol1, 1917.djvu/165



During the last month the treasury of the Alliance benefited greatly from the proceeds of several elaborately staged national fetes. Only the big bazaars of the past winter exceeded these Bohemian “posvícení” in size and enthusiasm.



The first of these great rallies in point of time was the old settlers’ reunion in Crete, Neb., held on August 26th. Both the attendance and financial success were wonderful; some six hundred automobiles were parked on the grounds. Among the speakers were Samuel Avery, chancellor of the University of Nebraska, and Joseph Tvrzický, secretary of the Alliance. The other fetes were held on Labor Day. In Chicago some thirty thousand people participated in the joy-making at the Pilsen Park. Baltimore, Toledo and Montgomery (Minn.), also had record crowds. In all these cities the fete was inaugurated by a marching parade with floats, national costumes, brass bands, uniformed societies, etc. After Labor Day, 1917, no one can doubt that people of Bohemian descent in the United States almost to a man stand back of the Bohemian National Alliance in its great fight for the independence of Bohemia. A particularly gratifying feature of all these celebrations was the hearty participation of Bohemians of Catholic faith.

Chas. Pergler, vice-president of the Alliance, had the honor of addressing the memorable gathering of the American Alliance for Labor and Democracy at Minneapolis, September 5th. Organizer Vojta Beneš spent the latter part of the month delivering a series of addresses in smaller Bohemian farming settlements in North and South Dakota. It is very gratifying to note that the number of branch societies is still increasing.

Probably the most important meeting in the history of the Bohemian National Alliance was a manifestation in favor of a Czechoslovak army, held at the Carnegie Hall in New York on September 16th. The meeting was presided over by the mayor of New York, John Purroy Mitchel, and was attended by large numbers of prominent and influential people. Mayor Mitchel praised the Czechoslovaks for their determination to conquer liberty for their native land and declared that their cause was bound up with the victory of America and its allies. He presented then the speaker of the day, M. Franklin Bouillon, vice-president of the French Chamber of Deputies and minister in the new cabinet. Minister Bouillon spoke of the gratitude felt by the French people toward the Bohemians who alone in 1871 protested against the spoliation of Alsase-Lorraine; he declared against premature peace and for the creation of an independent Czechoslovak state. The most interesting part of his address was the announcement that France has approved the formation of a distinct Czechoslovak army to take part in the offensive on the western front; and he urged all who wanted to see Bohemia free to enter this army. The only other speaker was Dr. Milan Štefanik, vicepresident of the Czechoslovak National Council of Paris, who stated that we would not cease in our fight on Austria-Hungary, until complete independence was attained.