Page:The Bohemian Review, vol1, 1917.djvu/173

 sentiments of the Czechs did not champion their claims. It is due principally to the labors of Dr. Edward Beneš, general secretary of the Czechoslovak National Council of Paris, who made several trips to Rome and indefatigably wrote, interviewed, beseeched the officials and the leaders of public opinion ,that today Bohemia’s claim to independence has no warmer friend and champion than the Italian nation.

During the year just past Italian journals and reviews have paid much attention to the situation in Bohemia; through their enterprise much came out that the Austrian censor would have liked to keep to himself, and the opinions they expressed editorially were very favorable to the aspirations of the Czechoslovaks. It was the Italian minister Bissolati who first of the responsible states men of the Allied countries demanded in October 1916 the dissolution of Austria-Hungary and the liberation of its subject races, among whom he named the Czechs. Even today, when Bohemia has so many warm sympathizers in France, England, Russia and the United States, Italy is the only country in which friends of Bohemia have created their own organization for the express purpose of aiding the fight for Czechoslovak liberation. The recent culmination of these flourishing Italo-Bohemian relations was a dinner tendered to Dr. Beneš in Rome, September 30, by the Italian friends of Bohemia.

It was a weighty assemblage that gathered on that day in the halls of the “Unione Economica Nazionale per le Nuove Provincie d’ltalia.” The government was represented by minister U. Comandini, a statesman who had on many occasions manifested his friendly sentiments for the Czech people and who is an outright champion of free Bohemia. Parliament had several of its prominent members there: senators Esterle and Wollemberg, deputies Torre, di Cesaro, Federzoni, Murri, Zanella, Ghilianovic; there was the vice-president of the Italian Committee for Bohemian Independence, Counsellor Scodnik, with the secretaries of the Committee, Dr. Scarpa and Dr. Russo; there was Col. Marchetti of the General Staff, Franzetti of the Rome City Council, counsellors Delia Vida, Segre, Rosmini, Palermi, Scalabrini, Bruno, Ravasini, Bellini, Sella, professors Palin, Valenti, Grassi and Tolomei, attorneys Callegari, Marcocchia, Persico and Riccaboni, eng. Fazia a Lanino, Count San Miniatelli, captains Mastellove, Dirilio and Orlando, lieutenants Cappeletti, Galvan, Scampicchio and Dadone, doctors Ricci, Mazzoleni, Megozzi, Scala, Bellen, Muratti, chevalier Liebman and chev. Rubliani, eng. Luzzatti, eng. Fogolin, prof. Bonfante. Newspapers were represented by Berganini for the Giornale d’Italia, Pascazio for the Fronte Interno, Petrai for the Messagero, Tato for the Agenzia Stefani, Ravasini for the Agenzia Volta, Chiarapa for the Agenzia Nazionale della Stampa, Poloni for the Popolo d’Italia, Among authors present were Mantica, Hodnig, Premuti, Maria Rygier, etc. Telegrams of greeting were sent by Baron Sonnino, minister of foreign affairs, and by ministers and under-secretaries Orlando, Carcano, Foscari, Pasqualino, Mentaneri, Morpurgo, former minster Barzilai, deputies Area, Sandrini, Salv. Orlando, Somaini, prof. Costa and others.

The first speaker at the dinner, deputy Andrea Torre, said in part: “The Czechs wrought a real miracle, when they established outside of the Bohemian territory a well-governed organization that brings together all Czechoslovaks, escaped, emigrated and captured in war. Here are two millions following of their own will their leaders. Through this organization they actually erected a kind of a Czechoslovak state beyond the boundaries of their fatherland. The Allies recognize the authority of this wonderful institution. It is an admirable demonstration of national consciousness and political energy, compelling the respect of all the world.”

Ugo Danone, on behalf of the Italian Committee for Bohemian Independence, enumerated in his speech Czech regiments that rose against the tyrant: 2nd, smashed at Valjevo by Magyar artillery; 36th, shot up in the barracks of Mladá Boleslav, and 88th, in the Carpathians; 28th, 13th, 72nd from Pressburg, 35th, 11th, 8th and 72nd from Prague surrendered, unwilling to fight for their oppressors.

The last speaker, Duke Colonna di Cesaro, emphasized Italy’s special interest in Bohemia. “In England and France there still are people who dream about Austria, as it used to be before 1866, an Austria that would be a rival of Germany and might be attached to the anti-German alliance. And so they would preserve Austria and would not hesitate to sacrifice to it the sacred national rights of subject races. In Italy there are no such illusions. Italy knows Austria,