Page:The Bohemian Review, vol1, 1917.djvu/184

 It appears that in the executive sessions of Czech Deputies’ Club a fight went on for a straight out demand for complete independence. The division in the Club, as one may guess at it, was along the lines of temperament, rather than along former partisan allegiance. Thus some Catholic deputies made the strongest demand for an absolute break with the Hapsburgs, while certain Socialist leaders were in favor of a pro-Austrian construction. The radical spirit won the day, as was inevitable in view of the bitter hate of the people of Bohemia for the German-Austrian cause, and the first fruits of it was the refusal of the Bohemians to have any part in the deliberations of the commission for constitutional revision. The Czechs declared that they denied the competency of the Vienna Parliament to decide how Bohemia should be ruled, and that the affairs of Bohemia would be thrashed out at the peace conference.

Another sign of the growing boldness of the Czech leaders is a resolution drafted by Deputy Prášek and approved at a meeting of his constituents at Lysá on the Elbe September 2. The resolution reads: “It cannot be denied that the politico-legal declaration of May 30 must be amended so as to cast out every ambiguity. The Czech nation will not be satisfied with any sort of autonomy, or with the so-called self-determination; it will keep up its fight for a completely independent Czechoslovak state.”

An interesting light is shed on the attitude of the Czech deputies by the scene in the Reichsrat on on October 29. The president of the chamber announced the startling victories of the Austro-German offensive on the Italian front and called for cheers for the emperor and the “brave” army. Cheers were given with a will by the German and Polish deputies, while the Czechs remained ostentatiously silent. One can well imagine their feelings. Not only must they have been downcast by the delay of their ardent hopes for the speedy downfall of the Central Powers, but they also realized at once that the police regime in Bohemia would be again made severe and that new prosecutions for treason were likely to come.

And while the elected representatives of the Czech people opposed the Austrian government in parliament, the unwilling Czech soldiers continued to manifest their hostility to the German cause in the field. For the second time the minister of public defense had to admit in parliament that in the brief July offensive of the Russians three regiments, composed principally of Bohemians, failed to offer the resistance expected of them, or as the Russians had it, three Czech regiments surrendered without a shot. On the Italian front several regiments of Czech recruits were guilty of rebellion and as a punishment were sent to the Palestine. On the other hand all reports from the Bohemian centers in Russia tell of successful recruiting among the captured Czech and Slovak soldiers for the creation of a big Czechoslovak army in Russia, while prisoners in France and Italy and immigrants in the United States hasten into the new Czechoslovak army which will fight the Germans on the western front.

Bohemians want liberty, and they want it badly enough to fight for it.

The subject of the greatest interest to the Czechs in America is just now the definite news of the formation of a Czecho-slovak army in France. A memorable meeting was held in Chicago in the Sokol Havlíček Tyrš Hall on October 14 at which Colonel Comte DeMontal, attached to the French Embassy, and Commandant Štefanik gave some account of the organization of this, the second Bohemian army taking up arms against the Teutons. The first Czecho-slovak army has already gained glory for itself on the Russian front. This much is assured now that Czechs and Slovaks from the United States will be fully represented in the offensive of 1918.

In other respects the work of the Alliance has been of the same general character as in the past. Two Texas branches followed the example of the larger towns and held bazaars for the benefit of the political fund of the organization. The bazaar at Rosenberg, managed by Mrs. C. H. Chernovsky and Mr. J. R. Vilt, cleared over $700, a large amount for the small number of the local people; the one at Ennis, Tex., doubled the thousand-dollar mark aimed at.

The great bazaar of Cedar Rapids, Ia., was held the last week in October. While detailed account of its success was lacking at the time of this writing, it was already apparent that the people of the city known as “Bohemian Athens” lead the residents of larger cities in the sacrifices they bring in the cause of freedom.

The lecture trip of the organizer through Minnesota and the Dakotas has resulted in the addition of half a dozen new branches. The latest recruit is the branch society at Tabor, Minn., in the fertile Red River valley, organized October 21.

A convention of the Chicago district of the Alliance was held at Chicago, October 13 and 14. Delegates were present from branches in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. The business transacted was concerned principally with matters of better organization and financing of the work for Bohemian independence. The most notable recommendation adopted was the motion that the Bohemian National Alliance request all the fraternal Bohemian societies to impose upon their entire membership a small monthly payment in the nature of a contribution for the freedom of Bohemia. The precedent for it is found in the small tax paid by Chicago members of such societies for the maintenance of instruction in the Bohemian language after school hours.

The work of gaining the sympathy of the people of America for the demands of the Bohemians is making headway in all parts of the land. At the annual conference of the Methodist ministers of the