Page:The Bohemian Review, vol2, 1918.djvu/119

 love adventures of the mediaeval trouveur Jaufré Rudel is overshadoped by Mucha’s wonderful drawings. The original French edition was issued in 252 copies only and is unobtainable to-day, while Kočí’s Bohemian edition has only black and white illustrations. All the languishing art of Mucha and the dazzling, inexhaustible fantasticism of ornamentation reached their full bloom here.

Less successful is Mucha’s “Pater Noster”, where his art breaks upon the rocks of mysticism. The work upon which Mucha is engaged at present and the art of Kupka, now the head of the Czech colony in France will be taken up next time.

The fiftieth anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone for the Czech National Theatre in Prague came to be more than merely a milestone in the history of the Czech great theatre. It was made the occasion of the second congress of Austro-Hungarian oppressed nationalities, similar to the one held at Rome a month earlier.

All the Slavs of Austria, excepting the Ukrainians, were fully represented. The May meeting of 1918 was a far more representative Slav congress than the first gathering of Slavs held in Prague in 1848. Of especial importance was the strong Polish delegation, numbering 60 members. At its head were the following deputies: ex-Minister Dr. Glombinski, Count Adam Skarbek, Witos, Bojko, Wladimir Temajer, a very popular deputy and prominent painter, leaders of the Polish Socialist deputies, delegates of the two chief cities Lemberg and Gracow and of both the Polish Universities, many authors, journalists and decorative artists. Outside of the official Polish delegates of Galicia, a few unofficial delegates from Russian Poland and from Posnania managed to get across the German lines. Naturally, these men received a specially rousing welcome.

There were over 200 Jugoslav guests; 6 Slovenian deputies; 5 Croatian deputies from Austria; 7 from Hungary, mayors of Laibach and Agram; deputies Kristan and Demetrovic for the Slovenian and Croatian Socialists, a Serbian Socialist deputy from Bosnia, and representatives of various organizations and corporations and cities. There were 22 guests from Slovakland and delegates even from Prussian Silesia; only the Ukrainians and the Lusatian Serbs were prevented from reaching Prague. Of course, guests from Serbia were not expected, but greetings from Belgrade did reach Prague any way.

The most important feature, however, was the presence of Italian delegates. Prague had always been the gathering place of all Slavs from all parts of Austria, but co-operation among the Slav and Latin subjects had been lacking, until war and the news of the Congress of Rome taught them that they must combine against their common oppressors.

The main celebration was held on May 16th in the National Museum on the St. Vaclav Square. It was presided over by Dr. Karel Kramář, a man who had spent two years in jail merely because he had been the parliamentary leader of the Czechs before the war. After welcoming the Slav and Italian guests he struck the keynote of the celebration in a speech, the character of which is indicated by the following quotations:

The Slovaks could not send their parliamentary deputies, for their have none, but they sent their most distinguished man, the poet Orsag-Hviezdoslav, who said: