Page:The Bohemian Review, vol2, 1918.djvu/238



After an absence of four years Thomas G. Masaryk left New York on November 20th to return to Prague as the first president of the Czechoslovak republic. His last days in this country were extremely busy; diplomatic and business matters, press representatives, his own countrymen and correspondence amounting to more than a hundred letters a day, claimed every minute of his waking time. He left Washington late on November 16th; at the station Czechoslovak officers and workers in Washington took leave of him. He presented each of them with an autographed picture. In New York he had to attend a number of dinners and functions arranged in his honor adand [sic] gave numberless interviews. He also received a delegation of the Czech and Slovak organizations in this country; they came to New York to present to him a sub stantial sum for his own expenses and the expenses of the Governmental offices in Paris, since no money could have been transmitted to him as yet from Bohemia. At his departure from the Vanderbilt Hotel to the “Carmania” the United States Government provided a guard of honor consisting of a company of infantry and a detachment of sailors. With him went his daughter, Miss Olga Masaryk, his secretary Mr. Jaroslav Císař and Major Jaromír Špaček, an officer of the Czechoslovak Army. Masaryk intends to stop in London and Paris, before proceeding to Prague. At the time he left he did not know by what road he would get to Bohemia. There are many important matters waiting for him at Prague and the whole country is anxious that he should be at the helm, but it is to be hoped that President Masaryk will be able to leave Prague after a few weeks and represent his country at the peace conference.

Before he left Masaryk closed negotiations for a loan from the American Government to the Czechoslovak Government. The amount is $7,000,000, and all of this sum will be used to pay for guns and ammunition sent from America to the Czechoslovak Army in Russia.

The interests of the Czechoslovak Government in Washington will be in charge of Charles Pergler, who has been accredited to the State Department as commissioner of the Czechoslovak National Council, with full powers to act on behalf of his Government. As a matter of fact since September, when recognition was extended by America to the Czechoslovaks, the Czechoslovak National Council has become merged in the government of the Czechoslovak republic, so that to-day the existing Czechoslovak government recognized by the Allies is a government not merely de facto, but also de jure. It controls most of the territory over which it claims sovereignty and its authority is willingly ac cepted by the entire people.

The Bohemian National Alliance| lost its president. Dr. L. J. Fisher, who left for France with a num ber of nurses to accompany the Czechoslovak wounded soldiers to Bohemia. He expects to stay indefinitely in the old country. His succesor will be selected by the district committees of the Alliance in the meantime the first vice-president. Dr. Joseph P. Pecival, will act as president.

All the workers of the Bohemian National Alliance are at this moment pushing with all their strength the Thanksgiving offering as the climax of their voluntary giving for the last four years to the Czechoslovak cause. In every town in the United States where there are any Czechs or Slovaks, committees wil go from house to house and ask for a substantial contribution. The results should be considerable. In the meantime, bazaars, which have brought in so much money in the past are still going on Cedar Rapids and the Czech settlements of Texas were holding bazaars at the end of November. Both bazaars hope to beat the record of Omaha, which so far comes first in making collections, with the great sum of $65,000.

The National Alliance of Bohemian Catholics moved their headquarters to the building of the Lawndale State Bank, 3707 West 27th Street, Chicago. The secretary reports great enthusiasm over the successful revolution in Bohemia which is manifested particularly by increased gifts; so a servant girl from San Francisco sent $100 and a farmer from South Dakota over 80 years old sent $600. New branches are still being established in Czech settlements, especially in the western farming states, and the farmers subscribe liberally to the calls of the Alliance right at the first meeting.

The Slovak League is also engaged successfully in collecting their thousands, the aim being to complete the Million-Dollar collection which was first proclaimed as their goal early in 1917. The number of their local branches is still growing so that the last Branch is No. 295. In addition to collecting money the Slovak League is also obliged to undertake cares of which the Bohemian National Alliance is free, for the Slovaks in America are still the only branch of their people with freedom of speech and action. Until the Magyars are expelled from the Slovak countries of Hungary, the Slovak League of America must protect the interests of their brothers at home. The officers of the League are therefore busy gathering statistical data and preparing pamphlets for use in the old country which will inform the people over there of the share the Slovaks in America had in the great work of liberating the united Czechoslovak State. The League also plans to take an important part in the economic up-building of Slovakia, which has great undeveloped natural riches. They intend to find capital among themselves and among their American friends to be employed in the old country.