Page:The Bohemian Review, vol2, 1918.djvu/239

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The Bohemian National Alliance| of Baltimore arranged, at the invitation of the commission on training camp activities, an interesting program for Czechoslovak Day at Camp Meade, Md. The camp is about half way between Washington and Baltimore, and contains 38,000 men. Among them there are several hundred soldiers of Czechoslovak birth, as well as a number of officers, who cooper ated in preparations for the festival most cordially.

The program was held in the Y. M. C. A. auditorium. An address was made by Charles Pergler, Commissioner of the Czechoslovak Government, and members of the Sokol Blesk and of the Catholic Sokol of Baltimore presented gymnastic drills, athletic exhibitions, folk dances and singing. The program was accepted with much enthusiasm by the multitude of soldiers present, and the news papers devoted much attention to the unusual cele bration of a Czechoslovak Day in an American training camp.

The BaltimoeBaltimore [sic] Czechs deserve much credit for their initiative and for the splendid program pre sented by them.

The Czechoslovak state, setting out upon its historical course under the presidency of Masaryk, is another republic that exhibits the instincts of moral greatness. What Professor Masaryk is the world knows. He has fought a life long fight for the liberty of his people. He has been bitterly maligned and cruelly persecuted. He has seen the choicest spirits of his people proscribed; he has felt in his soul the whole measure of the oppression resting upon the masses of his countrymen, whom he loves with a singular intensity of devotion. If any living man has old scores to settle, that man is Masaryk. If a spirit of revenge were justified anywhere, it would be justified in Masaryk. But in his clear spirit there is not a trace of hatred or of revenge, but a single desire to let the dead bury the dead and to let the living work together in building a future of justice and humanity. Czechoslovakia must be full of leaders whose vision is clouded by the sense of ancient and grievous wrongs. By what obscure process does the mantle of leadership pass over such men of hot passion and descend upon a figure of classical serenity and wisdom like Masaryk? The stars in their courses are manifestly fighting for Czecho-Slovakia. Long life to Masaryk, and eternal life to the republic!

Upon the occasion of the close of the war and the birth of the Czechoslovak Republic the Slovak League of America sent the following message to Dr. Paul Blaho, one of the two Slovak deputies in the Budapest parliament, to be transmitted by him to the entire nation:

Greetings to the Slovak Nation from their Brothers in America.

With feelings of great joy and infinite happiness we send to you, brothers and sisters in Slovakia, warm greetings and heartiest congratulations, because after a thousand years of struggle and suffering the sun has finally risen above the Tatry and spread the warm rays of liberty over all Slovakia.

We are proud that opportunity had been made for us in this last fight to repay to our native land, from which fate tore us away, the debt of gratitude which we incurred before leaving for free America. We are proud that in the fight for your liberty, for the freedom of the Czechoslovak nation, we here in America had a share. Our brothers and sons fought under the starry banner of the United States as well as under the Czechoslovak flag in France; others sustained them in the field by working in the war industries. Our women and girls with much zeal and self-sacrifice undertook the work of relief, all with firm faith in their hearts that the Czechoslovak people must win.

Your oppressors have been swept away. Now you fay relax and celebrate. All world has adopted the great American principle: Government of the people, for the people and by the people. Now you will free, now you will yourselves decide your future as free citizens of the Czechoslovak Republic.

We know what misery and horror you had to bear during the war; but your liberty was worth all that suffering. Use your liberty with reason, loving each other as brothers. Slovaks and Czechs together, so that our beloved Slovakia may prosper politically, culturally and economically, from Prespurk to Užhorod.

May the mountains of Tatry resound with cheers for President Masaryk who guided us through the most difficult days and is our great leader, inspirer and father still. Glory to our heroes who laid down their lives in Russia. France and Italy for the liberation of the Czechoslovak nation. Glory to our greatest friend, President Wilson. May happiness and blessing be with you. May every one of you work with all his strength and all his heart for the welfare of our dear Slovakia and of the entire Czechoslovak Republic.

Albert Mamatey,President, Slovak League. Jan Janćek. Jr.,Secretary, Slovak League.

This issue concludes the second volume of the Bohemian Review, which has now been transformed into the Czechoslovak Review. It is the ambition of the editor to increase the size of the monthly and to enrich its contents, as far as financial con, siderations will permit. The last three issues con tained 24 pages; and it is the intention to have all the coming issues have at least 24 pages, not in cluding the covers.

The subscription has not been increased, and in order to furnish more reading matter without a raise in the subscription, it is necessary to gain more readers. If you like the Review, you are earnestly urged to recommend it to your friends and to renew promptly your own subscription.